Banfi Vintners

The Grapes and the Wine

By law, in Chile, there are 14 red grapes and 14 white grapes that may be used in the production of fine wine.

Red varieties:   

White varieties:

Cabernet Sauvignon  

Chardonnay

Merlot 

Sauvignon Blanc

Carménère   

Sauvignon Vert/Sauvignonasse

Cot/Malbec    

Moscatel de Alejandría

Shiraz/Syrah    

Moscatel Rosada

Pinot Noir  

Semillion

Cabernet Franc  

Torontel

Mouvedre  

Riesling

Nebbiolo  

Gewürztraminer

Petite Verdot 

Chenin Blanc

Pinot Gris  

Marsanne

Sangiovese

Pinot Blanc

Verdo     

Rousanne

Zinfandel  

Viognier

Today, Cabernet Sauvignon is Chile’s most widely planted grape variety, and naturally, the leading red. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat of Alexandria run neck and neck at 30 percent, 27 percent and 24 percent of total white grape plantings respectively.

Only the above listed 28 grape varieties may be varietally listed on a Chilean wine label.

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Silvestre Ochagavía is generally credited with introducing the first popular European varieties to Chile.

Torontel is also known as Torrontes. It is a white variety from Galicia, Spain.

Chasselas is one of the oldest grape varieties cultivated by man. Most of the world’s plantings are concentrated in Switzerland now where it is also known as Fondant.

Most Chilean wine is varietally labeled.

In 1996, Chile instituted the “Rule of 75 Percent.” This is the minimum percentage for:

  • The grape variety in the bottle
  • The vintage
  • The place of origin
  • What must be estate grown and bottled, if the wine is labeled “Estate Bottled”

As the European Union (EU) mandates that any varietally labeled product imported into the EU contain a minimum of 85 percent of the named variety on the label, most Chilean bottlings are, in fact, above the minimum percentage of that varietal required by Chilean law.