by Andrew Chalk
Jorge Matetic, a fifth generation Chilean of Croatian descent took at least two brave moves in 1999. First he decided to diversify his family’s business interests from such prosaic essentials as fence wire into wine production. Second, he decided to plant vineyards in the area of Casablanca, far off the beaten track of the country’s lush Valle Centrale. He bought no less than 46,000 acres.
To put that into perspective it is roughly half the total vineyard area of the whole of New Zealand. Mercifully for the price of Chilean wine, only about 300 acres are planted to vines. The rest are woods, crops and sheep pasture. Since those frontier days, the Casablanca region has become quite a popular viticultural area and is being recognized as the site of distinctive Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Continue reading
