You might find only a handful of companies that may produce modern wines rooted in their rich heritage. The Chilean wine label of Caliterra is one of them. The Mondavi Family, one of the popular names in the American wine industry, and the Chilean wine company Errazuriz, joined together to create the Caliterra Wines in 1996.
Since then, the company has been making high-quality wines that blend modern techniques and the rich heritage of the place of its origin – the Colchagua Valley. This particular valley is known for its excellent climate, location and diverse soil conditions. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate prevailing here, this region experiences cold nights suitable for producing high-quality red varietals.
The Caliterra Vineyard, located right in the middle of the Colchagua Valley, stretches to around 1000 hectares, out of which 75% remains active even today. The vineyard is well-protected by Lake Rapel, Apalta Valley, Santiago and the Pacific Ocean on its boundaries. The vines are grown at reasonable altitudes with continuous exposure to the sun and gentle breezes. Thanks to these conditions, the grapes grown on these vineyards are balanced, structured and full-bodied.
The first-ever vines were planted here in 1997. During that year, 210 hectares of vineyards were used for planting Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah, Malbec and Viognier vines. In 2005, 32 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenere vines were added to the Caliterra vineyards. A bevy of sustainable viticultural activities is currently going on in these vineyards to ensure utmost protection to the environment.
Minimal use of nitrogen fertilisers, reduced use of herbicides, eco-friendly products and programs, reduced energy usage, etc., are some examples of these sustainable techniques followed at the vineyards. In 2017, Vina Caliterra became the first winery in Chile to get the CarboNZero certification, because it had cultivated its own forests in the huge expanses of farms.