Colchagua Valley
Colchagua Valley belongs to the Rapel Valley viticultural zone and it is included in the Central Valley viticultural region. The Colchagua Valley is located south of the Cachapoal Valley and comprises San Fernando, Chimbarongo, Nancagua, Santa Cruz, Palmilla, Peralillo and Apalta areas.
The Colchagua Valley belongs to the Rapel valley vine-growing zone and it is included in the Central Valley of Chile viticultural region; it is located south of the Cachapoal Valley. It belongs to the Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins region, the 6th administrative region whose capital is the city of Rancagua. Its boundaries are, North the Santiago metropolitan region at 33° 50’ latitude South, and South the Maule region at 34° 45’ latitude south, to the west the Pacific Ocean and to the east the Andes mountains. This Rapel Valley viticultural zone is divided into the Cachapoal Valley with the Rancagua, Mostazal, Requínoa, Rengo and Peumo areas and the south colindant Colchagua Valley with the areas of San Fernando, Chimbarongo, Nancagua, Santa Cruz, Palmilla, Peralillo and Apalta.
Denomination of Origin: Colchagua
Region: Central Valley
Sub-Region: Rapel Zone: Colchagua
Complementary Areas: Costa, Entre-Cordilleras, Andes
Wineries in the Valley of Colchagua:
Viña Apaltagua www.apaltagua.com
Viña Bisquertt www.bisquertt.cl
Viña Casa Silva www.casasilva.cl
Viña Dos Almas www.dosalmas.cl
Viña Encierra www.encierra.cl
Viña Emiliana www.emiliana.cl
Viña Escondida www.vinaescondidadecolchagua.cl
Viña Koyle www.koyle.cl
Viña Lapostolle www.lapostolle.com
Viña Los Vascos www.vinalosvascos.com
Viña Luis Felipe Edwards www.lfewines.com
Viña Maquis www.maquis.cl
Viña Montes www.monteswines.com
Viña MontGras www.montgras.cl
OWM Wines www.owmwines.cl
Viña Polkura www.polkura.cl
Viña Root:1 www.root1wine.com
Viña Santa Cruz www.vinasantacruz.cl
Viña Siegel www.siegelvinos.com
Viña Ventisquero www.ventisquero.com
Viñedos Veramonte www.neyen.cl
Viña Viu Manent www.viumanent.cl
Soils
The western slope of the Coastal Range has well-developed soils that evolved from granitic rocks and have clay content in depth. In the sector neighbouring the coast the soils derive from high marine terraces, they are reddish-brown in colour and their relief is flat or softly sloping. In the western slopes of the Coastal Range, soils originate from granitic rocks and have high clay content in depth. Alluvial soils of moderate development are found in the zone of the Central Valley, set between the Coastal Range and the Andes. Most of the irrigated agricultural lands of the Rapel viticultural region have this type of soil. In the precordillera and the sectors of stronger relief of the Andes there are coarse-grained soils derived from volcanic accumulation. The Rapel River and its main affluents, the Cachapoal and Tinguiririca Rivers, constitute the hydrographic system of the Rapel Valley. Both rivers meet in the sector called La Junta and feed the Rapel reservoir.
Climate
The Rapel Valley region is characterised by a temperate climate with large differences between the coast and its inland valleys. The orographic conditions of the region do not allow sea winds to enter the sunken basin; this causes a wide thermal range, differentiating it from the coast where sea fogs are present during practically the whole year. The difference between the coast and the sunken basin is significant, and shows in the humidity, thermal oscillation and high mean rainfall at some times of the year.