Chile

Chile's natural boundaries (Pacific Ocean, Andes Mountain, Atacama Desert to the north and Antarctica to the south) has left it relatively isolated from other parts of the world and has served to be beneficial in keeping the phylloxera louse at bay, which means that the country's grapevines do not need to be grafted. Because of this many Chilean vineyards do not have to incur that added cost of planting.

The climate has been described as midway between that of California and France. The warm, bright, sunny days recall the Mediterranean. Chile makes the most consistently good wines from the South American continent. In particular, the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère are among the top varietals as well as Chardonnay.