Climatic potential for viticulture in Central Chile

Abstract

Background and Aims: Central Chile represents a large area of viticultural potential for high-quality wine production. Although climate has been commonly accepted as one of the main drivers of Chilean viticultural success, its main features have not been described from a viticultural perspective. Our work focused on analysing the spatial climatic structure in this area with respect to the potential for grapevine production. Methods and Results: Climatic indices were used to estimate heat accumulation during the growing season, thermal regime during ripening and the potential water balance at the end of the growth cycle. These indices were calculated for 54 weather stations and clustered using hierarchical classification. The spatial variability in climatic potential was well explained by differences in heat accumulation and by March thermal amplitude. Conclusions: General patterns showed that the ripening of grapes was associated with low night-time temperatures. Proximity to the sea had a strong influence, and there was a dominant north-south orientation of the climatic groups. Significance of the Study: This study described the differences and relative importance of major climatic factors in Central Chile, providing an increase in knowledge about the climate of Chilean wine-producing regions. © 2011 Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology Inc.