Ten things we bet you didn't know about Chile

By wine writer Peter Richards, author of The Wines of Chile (Mitchell Beazley, 2006) and published in the Chile supplement to Decanter magazine, October 2007 issue.

1. Mummification? So last year... It seems that the ancient Chileans were practicing the art of mummification long before the Egyptians took it up. In 1917 German archeologist Max Uhle discovered mummified remains in the north of Chile and more discoveries have been made since. The evidence suggests that the Chinchorro people from the northern Atacama were mummifying their dead at least as far back as 7,000 years ago, some two thousand years before the Egyptians are thought to have started the practice. The Chinchorro mummies had had their internal organs removed and the cavities filled with straw and ashes. Mud masks for the face and a human-hair wig completed the look.
2. In 2005 the annual Human Development Index report by the United Nations Development Programme ranked Chile as the world's 37th most developed country (out of 177) and the country is regularly rated as one of the most progressive societies in Latin America. However, the same report also noted the country's poor record in terms of equality and income distribution. The divide between rich and poor is marked in Chile, where it is estimated that some 38% of total earnings go to the wealthiest 10% of society while around 2.2 million people live in poverty.
3. One of the world's biggest pot plants can be found in the Temperate Glasshouse in Kew Gardens, London, and it is a Chilean palm. This magnificent specimen of Jubaea Chilensis rises almost 18m in height (it had to be repotted in the 1930s after its size caused consternation). Writing after his visit to Chile in 1834, Charles Darwin related how the locals would cut the palms down, drain the sap over a period of some months (yielding up to 90 gallons of liquid) and then make treacle from it. Apparently, it was also sometimes fermented. Nowadays, the finest collection of jubaea chilensis can be found rubbing shoulders with vineyards at the Palmería estate owned by the La Rosa winery.
4. Chile's most famous Nobel Prize-winning poet was Pablo Neruda, right? Well, sort of. His real name was actually Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He purloined the name Neruda from a Czech writer. (The other famous Chilean Nobel Prize-winning poet was Gabriela Mistral - also a pseudonym, of Lucila Godoy Alcayaga.) Years after Neruda's death, his fellow countryman and self-proclaimed "anti-poet" Nicanor Parra mischievously suggested that he might, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, finally adopt a pseudonym. All he needed was a name that had been left vacant... he wondered if Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto might not fit the bill.
5. In the 1930s the sub-editors of The Times had a competition to see who could write the most boring headline. The winner was: "Small Earthquake in Chile. Not many dead." It proved to be a hollow joke 30 years later when, on 21st May 1960, the strongest earthquake ever recorded hit the city of Valdivia in south-central Chile. The quake measured 8.6 on the Richter scale and caused a tsunami with 30m waves that reached as far afield as New Zealand and Japan. Around 3,000 people died and some 18,000 homes were lost. Chile is prone to volcanic activity and earthquakes due to its location on the so-called Ring of Fire that runs around the Pacific Rim, which tectonic activity gave rise to the Andes in the first place.
6. Mining is the biggest business in Chile by far. Much of this is copper - Chile is the world's largest producer of this in-demand metal and copper shipments account for 35-40% of total Chilean exports by value. Other important earners in this sector include lithium (used in batteries) and molybdenum (used in the manufacture of stainless steel) as well as silver and gold. Chile has the world's largest open-pit copper mine (Chuquicamata) and world's largest underground mine (El Teniente). Chile's wine industry owes a debt to this industry - it was money from mining in the mid-19th century that enabled rich landowners to set up the first large-scale wineries.
7. It appears that something of a spiritual battle is taking place in the mountainous recesses of the Choapa Valley, in north-central Chile. The valley, which has just recently started to produce wine (De Martino's Legado Syrah is grown among the region's rocky inclines) has been touted as the centre of witchcraft in Chile - especially the town of Salamanca. This has prompted a Canadian church to send missionaries to the area, two of whom sent a letter back to their colleagues, published on the internet, which spoke of how, while many of the locals did not practice their beliefs openly, they "keep their sayings and take their herbal medicines". They conclude: "we're seeing people's hearts changing and accepting God's forgiveness".
8. Although Chile is renowned as a waif-like sliver of land 4,300km long and not very wide at all, in reality there's more to the national profile than that. One of Chile's best known outlying territories is Easter Island - located some 3,700km from the mainland, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (it is famed as the remotest populated place on earth), and inhabited by quite unrelated Polynesian stock. Chile also lays claim to a large chunk of the Antarctic, just to the south, while to the west, the archipelago that comprises "Isla Robinson Crusoe" also falls under Chilean sovereignty. The name comes from the real-life events of the sailor Alexander Selkirk, who was stranded on one of the islands for over four years, which events are believed to have inspired Daniel Defoe's famous castaway novel.
9. That most distinctive of tress, the monkey puzzle, is actually originally a native of Chile. Its botanical name - Araucaria araucana - comes from the area of southern Chile (Araucanía) where it is commonly found. Its seeds were popular with the local indigenous tribes, whose name for the tree was pehuén, hence one of the tribes being known as the Pehuenche. It is thought to live for up to 3,000 years and can grow to 50m in height and 3m in diameter. Legend has it that its Anglicized name was coined when a Englishman, struck by the tree's distinctive shape, declared, "it would puzzle a monkey to climb that."
10. Santiago football club Colo Colo has followed in the footsteps of world-renowned giants of the game Juventus and Boca Juniors... by releasing a wine. Made in conjunction with Viña San Pedro, the wines sport the club's distinctive emblem of an indigenous Mapuche chieftain's head in defiant profile. Tasty.

More things about Chile

• A land of extremes - natural and beautiful
• 4,740 kms long and only an average of 150 kms wide
• Arid Atacama desert to the north
• Cold Pacific ocean to the west
• Snow capped Andes mountains to the east
• Glaciers in Patagonia to the south
• A 'garden of Eden' in the centre
• Population 15.5 million - of which over 5 million live in the capital Santiago (the city was founded in 1542)
• Official Language: Spanish
• Currency: Chilean Peso
• Religion: approx 80% catholic
• Principal exports:  Copper, fish, fresh fruit, wine,
• Probably the most famous man in Chile's history is Bernardo O'Higgins.  He was the son of an Irish immigrant who, in 1810, led an army to claim a Republic for Chile from the Spanish
• Chile has had a stable Presidential democracy since 1989. In 2005 it voted in South America's first female President - Michelle Bachelet
• Chile is the 'tiger economy' of Latin America with annual growth rates of over 7%. It currently has a balance of payments surplus of over US$ 6 billion.
• The World Bank rates Chile 15th in the international league table of economic competitiveness
• Statistically, Chile is one of the safest countries in the world to visit
• The Chileans often regard themselves as 'the English of South America'
• Wine has been made in Chile since the mid 16th century
• Vines were brought by the Spanish 'conquistadors'
• The 'classic' vine varieties were brought from France in the middle of 19th century
• The Carmenère grape variety is now extensively planted in Chile's wine valleys, but up until 1994 most grape growers thought it was Merlot
• Total hectares under vine - 115,000 - approx 75% red 25% white
• Although best known for its red wines, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenère, some of Chile's most exciting wines are now from Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Syrah/Shiraz
• The snow-melt from the mighty Andes mountain range provides an abundant natural water supply for vineyard irrigation
• Chile's vineyard areas are completely free from the vine pest phylloxera thus all vines are growing on their original rootstocks. Chile has some the oldest recorded vines still bearing fruit in the world
• Chile exports over 75% of its wine production
• The UK is Chile's biggest and fastest growing export market - approx 9 million cases (7 percent of the UK market)

Chile - The wine producer

• Ideal climate - warm days & cool nights
• Long growing season
• Diverse topography and fertile soils
• Low average rainfall - and mostly in winter
• No phylloxera
• Ability to practice near organic farming
• High levels of antioxidants and flavanols
• Pure & natural water for irrigation
• High levels of investment in winemaking and viticulture
• Stylistically, a blend of 'old world' and 'new world'

Chile - The food exporter

• Chile is amongst the fifteen most important supplier countries of food and wine to the United Kingdom
• Chile is the third bigges producer of avocados in the world
• Hass avocados contain 0% cholesterol and healthy monounsaturated fats which help to lower cholesterol and maintain a healthy heart
• The UK is the most important market for Chilean avocados in Europe and the second in the world.
• Chile is leader in the export of fresh fruit from the Southern Hemisphere, and more than 75 types of Chilean fresh fruit are exported around the world.
• Chile produces around 25% of the world's table grapes.
• Chile is the seventh most important supplier of fish in the world, mainly salmon, scallops and mussels. Chile is the second largest producer of farmed salmon in the world (just after Norway), producing 38% of the world's production.
• Chile exports poultry, pork, beef and lamb to more than forty countries.
• The United Kingdom imports all types of meat from Chile, including the fine and exclusive "wagyu" beef.
• Chile is also producing exotic meats for export such as ostrich, emu and wild boar.

The A to Z of Chile 

A is for:

Atacama Desert - the driest desert in the world, situated in Chile's north, and home to the spectacular 'Valley of the Moon', a 'must-see' tourist attraction. The Atacama is one of the four natural borders that give Chile its unique and beneficial climate. The other three are the Andes mountains, the Pacific ocean, and the wild Patagonian south.

B is for:

Bernardo O'Higgins - regarded as the Father of modern Chile. This soldier, with a very un-Spanish sounding surname, liberated Chile from the Spanish in 1810, declared a Republic and went on to become Chile's first Governor. Many street names and statues throughout the country revere his name.

C is for:

Carmenère - Chile's most distinctive grape variety. Cuttings from this vine variety first arrived from Bordeaux in the late 19th century and for years many growers confused it with Merlot. However when allowed to ripen well Carmenère produces a luscious, spicy flavour with deep and alluring colour.

D is for:

Diversity - Chile is a land of contrasts and diversity, not only in its geography and climates, but also in its wines. Many different and classic grape varieties are planted now in areas that span over 800 kms, from latitude 30° in the north to latitude 40° in the south. The range and diversity of Chile's wines has never been greater or more exciting.

E is for:

Easter Island - part of Chile but actually is the remotest inhabited island in the world. This delightful island, with its unique and mysterious moai stone statues, is 3,500 kms off the west coast of Chile, and its nearest neighbour is Pitcairn Island. However there are no vineyards on the island.

F is for:

Francisco de Aguirre - the man who is credited with planting the first vines in Chile in 1551. The wine was initially used for sacramental purposes by the devout catholic Spanish settlers but it was not long before wine was made for wider recreational use.

G is for:

Gewürztraminer - a grape variety that grows well in Chile's cooler regions making wines that are spicy and distinctive, and that go very well with Asian cuisine.

H is for:

Huaso - a sort of Chilean cowboy. In some parts of Chile, notably the Colchagua wine region, a common site on the roads is the huaso on horseback wearing his colourful poncho and distinctive straw hat, on the way to the rodeo.

I is for:

Irrigation - the vineyards benefit from an unlimited supply of pure snow-melt water from the Andes Mountains. All Chile's wine regions are transverse valleys astride mighty rivers that flow from the Andes to the sea, helping to make this a winemakers' paradise.

J is for:

January - one of the best times of the year to visit Chile - it will be a lot warmer than Britain. Because of its extreme geography - the country is over 4,000 kms from north to south - Chile has a very diverse climate but the Lake District near Puc?n and the Patagonian glacial regions are perfect in January.

K is for:

Knowledge - Chilean winemakers have a collective thirst for knowledge and especially in the last decade have used their greater understanding of the vine, the soil, and their climate to great effect.

L is for:

Limarí - situated some 400 kms north of Santiago near La Serena, the Limarí Valley is fast developing an exciting reputation for producing top quality, elegant wines. Despite its latitude - it is pretty close to the Atacama Desert - Limarí benefits from a cool microclimate and breezes up the valley from the ocean.

M is for:

Merlot - the grape that made Chilean wines famous. In Chile's warm and natural environment, the Merlot grape makes wines bursting with ripe, soft fruit and with deep, rich colour.

N is for:

Neruda - in a country not noted for its 'list of famous people', Pablo Neruda stands out as Chile's adored son. He was a noted poet and writer, a diplomat, and a Nobel Prize winner for literature, a womaniser, and collector. His three houses - in Santiago, Isla Negra, and Valparaiso - are now all museums and shrines to his memory.

O is for:

Organic - Chile's climate and geography makes it very easy for the grape growers to practice organic viticulture. Chile can rightly claim to grow some of the purest and most natural fruit in the world. An increasing number of wines now have official organic certification, and the winemakers are also learning more about bio-dynamic viticulture.

P is for:

Pisco - a grape brandy distilled from the Muscatel grapes grown mainly in the northern valleys like Elqui. It is the essential ingredient in Chile's omnipresent aperitif the Pisco Sour.

Q is for:

Quebrada de Macul - could arguably be described as the birthplace of Chile's wine trade. Located to the south-west of the city of Santiago in the foothills of the Andes it was where the first commercial vineyard was planted, originally with the País grape. Now this part of the famous Maipo valley is planted with more classic varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and produces some of the best reds in Chile.

R is for:

Rapel - the Rapel Valley is south of the Maipo River and comprises two top quality grape growing regions - the Cachapoal and the Colchagua valleys. This is where Chile is at its most narrow - from the Andes to the coast it is less than 100 kms. Vineyards benefit not only from the mountains but also coastal influences giving warm sunshine during the day and cold nights - the grapes thrive on these extremes.

S is for:

Santiago - Chile's bustling capital, home to 5.5 million people and nestling just beneath the mighty Andes. Despite its sprawling urbanisation, Santiago is a clean, safe and energetic city with much to remind the visitor of its European founders. An hour's drive from the centre one can be skiing in the mountains, visiting wineries in Casablanca or Maipo, or lying on the beach at Viña del Mar.

T is for:

Terroir - this French word, literally meaning soil, has become a euphemism for the importance of 'place' - ie where to plant and what to plant in order to maximise quality. The modern winemaking mantra is 'good wine is made in the vineyard'. Chile has some of the best 'terroirs' in the world.

U is for:

Francisco Undurraga - Chile's pioneer viticulturist who, in 1881, was the first to bring classic grape varieties from Europe and plant them successfully near Santiago. He introduced Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc from France, and Riesling and Gewürztraminer from Germany.

V is for:

Viognier - one of the grape varieties and wine styles that is helping to illustrate that Chile is capable of making exciting whites wines as well as reds. Although still small, the number of Viognier vines being planted in Chile is growing apace especially in the cooler regions like Bío Bío and Casablanca. The style is peachy and exotic.

W is for:

Wine - the rising star of Chile's export orientated economy. Although copper, salmon, and fresh fruit exports earn more dollars, exports of wine are growing substantially - up 30% in 2004. The UK has overtaken the USA and the most popular destination for Chilean wine. It is helping to define the image of this dynamic country.

X is for:

X marks the spot. It may be far away but Chile is a land that deserves closer scrutiny especially when it comes to its diverse range of wines and wine styles that are improving as every vintage passes.

Y is for:

Yay-yay - there is a little town in Aconcagua called Llaillay. However in Spanish this would be pronounced phonetically 'yay-yay', and this is the only word we could think of that starts with a 'Y'!

Z is for:

Zapallar - if ever, dear reader, you find yourself in Chile, make your way to the seaside town of Zapallar - it's up the coast from Valparaiso some 90 minutes drive from Santiago and where all Chile's elite have their beach houses. There is a superb fish restaurant there called the Chiringito right on the beach.