The Valle de Maipo (Maipo Valley) wine-growing area is located around the capital Santiago in Chile. Together with the three areas of Rapel, Curicó and Maule, it forms the northernmost part of the huge Valle Central (Central Valley) region. The history of Chilean viticulture began here in 1555, when the Spanish conquistador Juan Jufré de Loayza (1516-1578) planted vines he had brought with him from his homeland.

The area is considered the best and is also the source of the country's most famous export wines from the French varieties introduced on a large scale from the mid-19th century. It lies between the Andes and the coastal Cordillera and is crossed by the water-rich Maipo and Mapocho rivers. Depending on the climate, soil conditions and altitude, the area is divided into three sub-areas: Maipo Alto (at the foot of the Andes), the sunniest Central Maipo (broad valley floor) and Pacific Maipo (coastal cordillera near the Pacific Ocean).
![]()
The Wine lexicon helps me to keep up to date and refresh my knowledge. Thank you for this Lexicon that will never end in terms of topicality! That's what makes it so exciting to come back often.
Thorsten Rahn
Restaurantleiter, Sommelier, Weindozent und Autor; Dresden