Leyda Valley

Leyda Valley is a somewhat newer wine region on the coast (Costa region) of Chile. Leyda Valley is located west of Santiago, the capital of Chile. The oldest coastal area, Casablanca Valley (developed in the 1990s) is especially famous for the beautiful Chardonnay wines that come from it. In the Leyda Valley and San Antonio Valley (the newer areas) it is significantly cooler than in Casablanca Valley. Both Leyda and San Antonio Valley are open to the ocean, so the cool air of the ocean water can flow in without hindrance, which ensures more freshness of the grapes. The grapes here usually do not need to be acidified, which is often necessary in other areas in Chile.

Leyda Valley has a warm and dry climate with many hours of sunshine and cool nights. There is little rainfall, mainly in winter. Most vineyards are located at an altitude of 400m. All in all, the conditions for fresh Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir are very good. One condition is that there is sufficient water available for irrigation. Very diverse soil types can be found in Chile. Loam, sand and clay are common and some are calcareous. However, the soils of the coastal areas are basically of granite.

What is remarkable about wine country Chile is that it has not been bothered by the phylloxera (grape louse) to date. This is attributed to the country's isolated location. The vines can therefore be planted here on their own roots, which has an economic advantage because rootstocks and grafting grape varieties on rootstocks is expensive. Most Chilean wines are monocépages, that is, wine made from one grape variety with the grape's name on the label.