Puntí FerrerViñedos y Bodega
Puntí FerrerViñedos y Bodega
A producer's guide to Chilean wine: the valleys from north to south, the grapes, how to buy a bottle, how to import a container, and where Puntí Ferrer fits in.
Chilean wine is wine produced in Chile under the country’s appellation system, which groups vineyards into valleys from north to south according to climate and distance from the Pacific, the Andes and the Atacama desert. Chile is one of the world’s largest wine exporters, and its wine is known above all for Cabernet Sauvignon and for a grape almost nobody else flies as a flag: Carménère. This guide explains the valleys, the grapes, how to buy a bottle and how to import a container, with our own data where it applies and no figures we cannot back up.
Chilean appellation law groups vineyards by region and, within each region, by valley. From north to south, the most cited are:
| Region | Well-known valleys | What sets them apart |
|---|---|---|
| Coquimbo | Elqui, Limarí | Desert, altitude and sea influence; fresh whites and Syrah; limestone Chardonnay in Limarí. |
| Aconcagua | Aconcagua, Casablanca, San Antonio (Leyda) | Cool coastal climate; the home of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. |
| Central Valley | Maipo, Rapel (Cachapoal and Colchagua), Curicó, Maule | The historic heart of Chilean wine; age-worthy reds, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère. |
| Southern regions | Itata, Bío-Bío, Malleco | Old dry-farmed vines and a cooler climate; País, Cinsault, Muscat and new Pinot Noir. |
Viña Puntí Ferrer works mainly with grapes from the Cachapoal Valley, inside the Rapel Valley appellation, in the O’Higgins region south of Santiago.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape in the country and the one most exported in bottle. The grape that identifies Chile abroad, though, is Carménère: a Bordeaux variety that disappeared from Europe after the phylloxera plague of the 19th century and survived in Chile mistaken for Merlot for more than a century, until an ampelographic study recognised it as its own variety in 1994. Chile is now the world’s main producer of Carménère. Alongside these two, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay from the coastal valleys, Malbec, Syrah and Pinot Noir complete the map of varieties most Chilean wineries work with, Puntí Ferrer included.
For anyone buying a bottle, the simplest check is three facts on the label or the technical sheet: the valley of origin, the grape and the category (varietal, reserva, gran reserva). A wine from a specific valley, such as Cachapoal, Colchagua or Casablanca, usually signals a more defined style than one labelled only «Central Valley». Scores from international critics (James Suckling, Wine Enthusiast, Vinous and Tim Atkin MW among others) are a useful reference to compare vintages and categories within the same winery; we explain how to read them in best Chilean wines. At Puntí Ferrer the seven lines, Signature, Reserva, Gran Reserva, Conforme, Sparkling, Innovation Series and the alcohol-free line Puntí Cero, are described with their origin and scores in our wines, and the alcohol-free range (under 0.5 % alcohol) has its own page at alcohol-free wine from Chile.
Importing Chilean wine, whether bottled, in bulk or under your own label, follows a similar process at most exporting wineries:
| Step | What it involves |
|---|---|
| 1. Define the product | Bottled under the winery’s brand, bulk wine to be bottled at destination, or private label / OEM made at the Chilean winery. |
| 2. Request samples | With technical sheet and, where needed, certificate of analysis. Lets you confirm variety, quality and style before committing volume. |
| 3. Agree the minimum volume | Varies by product: a flexitank of about 24,000 litres is the usual minimum for bulk wine; for private label the minimum is set per pallet according to the wine’s category. |
| 4. Choose the Incoterm | FOB at a Chilean port is the industry standard; some wineries, Puntí Ferrer among them, also quote CIF to destination. |
| 5. Gather the documents | Certificate of analysis, certificate of origin and the export certification required by the destination country. |
Puntí Ferrer handles these five steps directly: bulk wine with more than 8 million litres exported a year to more than 20 markets on five continents, bottled wine in seven lines, and private label and OEM projects in 750 ml bottles, with minimums per pallet from 1 pallet (Gran Reserva and Premium) to 4 pallets (Entry) and packaging specifications defined for each tier. Private label details are discussed directly with the winery, because each project sets its own packaging and label artwork. A summary for buyers is on Chilean wines for importers.
Puntí Ferrer is a family winery of Catalan origin founded in 1953, with its own estate and winery at Santa Amalia, Rengo, in the Cachapoal Valley. Winemaker Jorge Martínez is in charge of production. Its wines carry published scores from James Suckling (up to 93), Wine Enthusiast (up to 92), Vinous (91) and Tim Atkin MW (90, Best of Chile), and the winery exports to more than 20 markets on five continents: bottled wine in its seven lines, bulk wine and private label projects. For anyone looking for «Chilean wine» with a concrete, traceable origin, a real estate, a winemaker with a name and verifiable scores, that is where Puntí Ferrer comes in. More on the winery and on awards and scores.
Carménère. A Bordeaux variety that disappeared from Europe with phylloxera and survived in Chile mistaken for Merlot until it was identified as its own variety in 1994. Chile is now its main producer worldwide.
From north to south: Elqui and Limarí (Coquimbo), Aconcagua, Casablanca and San Antonio, Maipo, Rapel (Cachapoal and Colchagua), Curicó and Maule (Central Valley), and Itata, Bío-Bío and Malleco in the south.
Chile is one of the five largest wine exporters in the world and its top wines regularly score 95 points or more with international critics. The country’s strengths are Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère and cool-climate whites, with consistent quality at everyday prices.
Define the product (bottled, bulk or private label), request samples with the technical sheet, agree the minimum volume, choose the Incoterm (FOB Chilean port is standard) and gather the certificates of analysis and origin plus the export certification your country requires. Puntí Ferrer handles all five steps directly with the importer.
For bulk wine, one flexitank of about 24,000 litres. For private label, between 1 and 4 pallets per project depending on the tier. For bottled wine under the Puntí Ferrer brand, the first order is agreed according to the market and the lines chosen.
Yes. Puntí Ferrer’s Puntí Cero line is made from Chilean wine with the alcohol removed, leaving under 0.5 % alcohol by volume.