In 2020, Chilean wine became Japan's number one importer of wine by country, and has held the top spot for six consecutive years.

The total amount of wine imports decreased due to the corona crisis, and while countries such as France, Italy, and the United States fell below the previous year's levels, Chile's growth exceeded the previous year's.

The reason for this is that it was chosen for home consumption such as home drinking and online drinking parties due to its affordable price and high quality.

However, it is not only the low-priced wine that Chile's ability is demonstrated, which has a terroir suitable for grape cultivation, which is called "grape paradise".

This time, we are talking about premium Chilean wine with world-class quality.

In 1976, at a time when even professionals still thought that "when it comes to wine, it's France," an unknown California wine shocked the world by beating Bordeaux's classification chateaux in a blind tasting competition. This incident, known as the "Judgment of Paris," made the quality of California wine widely known to the world.

Since then, New World producers have been eagerly waiting for the opportunity to prove the quality of their wines, and numerous tastings have been held to imitate the Judgment of Paris. And now it's time for Chilean wine.

It seems that the trigger was a comment published in the Wall Street Journal magazine, "Colchagua Valley's 'Apalta' is Chile's Grand Cru."

This comment inspired Aurelio Montes Montes of Apalta-based MONTES to organize a blind tasting competition in Los Angeles entitled the MONTES Grand Cru Challenge.

A total of 12 professionals from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries were invited. It was divided into Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah sections, and the five major châteaux such as CH. LAFITE ROTHSCHILD and Australian grunge wines, as well as MONTES wines from Apalta, were offered without revealing wines.

As a result, in the Cabernet Sauvignon category, CH. LAFITE ROTHSCHILD came out on top, but MONTES Alpha M came in second. In the Syrah category, MONTES Foley Syrah narrowly beats Grange to take first place.

Of course, there are differences in conditions depending on whether the vintage is good or bad, and it is not a matter of saying which one is better. But it has proven to be a quality that rivals the world's legendary wines and Chile's premium wines.

In response, Aurelio Montes, "From the beginning of MONTES, our goal has been to produce wines that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best wines in the world. Apalta 's potential has been proven," he said.

Similar efforts have been made by other premium Chilean wine producers with similar results. The image of Chilean wine as “good value for money and delicious” applies not only to affordable wines, but also to premium priced wines.

So, what kind of place is "Apalta", which is called the Grand Cru of Chile?

Apalta is an amphitheater-like valley near the town of Santa Cruz in the Colchagua Valley in central Chile.

During the day, the valley heats up and the temperature rises, but at night it cools down due to the effects of cold currents, and the daily temperature difference exceeds 20 degrees, similar to the Napa Valley in California. The soil is mainly composed of sand and clay, but there is also granite in the hills, the same as in the Northern Rhone in France.

The steep slopes are subject to erosion and, as the word Apalta (the local word for "poor land") means, they are well-drained, poor land, ideal for growing high-quality vines.

Chile's most famous producers such as MONTES and Lapostol are based here, and almost all of the wine produced here is red wine. It is no exaggeration to say that Chile's best red wine production area.

In 1990, the pioneer who pioneered this hilly area of Apalta was the aforementioned Aurelio Montes.

At that time in Chile, it was common practice to grow grapes on flat land. Everyone said it was strange to plant MONTES on slopes over 45 degrees because it was much easier to manage on flat ground.

However, hilly areas are difficult to mechanize and require labor, but they are the perfect environment for high-quality wine production because they allow finer control over quality and quantity. After that, Apalta, known for Cro Aparta, was interested in this valley, and Aurelio helped as a consultant.

Apalta 's reputation has been made known to the world by the presence of these two wineries. MONTES Alpha M and MONTES Foley Syrah, which MONTES made in this area, quickly became ICON wines that made Apalta.

Apalta is now widely known as the birthplace of some of Chile's finest red wines, along with Puente Alto, where ALMAVIVA is produced.

Chilean wine has an image of being affordable and delicious, but its appeal is not limited to low-priced wines.

The essence of Chilean wine is the balance between price and quality, that is, high value. The more you pay, the more quality you will get.

If you are looking for a wine to enjoy yourself without worrying about status or formality, it will be one of the most reassuring options.