Casablanca sits in a coastal basin between Santiago and Valparaíso, where the
Humboldt current pushes morning fog inland and keeps summer afternoons
10°C cooler than the Central Valley. Grapes ripen slowly, keeping bright natural acidity —
the foundation of the valley's racy Sauvignon Blanc, saline Chardonnay and perfumed
Pinot Noir.
The valley is young by Chilean standards: the first commercial vines were planted in the
1980s, and within two decades Casablanca became the country's white-wine reference.
It also hosts Chile's strongest concentration of boutique and sustainable producers —
from Viña Villard, the country's first boutique winery (1989, with its own
cooperage), to Emiliana, the largest organic winery in the world, and
biodynamic Matetic with its gravity-flow cellar.
For travelers, the location is the bonus: Casablanca lies on Route 68 to the coast, so a
private tour pairs naturally with Valparaíso's hills and street art or lunch in
Viña del Mar — two icons in one day, no backtracking.