Learn our top picks for underrated Chilean white wines

While Chile may be best known for its hearty red wines, there are several under-the-radar Chilean whites to keep you cool this summer. Explore the characteristics you'll find in Chilean white wines and learn our top picks for underrated Chilean white wines for summer and fall entertaining.

Chilean White Wines

Chile is understandably famous for its red wines, but what you may not know is that Chile's climate is actually perfect for white wine grapes. Chile features seven distinct wine growing regions, each with its own terroir. Our wines hail predominantly from the Valle Central, a centrally located wine region near the capital. Tucked between the Andes and the coast, the region benefits from warm days and chilly nights, which lends the grapes a nice dose of acidity. It's prime terrain for both Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

With the Valle Central, up-and-coming wine subregions include the Maipo Valley (where you can tour our winery), Rapel Valley, Curicó Valley, and Maule Valley. Tasting up and down the coast, you'll come to know which regions your palate prefers. Our Maipo Valley location benefits from that semi-arid Mediterranean climate and mineral-rich natural irrigation, resulting in some of the best Chilean wine grapes. While it's hard to go wrong when speaking of Chile's white wines, we do have our favorites. Here's what we recommend for an introduction to Chilean summer wines.

Rosé

Rosé is surely not the first varietal you think of when Chilean wines come to mind, but there are some great rosé picks! And since Chile is in the Southern Hemisphere, the latest vintage of rosé wines come to market earlier than Northern Hemisphere wines. For wine shoppers, that means that all year round, you can grab this easy-sipping favorite for those All Day Rosé brunches and happy hour soirees. Our 2019 rosé is a classic example of the varietal, leading with those berry-cherry flavors backed by stone fruit acidity. It's great for sipping solo and plays well with light summer meals-think salad, grilled meat, or seafood.

Chardonnay

Chilean Chardonnays exhibit those classic New World flavors you'll find in a Chardonnay from California. That might not be surprising when you think that both areas receive those cool ocean breezes from the Pacific coastline, resulting in a nice tartness to round out those sweet flavors in the grapes. Chilean Chardonnays usually feature fruit notes (think pineapple, citrus, or peach) and can range from those creamy vanilla or hazelnut flavors to a flinty minerality. Chardonnays are ideal for drinking alone and pair well with light meals, such as those with chicken or fish.

Sauvignon Blanc

Chile's Sauvignon Blancs are excellent value wines with bold flavors that make for a refreshing summer beverage. Chilean Sauvignon Blancs tend to feature tart, fruit-forward flavors with a mineral or stony finish. Light-bodied wines are perfect for those hot, humid days of summer, but they can also deliver those big, bold flavors. It's the latter feature that makes this the wine to reach for when you're cooking spicy foods. While milder wines will wilt in the presence of fiery chili or ginger flavors, a Sauv Blanc will not only rise to the occasion, but complement it with citrus, floral, and melon flavors.

Our 2019 Sauvignon Blancs received 92 points from The Tasting Panel. Wine enthusiasts comment on the balanced acidity with floral notes of jasmine and wildflowers, backed by tart gooseberry and peach fruit flavors. We may be biased, but we think Chile's white wines have exactly what wine buyers crave: the wines are accessible and interesting, they express the terroir of the landscape where they are grown, and while they're ready to drink, they can age well.