John Hamel II, managing director of winegrowing for Hamel Family Wines, understands volcanic soil as good as anyone. His family has been meeting the challenge since it opened in 2006.
The geography of Chile is truly unique among the family of nations. Squeezed between the towering Andes Mountains to the east and the frigid Pacific Ocean to the west, this pencil-shaped country spans about 2,700 miles north to south and has a width varying from about 10 miles to 220 miles. Two of the most important wine growing regions in Chile are the Maipo Valley and Colchagua Valley.
Touring the Grand Valley AVA on the far western part of the state near Grand Junction, I was inspired that, despite a changing climate, they had the will and determination to work with nature and make wines of substance and meaning in such a harsh environment.
Touring the Grand Valley AVA on the far western part of the state near Grand Junction, I was inspired that, despite a changing climate, they had the will and determination to work with nature and make wines of substance and meaning in such a harsh environment.