William Cole Vineyards
Chile
Destined to become one of Chile's loftiest wineries
William Cole is a native Chilean whose winery lies deep in the Casablanca Valley on the very outskirts of the village of Casablanca. It was built in 1999 and is architecturally reminiscent of old Chilean missions (much like the pueblos of the American southwest). It is a bit larger (capacity is more than 32,000 cases) than many of the country’s newly spawned wineries.
The growing area itself reminds of parts of the Mediterranean as well as the Napa Valley both in looks and alluvial composition. Cool, foggy mornings are ideal for certain varietals, i.e., Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. William Cole Estate is comprised of over 312 planted acres that includes numerous varietals, but chiefly Chardonnay.
For years, William Cole wines have scored impressively in international sectors. In Great Britain, the most difficult of wine competition venues, William Cole wines have performed remarkably well against top competitors.
William Cole is destined to become one of Chile’s loftiest wineries. It has established a solid foundation for quality and is well on its way to achieving its lofty goal.
Map of the area
Viviana Fonseca - Winemaker
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Viviana Fonseca graduated as an agronomist from the University of Chile and worked for several Chilean wineries. She met winemaker Roberto Millan at William Cole and eventually succeeded him as winemaker.
Australian-based Peter Mackay also consults for this exceptional Chilean producer. Her wines are rich and textured in the style of many great Burgundian varietals. Fonseca’s wines are most enjoyable with meals and seem to improve as the meal moves on.
Casablanca Valley, Chile
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Located close to Valpariso on the Pacific Coast, the Casablanca Valley is a sub region of the larger Aconcagua Valley. It is a relative newcomer to wine growing and a product of Chile’s explosion of wine growing and wine making.
The Casablanca Valley’s first vineyards were planted during the mid- 1980’s in its cool, coastal setting. A little over 12,000 acres are currently under vine with a large majority of Chardonnay serving as the area’s predominant varietal.
Chile: Fun Facts!
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• Chile is one of only two countries in all of South America that does not border Brazil.
• Over 1/3 of the world’s copper production is produced in Chile.
• Chile has one of the longest recorded dry spells in the Atacama Desert - it once did not rain for 40 years!
• Soccer is the most popular sport in Chile.
• The main language spoken in Chile is Spanish, but there are also many indigenous languages that are spoken by a minority of Chileans.
• Chile is the world’s 38th largest country, roughly twice the size of Japan.
• The city at the very tip of Chile, called Punta Arenas, is the southernmost city on a continent in the world.
• Chile’s borders also extend past the mainland, claiming part of Antarctica and the southernmost island known as Joses.
• Chile is the only wine producer on a large scale that has never had an outbreak of the common vineyard pest, Phylloxera.
• Chile is the only country where the Carmenere wine grape is being cultivated.
• Along the mountainous region of Chile, there are over 1,300 volcanoes and a number of them may still be active.
• The country of Chile got its name from the native nomads that first occupied the land. The meaning of the word Chile, in native tongue, means ‘Where the Land Ends.’
• Chile is the second largest producer of salmon in the world.
• Divorce was illegal in Chile until 2004.
• Chile is the primary winter source for table grapes for the United States and Canada.
