Alfasi Merlot (OU Kosher) 1998

Chile has a long viticultural history for a New World wine region dating to the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors brought Vitis vinifera vines with them as they colonized the region. In the early 1980s, a renaissance began with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. Wine exports grew very quickly as quality wine production increased. The number of wineries has grown from 12 in 1995 to over 100 in today, and Chile is now the fourth largest exporter of wines in the world, and the sixth largest producer. The climate is described as midway between that of California and France. Thus far, Chile has remained free of the phylloxera louse which means that the country’s grapevines do not need to be grafted. Alfasi wines are produced in one of the largest, most modern facilities in all of Chile, allowing for uncompromising quality and great value.