When there are so many wines in the store, it's easy to forget that every bottle tells a story. A story of the land, and of the fruit, and of the winemaker. We at Exit 9 Wine & Liquor Warehouse had the great pleasure to learn the story and taste the wines of Tarapaca in Chile, and it's something to be shared (and tasted).

Tarapaca has been making wine in the Maipo Valley of central Chile since 1874. The valley is exceptional for grape growing, as it is fed by the Pacific Ocean breezes and buffered by the Andes Mountains. Tarapaca's Fundo Rosario Estate vineyard in the valley (about 5,000 acres) is surrounded as well by the Altos de Cantillana range and the Maipo River. Turns out, it's a biodiversity global hotspot - one of the richest yet most threatened ecosystems on the planet.

Tarapaca recognized that a commitment to its estate's biodiversity was also a commitment to the quality of its wines. In 2017, it initiated a biodiversity masterplan to preserve and protect native species and to practice truly sustainable winemaking. The initiatives are already showing in the vineyard. Healthy soil makes for healthier, less disease-prone vineyards and higher quality fruit, which makes for the best expression of the grapes in the wines. Tarapaca's wines shine!