Chile's contemporary wine boom took root in the mid-19th century when cuttings from Bordeaux, France arrived. Before long, talented French winemakers followed, attracted by the favorable conditions of the nation's Central Valley with its rich soil, warm summers and mild winters. Today, Chile is noted for producing some of the most reasonably priced, consistently good varietals in the world. Its wines, especially its reds (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot), have won critical acclaim and an expanding share of the international market.

Most of the major vineyards occupy a strip about 220 miles long in the Central Valley region, which is home to the famed, productive Maipo Valley. The consistent, temperate, Mediterranean climate and protected geography of Chile's winemaking region is complimented by a lucky entomological twist. The nation, remarkably, has remained free of phylloxera, a type of plant lice that has ravaged vineyards around the world. In the late 1800s, a phylloxera blight destroyed the roots of some of the most illustrious vine lineages. Chile was left unharmed. Today, Chile boasts the only remaining pre-phylloxera clones grown on their own European rootstock.

The best are reserved for export. So chances are that the bottle of Chilean wine that you may pick up would be absolutely top - drawer and would be a fraction of what other wines cost. However this state of affairs may not last for too long, because Chile is adopting a new system of appellation and wine prices are likely to go up.

A lot of winemakers from the US and France have invested in Chile. Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is associated with Los Vascos and Robert Mondavi has tied up with Chile's Vina Errazuriz. The other names to watch out for are Concha y Torro, Santa Rita, Coisino-Macul and Undurraga.

Think of the hierarchy of wine-growing geography in this fashion. At the top are regions - which are areas in France - Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy, Rhone Valley, Loire valley and Languedoc-Rousillion. Each region is further divided into districts. A district could further be divided into communes-which are communities that grow wine. Within each commune are Chateaux, vineyards, clos or properties.