Cachapoal Valley

The Cachapoal Valley is a wine growing area in the Cachapoal province of central Chile. The province lies in the river basin of Rancagua to the south of the Santiago Metropolitan Region and has an area of 7,516(2)km. Its population of around 555,000 inhabitants, is concentrated in the capital, Rancagua, and in cities such as Rengo and Graneros.

The Valley is locked between the heights of Paine to the north and Pelequén to the south, and by the Andes and the smaller coastal mountain ranges to the west and east. It is crossed by the Cachapoal rivers and their tributaries, the Claro River and the Cortaderal. All of these water courses flow into Lake Rapel.

The climate of the province is temperate: rainfall occurs mostly during the winter months, when frosts are also frequent, but the summer months are mainly warm and dry. As with central Chile in general, the coastal mountain ranges act as climatic screen and minimise the potential influence of maritime weather patterns.