They modeled their wineries after those in France and in the 1850s cuttings from Bordeaux, which included Carménère grape, were planted in the valleys around Santiago.
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DNA testing confirmed in 2006 that plantings of Cabernet Franc in the Matakana region were in fact Carménère.
This is an area for Cabernet Sauvignon vines, while closer to the coast, where the ocean breezes flow through the coastal range, has more Carmenere vines.