🥃 Pisco (Chile)
A Chilean grape spirit from the Atacama and Coquimbo regions: distilled wine from 11 varieties, strength from 30% ABV, four classes from Corriente to Gran Pisco.
Chilean pisco is a spirit obtained by distilling genuine drinking wine from specified grape varieties that are grown, processed, distilled and bottled for consumers in the Atacama and Coquimbo regions. So says the Pisco denomination regulation, Decree No. 521 of Chile’s Ministry of Agriculture (1999), as amended on 22 December 2020.
Eleven varieties of Vitis vinifera are permitted. The five principal ones are Muscat of Alexandria (Blanca Italia), Pink Muscat (Rosada Pastilla), Torontel, Muscat of Austria (Torrontés Sanjuanino) and Pedro Jiménez. The six auxiliary ones include Muscat Blanc (Frontignan), Muscat of Hamburg and Muscat Orange. Grapes for pisco must contain at least 10.5% potential alcohol.
The wine is distilled only in batch stills and no later than 31 January of the following year. After distillation the spirit rests for at least 60 days. The word “guarda” is allowed if the spirit has lain in noble wood for at least 180 days, and “envejecido” (aged) if for at least 360 days.
The regulation sets four classes by minimum strength: Corriente, or Tradicional, 30°; Especial, 35°; Reservado, 40°; Gran Pisco, 43° (Gay-Lussac degrees, that is, % ABV), with a tolerance of up to half a degree. Sugars may not exceed 5 g/L. The registers of growers and producers are kept by the Agricultural and Livestock Service, SAG. In the EU the name “Pisco” for Chilean products is protected by the agreement with Chile of 2002.
Why this matters to you. The strength of Chilean pisco starts at 30% ABV, so the class on the label tells you what to expect. “Guarda” and “envejecido” mean wood ageing of a set length; without these words the pisco may never have seen a barrel. WHO reminds: there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| Legal basis | Decree No. 521 (1999) as amended 22.12.2020; Law No. 18.455; EU–Chile agreement of 2002 |
|---|---|
| Raw material | wine from 11 varieties (5 principal, 6 auxiliary), grapes from 10.5% potential alcohol |
| Distillation method | batch stills only, by 31 January of the following year |
| Minimum maturation | rest of 60 days or more; “guarda” — from 180 days, “envejecido” — from 360 days in wood |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | from 30° (Corriente) to 43° (Gran Pisco) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Pisco (Chile) → kind of → 🍇 Grape brandies → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- ⚗️ How spirits are made
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Wine label
- Made from
- 🍇 Muscat of Alexandria, 🍇 Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, 🍇 Muscat Hamburg
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape brandies, 🥃 Pisco
- Related to
- 🌍 Latin America
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Pisco (Peru), 🥃 Pisco (Peru), 🥃 Singani
Frequently asked questions
What does Chilean pisco's class on a label mean, and is Pisco Sour a cocktail by law?
The class sets minimum strength, from Corriente to Gran Pisco. A ready-made Pisco Sour must be made in the Atacama and Coquimbo regions from pisco and lemon juice at 12 degrees or more.
How does the class translate to ABV and proof on a US label?
Corriente is 30% ABV, Gran Pisco 43% ABV, so 60 to 86 proof; the Chilean degrees equal percent ABV.
Is Chilean pisco aged in barrels?
Only a rest of 60 days is required; guarda and envejecido tell you about wood ageing.
Which grape varieties go into it?
Eleven varieties in all, five principal ones and six auxiliary ones, mostly muscats.
Is Chilean pisco the same as Peruvian pisco?
No. Peru has different varieties and rules, so the two products are not interchangeable.
What to read next
- 🍇 Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains — A small-berried muscat variety, from Greece according to VIVC; it gives aromatic sweet and sparkling wines.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- ⚗️ How spirits are made — Fermentation, distillation (below 96% ABV), oak ageing, blending and dilution with water: five steps from grain or fruit to bottle.
- 🌍 Latin America — A region from Mexico to the south of South America: about 9% of the world's milk, dulce de leche and fresh cheeses, Argentine and Chilean wines, olives.
Similar
🥃 Singani · 🥃 Pisco (Peru) · 🥃 Marne wine spirit (Eau-de-vie de vin de la Marne) · 🥃 Straldzha Muscat Rakia (Straldjanska Muscatova rakya) · 🥃 Yambol Grape Rakia (Yambolska grozdova rakya) · 🥃 Karlovo Grape Rakia (Karlovska grozdova rakya)
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Decreto N° 521 (1999), Ministerio de Agricultura de Chile: Reglamento de la Denominación de Origen Pisco — texto actualizado al 22.12.2020 (BCN Ley Chile, copia FAOLEX)
- BCN Ley Chile: Decreto 521 (short URL)
- EUIPO GIview: Pisco (CL), EUGI00129900198 — protected under the EU–Chile Association Agreement (OJ L 352, 30.12.2002) since 01.02.2003
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III: geographical indications of spirit drinks (version of 31.01.2020)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)