For those in the know, Chile delivers a quality punch for the price, providing likable and tasty wines that drink like more expensive bottles. The good price-to-value ratio makes this a fun region for experimenting.

Chile is paradise for grapes. The country is long -- 2,700 miles -- but very narrow, 96 miles at the widest point, and physically isolated from its neighbors. The Pacific Ocean to the west brings breezes that keep humidity low.

The towering Andes mountains to the east are visible from all the vineyards and provide irrigation. Snow melt from these spectacular slopes is funneled to the vineyards for irrigation through a series of channels. The Atacama desert to the north helps keep pests and diseases separated from the vineyards.

In the middle of all this are lovely, fertile valleys that are ideal for grapes, with a long growing season and sunny, almost Mediterranean days.

These natural barriers helped Chile develop the varieties and wine styles it has today. When Europe's vineyards were devastated in the 19th century by the vine-killing bug phylloxera, vines planted in Chile were protected. Winemakers, particularly the French, came to the region to escape the decimation at home.

With the advent of more modern winemaking techniques like stainless steel fermentation and oak aging, quality has dramatically increased in the past 25 years.

The country plants many types of grapes, but the most important exports are familiar varietals like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Chilean reds are the real crowd-pleasers, with cabernet sauvignon a special favorite.

Recent DNA testing of grapes has shown that much of what was thought to be merlot in Chile is actually a variety from Bordeaux called carmenère -- now nearly extinct in France. No one really knows how much varietally labeled merlot is actually carmenère, but there has been some movement toward identifying and producing wines from this grape as a Chilean specialty.

In recent years, in addition to the value-driven, easy-drinking reds, a number of higher quality wines have been produced. They're expensive compared with many other Chilean wines, but beautifully made. In general, however, whether you spend $6 or $60, the wines usually represent a good value.

The vast majority of Chilean wines are meant to be drunk immediately to retain their youthful fruitiness, but some of the better wines are worth aging. 2003 was a stellar vintage, and many of the top wines have been snapped up by collectors who love a bargain.

A few of the most reliable producers: Concha y Toro, Santa Rita, Santa Carolina, Casa Lapostolle and Veramonte, Errazuriz and Seña.