The thorny trees that grow on the hills of the Maule Valley are called Palo Alto in the region. For 22 years, Héctor Urzúa, the winemaker at Palo Alto, searched for the best spots of land to grow his wines on. Here he finally found what he was looking for, on the barren, stony soils on which the striking trees grow. The vines are put under stress by the harsh environmental conditions, producing delicious, unique wines.
The valley is overall very dry, depending on the location, the climatic influence changes from maritime due to the proximity of the Pacific Ocean to continental near the Andes. Due to the dryness, artificial irrigation is used more often in the summer. Temperatures vary greatly between day and night, which results in additional stress for the grapes. The soils are rich in clay and dominated by volcanic rock.