A Journey Through Chilean Wine Country
May 11th, 2010
Travels from Jeannie Rose Field & Amy Sonnichsen
With a final destination in mind of the wine country in Mendoza Argentina, Santiago Chile simply happened to be the stopping point in South America as flights from the US were more economical to Santiago than directly to Mendoza. Needing a few days to get acclimated in South America, our intended stay of two days in Chile quickly turned into six as we found ourselves enthralled with the country. We had little expectation that Chile would captivate us in such an intense way.
The culture, the people, the food, the wine, the scenery – all splendid. The wine culture we experienced in Chile was similar to the United States in many ways. The feel and sensations that come from visiting a winery; beautiful buildings, tasting lists, tasting fees, bladder and basket presses and other equipment lingering about, forklifts maneuvering, bottling lines, etc. Fortunately for us, this was the end of the harvest season in South America and the wonderful aromas that linger in a production facility were in abundance.
Due to limited time in the country, we were only able to visit two wine regions, Maipo Valley and the Casablanca Valley. The following lists the highlights from our visit.
MAIPO VALLEY
We started our journeys in the Maipo Valley, which sits at the base of the Andes Mountains, so close it feels as though one could reach out and touch them. Our first stop was Viña Aquitania. We made an appointment, as that is the norm here in Chile and were warmly greeted. Our tour guide kindly showed us to a bench in their gardens and waited patiently for us to eat our empanadas before we began our tour. This being our first introduction to Chilean wine culture we didn’t quite know what to expect. What we quickly discovered was a visit to a Chilean winery was not a quick experience. Several hours later, after a fantastic experience, we scurried over to Cousino Macul where being advised that we did not have time for a “tour” we told the guard at the gate that we were simply there to purchase wine. This too turned out to be a fantastic experience and we realized that our biggest problem was going to be our inability to bring home multiple cases of wine.
The most common varietals grown in the Maipo valley are Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay for the whites, and Carmenere, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds. Sauvignon Blanc was our favorite white. With intense minerality and acidity they had long lingering citrus finishes, pairing beautifully with the ceviche so common and popular to this part of the world. The Cabs were delicious for the reds. With the Carmenere being a bit too fruity for our taste, the Cabs had a delightful balance of the Southern world style of intense fruit yet with enough structure to please our American palates.
CASABLANCA VALLEY
Amongst many other enjoyable parts of our travels, we next made it to the Casablanca Valley, which has an intense Napa/Sonoma vibe. High tasting fees and beautiful facilities flooded route 68. Our first stop was at Morande, where according to their website we thought we could get a quick bite to eat in addition to our tasting. Little did we know that the food would consist of a 5-course meal paired to perfection with each wine. In one of the most breathtaking settings ever, this winery and their phenomenal wines created an exceptional experience. Sauvignon Blanc accompanying ceviche, Syrah paired precisely with lamb, Chardonnay intensifying the flavors of Salmon ravioli, Cabernet Sauvignon lingered over a small filet, all of which was topped off with a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc made to perfection and paired with a ginger infused Crème brûlée. This experience was nothing short of spectacular!
Needing to take some time after indulging in such a fantastic food/wine experience we decided to walk to the Emiliana winery, which we were told was “right next door”. The walk, though quite enjoyable took about 30 minutes. Entering the property we traveled down a long dirt road surrounded on both sides by stunningly manicured vineyards. This winery practices exclusively organic and biodynamic practices, so in addition to the beauty of the vines we saw lavender and roses, llamas and geese, olive trees and an abundance of other plants and animals living in symbiotic relationship. Felipe welcomed us warmly at the door. After quick pleasantries we were quickly brought inside to yet again another phenomenal experience. Beautifully balanced wines, this winery has estate fruit scattered across five Chilean wine valleys including: Casablanca, Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua, and the Bio-Bio. Emiliana produces many stunning wines, however our two favorites were a Chardonnay, Viognier, Marsanne white blend and a Syrah, Mouvedre red blend. The white, as one might suspect by its components was complex and rich with nice palate weight, similar to Airfield’s Lightning. The red was rich, bold and heavy. We actually enjoyed the red so intensely we ordered a bottle of the Syrah, Mouvedre blend at our restaurant with dinner the next evening.
Our final highlight from the Casablanca valley was the Casas del Bosque. This winery was gorgeous. A gated entry led us down a dirt path. Stepping out of our car we were greeted by the first winery dog we had seen on the trip. After registering we were led to a beautiful private tasting room. Casas del Bosque is known for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, both of which held up to their reputations. The Sauvignon Blanc was tremendously complex. Various citrus flavors exploded at various points along the palate. With intense acidity, this wine was a fantastic treat. The Pinot Noir was equally exceptional. Medium bodied, this wine demonstrated smokey flavors with hints of chocolate and vanilla.
The final consensus after our time in Chile was that we had barely tapped the surface of this superb wine region of the world. Departing left us solely with the option that someday soon we would both return. It was a perfect experience and we both crossed our fingers that none of our new treasures would break in our suitcases!
