On Saturday, February 27, a devastating earthquake of magnitude 8.8 struck the country of Chile. The impact was 100 times harder than Haiti’s quake just six weeks ago and has left Chile in ruins with a rising number of fatalities. Located near the 2nd largest metropolitan area of Concepcion, the massive aftershocks are still being felt in the capital city of Santiago and other surrounding areas. The southern parts of Chile have been hit the hardest. In addition to the quakes, major port cities have been flooded due to tsunami waves. Luckily, due to strict building codes, the damage compared to Haiti is far less extensive.  While this quake has come as a shock, (the last major earthquake occureed in 85′) the Chilean people seem to be in high spirits.

In regards to the Chilean wine industry, it seems that the quake has left it with many difficulties. There have been articles posted online from Patricio Tapia as well as other Chilean writers. I have been following the Senior Editor of Wine Spectator, James Molesworth, on twitter who has been making daily tweets about the impact of the quake on Chilean wineries. Unfortunately, it seems that there has been millions of liters lost among wineries especially those located in the largest wine region of Maule. With no electricity or power, wineries cannot operate. In addition, due to the damages of bridges and roadways, wineries have no place to move their equipment or wine anytime soon. With more and more statistics showing losses of wine, it is apparent that the Chilean wine industry will suffer. It is hard to determine what the future holds but to the world, Chilean wine is too good not to have. We wish them the best during this time and I will post any updates in regards to the industry.

*Just over a month ago, I was visiting Chile. I fell in love with the country as well as the people, and can only imagine the hardships that they are enduring. I have spoken with my friends whom I keep in contact with on a regualar basis via Facebook and all have informed me that they are safe. They have hope and look upon this disaster as not a tragedy, but a challenge that they will overcome.*

 Catrala winery embraces the true meaning of a feminine wine. Catrala, named after a famous Chilean woman who lived in the 17th century has four varietal wines that will appeal to anyone who loves wine. After an hour hike through the vineyards and rolling hills, you can enjoy a relaxing tasting experience in terraces located inside the vineyard. Located in the heart of the Casablanca valley, Catrala is able to produce great wines due to the light coastal breezes coming from the Pacific Ocean which offers perfect temperatures. The result is well balanced wines that are very nice on the palate. My favorite is their Pinot Noir 2007 Grand Reserve Limited Edition which can be paired with a nice lunch or dinner. They also have a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc that goes excellent with sharp, sheep cheese. I highly recommend this winery and for anyone interested in purchasing their wines you may go online to mywinesdirect.com. Cheers!

Fernando Pavon who is the export manager for Emiliana, the leading winery in organic farming, spoke to us about the importance of making good quality wine. He emphasized that in order for consumers to want to buy a product, they need to know the story behind it. Having good quality, a good story, and an affordable price are the main focal points for Emiliana Winery. For those interested in tasting an organic Chilean wine, Walnut Crest, a separate label under the Emiliana brand can be found in the U.S. as well. I have found it interesting that not only Emiliana but many other Chilean wineries focus on this importance in educating consumers about the story behind their wines. The focus is not so much on selling extreme quantities but rather selling a product of importance. For Emiliana, the important part is the usage of the earth and to maintain a sustainable environment that will not only enhance the wines they make, but the world as well. The estate is extremely beautiful with Llamas and other livestock freely roaming around. This winery can really be appreciated for not just stating that they make a sustainable product but by following through with every move they make. If you would like to follow Fernando on twitter (fpavon), he has many insights that appeal to any wine lover and I would encourage you to try the Emiliana label yourself. I just bought their Novas Syrah today and would definitely recommend it to anyone! Cheers.

On Wednesday, we visited Chile’s largest wine producer and exporter, Concha y Toro. The estate contained thousands of acres where the original buildings from the 1800s still remained. The vast amount of cellars where the wines were stored seemed to go on forever. For the aging of their wines, they use a variety of oak barrels from France and the U.S. which some even came from Napa, CA! A funny tale is that the founder kept a small cellar, “Casillero del Diablo”, for his most prized wines. When bottles started to mysteriously disappear, he told the people in town that the devil lived inside the cellar. After this rumor, none of his private collection went missing again thus solving the “mystery” of who took his wine. After our tour, we had a private tasting room set up for us where we tasted a variety of red wines. They even gave us a glass & cheese board to take home! Above all, it was an exciting experience and I really enjoyed the overall appeal of this particular winery. We also had a meeting at ProChile which is the ministry of international affairs. They basically promote Chilean wine with the help of the government. Here, I learned the 14 wine regions of Chile as well as other informational facts about Chilean exports and the advantage of Chile’s demographics in producing wine. To my surprise, only 2-3% of Chile’s total exports is wine supporting the fact that Chilean wine is still very new to the industry but the future for Chilean wine is bright and those all around the world will begin to see the emergence of their wine very soon.

A Taste of Chile!

Only four days left before the big day! I am just starting to pack and figure out everything that I will need for the next few weeks. So far, I’m very excited but a little bit nervous because I have never been out of the country by myself before. I know that this is going to be an amazing point in my life and while gaining more knowledge of the wine industry, I hope to also gain a  better understanding of myself. This is going to be a journey of a lifetime and I am happy to share my thoughts with you here. I look forward to sharing my experiences and hope that anyone who reads them will enjoy hearing about these experiences as well! ¡chau!