Vineyards in Chile

Vineyards in Chile
Vinyards Chile

domingo, 28 de julio de 2019


Trip to Chilean IV REGION





Day 1
The IV Region of Chile is a little bit unknown for foreign tourists, despite being an area where you can find excellent wines from Elqui and Limari valleys. Besides, being the only area in the country where “pisco” can be produced. I was highly surprised with the tourism development during the last five years. Now I can proudly say that tourism has been developed in this area. I was delighted with the gourmet products such as goat cheese, pickled artichokes, almonds, 100% organic olive oil, sparkling wines and beer produced with catches-fog water.  Wines of this region are awesome. I discovered a store named “Desde el Limari”, located at the facilities of “Casino de Ovalle”, where you can find all this local products, wines, sparking wines and beer.
On the other hand, I must mention that in this region was born the famous poet Gabriela Mistral. She won the Nobel Prize of literature in 1945. At Vicuña village there is a museum in her honor.
The IV Region, located at the north of Santiago, has incredible National Parks, the most emblematic is “Fray Jorge”, a world biosphere reserve. Besides, this area is the paradise for the astronomers from all over the world, because it has the clearest skies of the South Hemisphere.
In our first day trip, our first stop was at “Hueltelauquen” to taste the famous cheese empanadas of this area. Later on we continued to “Chinchilla National Park”, the largest of this area with 4.229 hectares of park. Our focus was to see a “chinchilla”. In this park you will find two path, a shorter where you will have information about native flora and you will find on rock a poem written by Gabriela Mistral in honor to the chinchillas; she was the first person in all Latin America to receive such as a distinction.
Is important to point out that “vizcachas” and “chinchillas” are similar, but not the same. In size “vizcachas are close to 25 cm (about 1 feet). Chinchillas are smaller and her skin is very coveted by the manufacturers of fur coats, which almost extinguished them. Nowadays, there are two chinchilla types, the natives and the genetically manipulated to obtain a reddish skin, the last ones live in captivity.
After the walk visiting the park, we stopped at picnic area for lunch, very close to us had its burrow a wild mouse. We had fun looking at him, but when the “culpeo fox” appeared with its beautiful reddish color tail, our rodent friend disappeared quickly.
Then, we continued our trip to Combarbalá village, to visit that evening the “touristic-astronomic observatory “Cruz del Sur”.

lunes, 22 de julio de 2019

Viaje a la IV Región Chile


Les quiero compartir todos los avances que encontramos en turismo en la nuestro: Viaje a la IV REGIÓN, Chile. Fuimos a ver el eclipse y aprovechamos de recorrer parte del valle Limarí.

Día 1
La IV Región de Chile es algo desconocida para los turistas extranjeros, a pesar de ser una zona donde encontramos excelentes vinos en los valles del Limarí y Elqui, además de ser la única zona del país donde se puede producir pisco. Nos sorprendimos con su avance en el turismo, a decir verdad desde los años 70´que descubrí esta zona de Chile cuando mi padre nos llevaba de vacaciones en ese entonces a Tongoy; siempre salíamos a conocer la zona, pero no estaba desarrollada para el turista extranjero, pero ahora en el año 2019 puedo decir con orgullo que la zona se ha desarrollado muchísimo. Con gran sorpresa descubrí los productos gourmet, queso de cabra, alcachofas en escabeche, pastas de almendras, aceite de oliva 100% orgánico, espumantes y cerveza hecha con agua de atrapaniebla y obviamente sus vinos y reconocidos piscos de la zona. Además, no debemos dejar de mencionar que la IV Región es la zona donde nació la tan afamada poetisa Gabriela Mistral.
La IV Región de Chile, ubicada al norte de Santiago, cuenta con increíbles parques nacionales; el más emblemático es Fray Jorge, que es una reserva mundial de la biosfera y se caracteriza por tener un bosque valdiviano en una zona con un clima semidesértico. Y además, esta zona es el paraíso para los astrónomos de todo el mundo por contar con los cielos más claros del Hemisferio Sur para la observación astronómica.
En nuestro primer día de viaje hacia el eclipse, nuestra primera parada fue en Huentelauquen para probar las ricas empanadas de queso. Un imperdible en la zona. No hay como el queso de Huentelauquen. Luego de nuestra detención para degustar estas empanadas y comprar quesito para llevar, seguimos hacia el Parque Nacional Chinchilla, que es el más grande de la zona con 4.229 hectáreas de parque. Nuestro fin era conocer a las chinchillas en vivo y en directo. Este parque tiene dos recorridos; un sendero corto donde aprendes sobre la flora nativa y encuentras un maravilloso poema a las chinchillas escrito por de Gabriela Mistral, premio Nobel de Literatura en 1945, ella fue la primera persona latinoamericana en lograr tamaña distinción.
Luego de nuestro recorrido visitamos la zona que tiene el parque para ver las chinchillas en vivo y en directo. Ojo, pongan atención, no confundir las chinchillas con las vizcachas, que son bastante más grandes. Vizcachas encuentras en el lago Chungará y en Machu Pichu, las chinchillas son mucho más pequeñas y su piel es muy codiciada por los fabricantes de abrigos de piel que llegaron a casi extinguirlas. Actualmente existen dos variedades de chinchillas, las nativas y las manipuladas

genéticamente para obtener una piel rojiza, estas últimas viven en cautiverio.
Después de la larga caminata y recorrer el parque, en la zona habilitada para picnic nos detuvimos para almorzar, muy cerca  nuestro tenía su madriguera un ratón silvestre de la zona nos deleitamos observándolos, pero cuando apareció el zorro culpeo con su hermosa cola en tonos rojizos, nuestro amigo roedor desapareció rápidamente.
Luego de esta parada seguimos nuestro viaje hacia Combarbalá para visitar esa misma noche el Observatorio turístico-astronómico “Cruz del Sur”.

domingo, 7 de agosto de 2016





Chilean old-vine Carignan seduces enologists
Old grape vines, like our elders, have collected many stories to tell
over the long years and seasons. With an extensive and interesting
history in Chile, Carignan is no exception.
The Carignan grape arrived to Chile after the massive earthquake
of Chillán in 1939, when producers of País grapes were impacted by
the disaster. Carignan vines were brought to Chile from Argentina,
where the grape was previously acquired from France.
Upon arriving to Chile, Carignan vines were planted in the dry Maule
Valley, and there they have grown exceptionally well. País vines are
also very successful in Maule, and País has an important role in the
story of Carignan in Chile.
Carignan only existed in the Maule Valley, and it went unnoticed for
many years without significant attention from the wine community.
In the last decade, however, Carignan recently has been seducing
wine producers and enologists.
Carignan is unique because of its sole appellation in Chile – the dry
interior of Maule. Also, this grape variety sprouts later in the season
than other grapes – three years are necessary to produce fruit,
and two additional years are needed to have finished wine. As the
popular saying goes: “the older the vine, the better the wine.”
Vintners found that Carignan grafts well onto País vines, since
País similarly thrives in dry conditions, and is also head-pruned
and with an earthy flavor. Better still, a Carignan grape can fully
share the depth of País roots, adopting the body of the old trunks,
and delivering the perfect roundness that age confers. Some País
grapevines in Chile are more than 300 years old!
Carignan so thoroughly blended with País in Maule vineyards over
time that it was difficult to distinguish them until the grape’s recent
resurrection.
Chilean winemakers have now formed a cooperative known
as VIGNO (Vignadores de Carignane), to promote Chile’s quality
Carignan wines. With more than 12 member wineries, wines included
under the VIGNO label are required to be produced from old vines –
more than 30 years old – and with at least 65% Carignan grapes. In
addition, the wines must be aged for two years, and blends must be
entirely made with old, dry-farmed vines.
“I delight in tasting wines made from gnarled old plants to which no
one paid attention for years until someone realized they might make
decent wine,” writes wine blogger Aldo Yarrow, of vinography.com.
Wines of Chile recently brought Yarrow to New York City to taste
and explore Chile’s finest Carignans.
“Carignan, especially approaching 70 or 80 years of vine-age, has a
wonderful character, generally good acidity, and a very pleasurable
berry and black-cherry flavor profile with occasional hints of cola
nut,” enthuses Yarrow.
The tasting, which took place in June at Puro Chile in New York
City, presented a small group of journalists, sommeliers and wine
professionals with 26 Chilean Carignans.
“These wines were all generally very good, with a number
approaching excellent,” Yarrow writes. “In general I’d say there was
a tendency towards slightly heavy oak usage (which could easily
be avoided) heavy extract (which could certainly be adjusted) and
slightly heavy ripeness (which may not be so easily avoided as the
climate may simply drive towards higher octane wines). I’m happy
to say that most wines are easy to recommend, especially as some
are excellent bargains as well.”
Yarrow’s highest-rated Wines of Chile member Carignans, all from
Maule Valley and with scores between 8.5 and 9, are summarized
below; for a full list of tasted wines, visit www.vinography.com:
2008 De Martino “La Aguada Old Bush Vines” – 9/10
“…smells of tart black cherry and mulberry fruit with hints of green
briary smells … a very nice balanced quality with earthy, tangy
flavors of mulberry, cassis, and wet earth … Thick but supple tannins
emerge as the wine finishes with green herbs and wet earth. Very
pretty.”
2009 Santa Carolina “Dry Farming” – 8.5-9/10
“… smells of rich mulberry and cassis with hints of wood … a creamy,
silky texture with a nice weight on the palate. Rich flavors of cola,
black cherry and mulberry mix with an earthy, black tea note. Lightly
tacky tannins hang at the edges of the mouth. Softer acidity.”
2009 Undurraga “T.H.” – 8.5-9/10
“… smells of cherry, cassis, and hints of cola … exceedingly smooth
and balanced, with light, leathery tannins, and a core of black cherry
and mulberry fruit. Nice tangy acidity combines with earthy and
herbal undertones that linger in the finish. Very pretty wine.”
2009 Oveja Negra – 8.5-9/10
“… smells of cassis and mulberry … flavors of cola and mulberry mix
with nice earthy undertones. Good acidity, and nice texture.”
2008 Valdivieso “Eclat” – 8.5-9/10
“… smells of softer aromas of black cherry and earth … has a nice
texture and good balance with green herbal flavors mixed into
dried cherry and mulberry flavors. The flavors here are somewhat
subdued. Good acidity and tacky tannins. Very easy drinking.”
2010 Undurraga “VIGNO” – 8.5-9/10
“… smells of mulberry and black cherry fruit. Good acidity makes the
fruit bright and juicy, with a sour cherry tanginess along with the
core of mulberry and cassis. Faint tannins linger in the finish.”
And now you have to add also Carignan produced by Bodegas RE at Casablanca valley.