Apparently, a French man in the early 1800s became interested in Chilean flora, fauna and geology. Claude Gay became the effective patron saint of local, Chilean plants. Thanks to Claude, anytime you travel to Chile, it is made abundantly clear in all government proclamations that you cannot bring in any plants, fruits or vegetables. A friend inadvertently crossed customs with an apple in his pocket (I believe he was traveling from Taiwan, though he lives in London) about 15 years ago and was firmly reprimanded, despite eating the same apple in the presence of immigration officers.
Read MoreWines arrive constantly at my doorstep and occasionally, I end up with wines that didn't fit into a tasting elsewhere that still merit write-ups. Such is the case here, with both of the reds being personal favorites.
Read MoreKind of Wild Wines hit all the right buzz words for today's concerned and informed consumer: "Made with Organic Grapes", "Supporting Organic Growers", "Free of Unwanted Additives", "Sustainable for Soil Health" and "1% to Environmental Partners" are some of their taglines. Mind you, only one of those snippets means anything legally.
Read MoreIf only Don Melchor Concha y Toro could know how his idea to import and plant in Chile pre-phylloxera vinifera vines from Bordeaux has evolved! It started 138 years ago...and one-hundred and four years after that initial planting, in 1987, the first wine named in Don Melchor's honor from the Puente Alto Vineyard was bottled. In 2017 - the year of this vineyard’s 30th anniversary and the wine's 31st bottling, the Viña Don Melchor winery became independent from the Viña Concha y Toro portfolio. All this fascinating history aside, this wine is ravishing!
Read MoreI was excited to buy and taste this wine as I have read some compelling things about Rafael Tirado's own wines. Moreover, Rafael's pedigree is impressive. For decades Rafael has made very good wines in many countries using a wide array of grape varieties. Additionally, I love complex Sauvignon Blancs, and I think the variety’s potential is too often overlooked.
Read MoreI was pleased to see Ventisquero pop up a few weeks ago. It's been a while since I have seen this name. I used to buy some of the wines for the defunct Spice Market Atlanta when it first opened. The GREY Carménère was a favorite at the time, and I often lamented that the range wasn't more widely available in the US for the other restaurant lists that I was overseeing at Culinary Concepts by Jean-Georges. Over a decade later, it appears the wines are now widely available in the US. Check them out!
Read MorePartners Leonardo Erazo, winemaker for Altos Las Hormigas, and Justin Decker, an American living in Chile, make energized wines from old bush vines near the Pacific. As the name suggests, this is Chile gone rogue. The wines and their labels are unconventional and thoroughly compelling, especially the Blanco.
Read MoreIt’s hard to believe that this is the 30th Anniversary bottling of the Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon. I've had the pleasure of drinking it fairly often for about half its life span. Watching its development over time, I have no doubt that this vineyard site - despite being about a century old when this wine debuted - is only getting started!
Read MoreI recall Viña Vik hitting the US wine scene about five years ago. The labels jumped into the wine fray with great fanfare. The wide range of vintages was interesting to taste, and they prove that the wines - at least these specific bottlings - can age to benefit. However, they made it harder to see the stylistic winemaking differences between the wines.
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