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 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!
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