Our trip to Maule had as much to do with tradition, people and sustainability as it did with wine. So it’s fitting that our first stop on the way there was at Miguel Torres Chile, a winery that champions Fair Trade and sustainable winemaking, where technical director Fernando Almeda was able to give us…
Chile’s Luxury Wine Fair 2017
The biggest and best of Chile’s annual wine fairs – Feria de Vinos de Lujo or Luxury Wine Fair- attracted droves of winelovers and glitterati once again in 2017, despite its unfortunate timing just two weeks before Christmas and the sharp rise in the entry price. The draw is the wine, of course, with 80 Chilean…
Top wines from 2017
With the excuse of studying for the WSET Diploma, I’ve tasted a greater variety of wines – both Chilean and foreign – this year than ever before. The upside is my knowledge and appreciation of wine have expanded exponentially; the downside is that there has been a tectonic shift in my taste. I’m no…
Sparkling wines for the festive season
It’s that time of year again when we all get into a flurry of Christmas shopping, seasonal cooking and planning for the perfect Christmas and New Year celebrations. Sparkling wine for the festive season features high on the shopping list and there’s an ever bigger range to choose from. So here’s a handy guide…
Vinoteca walkaround tasting
The golden glow of the late afternoon sun and deep blue backdrop of the Pacific Ocean provided an inviting ambience for the Vinoteca walkaround tasting Noche de Copas at the Sheraton Miramar in Viña del Mar on Friday. Summer-clad locals and tourists strolled from stand to stand, tasting a broad range of wines. The…
Weekend wine: orange wine Dinavolino
And now for something completely different: an orange wine from Italy. Orange wines have been trending for a while around the world but this is the first one I’ve been able to get my hands on. And it was well worth the wait – very much a different experience to white, red or rosé…
Weekend wine: Maquis Cabernet Franc 2012
I confess to being a closet Cabernet Franc fan. Living in the shadow of its big, brash, ostentatious and sharp-as-a nail son, Cabernet Sauvignon, the lighter-bodied Cab. Franc with its understated elegance and smooth sophistication just tends to get left there on the shelf, the “also ran” of the wine world. Think Fred Astaire…
Weekend wine: Morandé Vigno 2012
Do you like rich, fruity, comforting reds? Big wines that are great for a night in accompanied by pizza and a film or fabulous with a steak dinner or a cheese-topped bake? If so, Morandé Vigno 2012 may well tick the right boxes. This is one of a group of dry-farmed, old-vine Carignan wines…
Weekend wine: De Martino Legado Chardonnay
Here’s a chic little number; a rather moreish take on the world’s favourite type of white wine: De Martino Legado Chardonnay. And this week, I’m featuring two different years of the same wine – 2015 and 2016 – because they are quite different and a great example of something few people mention here in…