10 Winemakers, 1 Camera, 1 Question

A gorgeous carafe of
Apaltagua's Grial Carmenère.

During last month's trip to Chile (as a guest of Wines of Chile), I couldn't help but notice the energy and excitement among the winemakers.  They all spoke of their love for the country and the promise of finally moving beyond the stereotype of only producing value wines.

All of the winemakers—to a person—were absolutely energized by the future of the Chilean wine industry and, most importantly, working diligently to produce world-class wines.  Some are closer than others, but all seem to be unified in this singular goal.

In an effort to seize the moment, I asked 10 winemakers to tell me why the country is such a special and exciting place to make wine.

The video below shows what they had to say...

Featured winemakers (in order of appearance):
1. Julio Bastías of Vina Matetic
2. Gonzalo Guzmán of Viña El Principal
3. Matías Rios of Cono Sur Vineyards & Winery
4. Andrea León of Lapostolle Wine 
5. Sebastian Labbe of Carmen Wines
6. Edgard Carter of Oveja Negra
7. Benjamin Mei of Apaltagua
8. Andrés Ilabaca of Santa Rita Wines
9. Marcelo Papa of Concha y Toro
10. Cristóbal Undurraga of Viña Koyle

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Postcard from Chile: How a Winemaker Tastes Grapes

Viña Ventisquero

The last month has been a whirlwind of good fortune and amazing travel.  I spent a couple of weeks in Argentina and Chile with a group of wine professionals as a guest of Winebow.  Then, two weeks later, I headed back to Chile for a return visit as a guest of Wines of Chile.  Incredible opportunities, to be sure.

Looking back, I shot 5,000+ images and videos.  So much to share.

What's this mean in human terms?  I'll be (slowly but surely) posting videos and slide shows until I get it all out of my system.  Hang on tight.

Roasted Peach Salad

I've been working with the folks at the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association for the past couple of months developing recipes for their winter marketing campaign.

But, honestly, I was a big fan of Chilean fruit long before I ever began working with them.

Back in my Southern Living days (from 1999 to 2010), I recommended Chilean fresh peaches and nectarines every winter—the perfectly ripe fruit filled the gap for our favorite Southern summer fruits.

This easy, yet elegant, recipe is a riff on something you'll likely see on restaurant menus all over the South (in the summer)—but my version is simple enough to whip up for a quick weeknight supper.  I use a mix of peaches and nectarines, but all peaches or all nectarines will work just fine.  No worries.