Winery: Emiliana - Adobe Carmenere
Vintage: 2008
Location: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Alcohol: 14%
Blend: 100% Carménère
Tasting: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

I think there is some kind of rule that you cannot leave Chile without sampling some Carménère wine.  If there isn’t a rule, then I think there should be a rule.  This is not only a Carménère wine, but it is also organic.  The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce had their Spring Wine and Food night on April 20, 2010 at the Jubilee Auditorium.  Why in heaven’s name am I telling you this after the fact?  Well, that is the first place that I had tried this wine.  Now I am a big Carménère fan.  I have been for a long time.  They are available in all different price ranges and therefore the body is going to be a bit different on each of them.  I have to tell you, though, for this price, I was pleasantly surprised at the flavour this little wine has.  Check out the Emiliana website (that is the parent company of Adobe).  They have not only information on the Adobe wines (Sherbrooke carries a number of them), but also their other wines like Coyam, which we just sampled on April 22 and 23^rd for our Earth Day Weekend tasting.

Rafael and José Guilisasti of Emiliana Winery saw changes starting in how people were looking at their food and the land and they wanted to be a part of this change.  People all around the world were starting to be more conscious of what they were eating and drinking and how they were treating Mother Earth.  It was at that time that they started on the road to make the change to Organic and Biodynamic wines.

“Life is full of opportunities, and Emiliana is one of them… United by a common passion, we have been able to produce high quality wines with their own identity, and thereby achieve the authentic expression of their terroir through organic and biodynamic agriculture and respecting the true value of the company, which is in caring for its people and the environment.”  “We do what we are”

Jose Guilisasti Gana

When we were presenting our Earth Day tastings I had more than a couple of people ask what the heck ‘Biodynamic’ meant.  I told them, tongue planted firmly in cheek, that it was ‘organic on steriods’.  One fellow said ‘but steroids aren’t org…oh… I get what you mean.”  Basically it is Organic farming bumped up a few notches.  It truly is fascinating reading about the biodynamic agriculture and the background on how it came to be.  Basically, the stewards of the land not only farm organically, but they take it many steps further.  They plant certain trees and plants in the vineyards to bring in particular nutrients into the soil and to protect the vines.  The vines are planted and harvested during certain lunar cycles to bring out the best in the vines and the fruit being harvested from it.  And so on…  Now that is the Reader’s Digest version.

I was speaking to a gentleman just a few months ago he was telling me how his father used to work the land in Europe.  His father did his own tests by planting and harvesting his crops in the traditional method and doing it in the (what we now call) biodynamic way.  He found consistently that planting and harvesting using this method of biodynamics was well worth it.  Not only was his land/soil in great shape, but his crops were better for it.  His son has carried on the tradition.  I figure, where can we go wrong taking good care of Mother Earth?

The Carménère grape was originally from the Bordeaux Region in France.  When the explorers were travelling hither and yon through the world they took vines from their home country, to plant in the ‘New World’.  Carménère was one of those grapes that were brought to Chile in the mid 16^th century.  It is almost impossible to find in France today.  Chile has the largest planting of this grape in the world today.  It has almost become their signature grape in the same way that Malbec has become the signature grape of Argentina.  The Chilean wine growers actually thought this Carménère was merlot or a clone of merlot for many years.  It wasn’t until 1994 that it was discovered that this was the ‘lost grape’ Carménère.  It was recognized as a distinct grape variety by the Chilean Department of Agriculture in 1998.  It is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah, but we see it on its own quite frequently now.

This is such a neat little wine and we are looking forward to you trying it.  A small portion of it (20%) was aged for 6 months in French and American oak barrels.  The colour is ruby red and you can smell wonderful dark cherries, with a tiny bit of spice (black pepper).  When you taste it you notice the tannins are medium-firm and are balanced nicely with the acidity and you sure can taste that wonderful cherry and notes of that great spice.  This is just a nice fresh wine to sip on.  Now if you to like food like we do, then you will be pleasantly surprised at how well this wine pairs with some great dishes.

Food Pairing:

Chorizo Sausages in a tomato sauce; Barbequed beef, pork; aged cheeses; venison; chili.

CSPC:     733158
Price:  

    $12.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

We will see you on Wednesday.  Next week we are travelling to Spain.

We have some exciting news for you!  Richard and I will be travelling to Italy and France over the next five weeks (not virtually).  We will be returning June 15^th to Sherbrooke.  Our very good friend Diana (Dee - Anna) is going to see you on Wednesday afternoons.  Diana, Richard and I are in class together studying to be Sommeliers.   She is an awesome person and you will just love meeting her!  She knows her stuff.  The weekly wine blogs will still be posted for you to read and you can come by and taste all the wines with Diana and have a good chat.

Winery: Viña Maipo
Vintage: 2008
Location: Maipo Valley, Chile
Alcohol: 14%
Blend: 85% Syrah, 15% Carménère
Tasting: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

You know, I can remember back to 1988/89 when people were just starting to hear about wines coming from Chile.  They were amazed that wine grapes could be grown there.  What they didn’t realize is that for most of the country the climate is actually considered to be a Mediterranean climate.  It features the warm, dry summers and cold, rainy winters that vines love. With the breezes from the sea and the effect of the Andes Mountains, Chile has bright sunny days and cool nights.  The dip in temperature at night helps the grapes to develop fresh fruit flavors, crisp acidity in the white wines.   This helps the red wines as well.  They develop ripe tannins, deep color, and high levels of antioxidants and flavonols.

Viña Maipo, which was founded in 1948, gets its name from the valley in which it sits - the Maipo Valley.  The Maipo Valley is considered to be the oldest and most important wine growing valley in the country of Chile.   Its history dates back centuries prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16^th century.  The Jesuits arrived and settled in the valley until they were expelled by the Spanish crown.  The Town of Maipo was founded during this time to defend the area against native attacks.

The Jesuits returned in the 19^th century, around the same time that the first great wineries appeared.  The merger of different religions and beliefs took place at this time and gave rise to the unique devotion and religiousness that is still felt in this region today.

Viña Maipo is located just 38 kilometers south of Santiago.  Just a minute down the road from the vineyard is the lovely town of Maipo.

In 1968, Viña Maipo became part of Viña Concha y Toro.  Over the next 42 years the winery has grown to become the 4th largest Chilean wine exporter.  Quite an accomplishment since only a decade ago they exported to small number of countries.  Now their wines are found in over 60 countries and they send over 2 million bottles of wine to those countries each year.

The Viña Maipo vineyards are located in Chile’s main valleys:  Casablanca, Maipo, Rapel, Curico and Maule.  The last four of these is known as the Central Valley.  This valley extends more than 310 miles from north to south and lies between the Maipo and Maule Rivers.  The clash of the cold Pacific breezes and the hot inland air masses give this area a pleasant Mediterranean climate with warm days, cold nights and well defined seasons.  Casablanca is known for its fresh whites; Rapel for its fruity reds; Curico for its very intense Sauvignon Blanc; Maule for its powerful and concentrated reds; Maipo for its elegant and classic styles.

This wine is the first in a series of Syrah from Viña Maipo.  The second is called Reserva and the third is Limited Edition.  They each are different and lovely in their own way.  April 28^th we have chosen the Syrah for our Winesday wine.  April 30^th and May 1 we will be doing a two day sampling with the Reserva Syrah and the Grand Devotion Sauvignon Blanc.  You will have to try each and find your favourite ones.

The grapes for this wine were both hand-picked and mechanically harvested in April 2008.  30% of it was aged in American oak barrels for three months and 70% of it was aged in stainless steel for 5 months.  The colour is an intense ruby red with violet hues.  It has some nice fruit with raspberry and blackberry leading the way.  There is a little black pepper spice and toasted notes to boot.  It has a softer body, but is nicely balanced with a medium finish.

Food Pairing:

  Grilled meats (beef, venison, lamb); a pesto based pizza; gouda cheese; braised beef.

CSPC:     735791
Price:

      $10.50 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

Come by and try this Syrah and then come back on Friday or Saturday to try the Viña Maipo Syrah Reserva and the Viña Maipo Gran Devocion Sauvignon Blanc.

Next week Richard and I are going to stay in Chile and have a bit of a road trip.  Come join us.  I’ll bring a few treats that we can nibble on while we travel.

Antu Ninquén Cabernet Sauvignon-Carmenère

Winery: MontGras - Antu Ninquén
Vintage: 2006
Location: Colchagua, Chile
Alcohol: 15%
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenère
Ageing: 15 Months - 27 % American Oak, 73% French Oak
Tasting: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The inspiration of Hernán Gras, along with the “entrepreneurial vision” of his brother Eduardo and the “pragmatic business view” of partner Cristián Hartwig, brought the vision of Viña MontGras (MontGras Winery) to life in 1993. This was the first project of MontGras Properties.

What does Chilean wine have to do with Canada?  Well, in this case, quite a bit. Andrea Ilabaca (Public Relations Director for MontGras Properties) said that Hernán Gras, President and Winemaker of MontGras “lived for over 20 years in Canada. Till this day, he considers Canada “home” and returns at least 3 to 5 times per year as one of his daughters lives there.” While living here, Hernán worked at Brights Winery in Ontario and in 1992, “he returned to Chile to make his dream come true with MontGras, and now, Ninquén, Intriga and Amaral.”

That isn’t where the Canadian connection ends, however.  Ms. Ilabaca explained that the winery was designed by Sandwell Engineering, which has an office in Niagra on the Lake, Ontario.

Antu Ninquén means “Sun of the Mountain“.  Ninquén was the first mountain vineyard planted in Chile.  It isn’t easy growing vines under these conditions, but they knew that with patience they would have wonderful wines as a result.  The vines become stressed (which is a good thing) and they produce lower yields of fruit, but the fruit is laden with flavour and colour.

My suggestion would be to decant this wine for about 60 minutes.  The colour is going to be first thing you notice.  It is a beautiful deep ruby red colour with a pleasing purple overtone.  Before you have your first sip, experience the wonderful aromas coming from your glass.  You will smell lots of black fruit… cherries, blackberries and dried plums.  A bit of spice will be evident along with some nice vanilla and even some nuts.

Now here comes that first sip.  The tannins are positively there.  There is that wonderful flavour that you had a hint of from the aromas.  Savour the flavour. This is just a very pleasant wine that you could enjoy on its own or with some delicious food.  It is no wonder that this wine has earned notice by some of the people in the know.  For example:

90 Points - (Wine Advocate, October 2008)
Silver Medal & Best In Class - (International Wine & Spirit Competition 2008, U.K.)
89 Points - Buying Guide - (Wine Enthusiast, November 2008)

Food Pairing:

rack of lamb; filet mignon; game and game birds; herb crusted beef (esp. rosemary, thyme).  Be adventurous and try it with some Gorgonzola cheese or aged cheddar.

Come by and enjoy this fine wine on Wednesday, February 17, 2010.

CSPC: 729783
Price:

$18.99* (Minus Winesday 10% discount)

*Price Correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice.

Next week we are travelling to the United States of America.