My Last Weekend

My last weekend was a busy but fun one. On Friday afternoon, a group of us from the university went to Viña Haras de Pirque at a beautiful site in the hills southeast of Santiago. An island among horse ranches and ranchette-style homes, and perched so that the smog of Santiago is visible in he distance, the vineyard emphasizes quality versus quantity and specializes in reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah. We toured the winery and tasted various juices in the process of fermentation and wines aging in French oak. We also witnessed the hand-harvested crop being brought in from the field in small boxes - as to affirm careful handling - and then meticulously sorted by a crew, pulling the poor-quality clusters. It was an interesting outing and a nice diversion from the laboratory.

Then, on Saturday, I went on another wine excursion. My landlady had notified me of a wine train that traveled southwest of Santiago through the Colchagua Valley. The one-day tour is certainly tailored for tourists and perhaps a bit high-class for my standards; nonetheless, I enjoyed the experience. The day began early, leaving Santiago by bus through the Central Valley to San Fernando. If for nothing more, the experience was spectacular just to witness the Chilean countryside along the journey. The Central Valley of Chile is much like the Central Valley of California - just about anything grows there! Peach trees were meticulously pruned into perpendicular V's. Apples clung to mature apple trees, and high-density plantings were in their juvenile stage. Green files of cabbage were contrasted by golden stalks of corn. Leaves demonstrated a similar green to gold contrast, and many vineyards were a vibrant crimson. The flat valley was bordered by the Andes Mountains to the east - some peaks tipped in immaculate snow, and the coastal hills to the west. It almost seemed as though I was traveling down Interstate 5 or Highway 99 back home, except that the valley here is much narrower.

When we arrived in San Fernando, we boarded an antique locomotive train and headed west to Santa Cruz. Here, in the transverse Colchagua Valley, the landscape was equally impressive. We chugged casually along and were treated to wine and cheese. I tried a Carmenére - the most renowned variety in Chile, an organic Syrah, and a Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon assemblage. When exiting the train, I was careful to grasp both hand rails firmly.

Santa Cruz was a friendly and welcoming town. It seemed as though the entire population was there at the station to greet us. Teenage girls sang and played guitar while adorable children performed the Cueca - the national, folk dance.

We boarded the buses again and headed to the Estampa Vineyard just outside of town. Newly established by the Gonsalez-Ortiz family in the year 2000, this winery produces esteemed wines that are consumed both domestically and exported. Most of their wines are assemblages - mixtures of varieties based on percentages. The bottle label and the winery building itself resemble a wave, depicting the family's love for the sea. At the winery, there was yet more tasting. We tried a varietal and a reserve wine. A varietal is one that goes straight from the fermenting tank to the bottle; whereas, a reserve wine is aged in barrels after fermenting in the tank. At Estampa, they use both American and French oak barrels for aging. The difference in quality between the varietal and reserve wines was perceptible, as the reserve had a much softer feel than the varietal, and hence is a more expensive wine.

After our winery tour, we had lunch at the gorgeous Hotel Santa Cruz. I sat at a table with the other "gringos" - a couple from England, another from Sweden, and a man from New Zealand. It was enjoyable company and food, accompanied yet by another glass of wine. Following the lunch, I meandered through the square of Santa Cruz and visited the anthropological Museum of Colchagua before it was time to again board the bus and return to Santiago.

Once I arrived in Santiago, my friend Andrea (recently moved back from Ithaca) met me, and we headed west to Viña del Mar to visit our friend Denise’s parents. It was a nice, relaxing couple of days. I enjoyed running by the ocean, and I was treated to my favorite Chilean foods as my send-off. Of course, the company was also nice, and I am very grateful to Juan Carlos and Betty for their hospitality.

On the drive back to Santiago, I snapped some pictures of the Casablanca Wine Valley. I did not visit any wineries in this valley during this trip, but I did during my previous stay in Chile a couple of years ago. The Casablanca Valley is renowned for its white wines, and in fact there is California money invested in some of these enterprises.

It was an excellent final weekend in a country with beautiful countryside.

To see pictures, go to my Shutterfly website, and click on the Wine Country and Colchagua Valley Wine Train folders. Disclaimer: many pictures were taken from moving vehicles, so that is why they are blurry.