About

Aaron Chan, The Wine Diplomats Host

Although I grew up in Northern California 45 minutes from Napa and Sonoma, I didn’t really get into wine until I traveled to France in 2001. There I discovered how wonderful wine is with food. I didn’t realize I could taste other things in wine besides fruit and alcohol, which is all I tasted in the cheap white Zins we drank. Yet, even cheap French wines have terroir and are meant to complement food. Bordeaux and Rhone wines paired with French food became intoxicating for me. Being lucky enough to have a French wife, I have continued returning to France to experience the French culture of wine and food.

Eventually we moved to Washington DC, and I developed my wine chops in the same shops that wine critic Robert Parker used to go to when he was just a lawyer living in Maryland-Calvert Woodley and MacArthur Beverages. I would go to any free tastings they had. I would try whatever on the shelf I could afford. I would research anything online I could find about the grape variety, vintage, region and ideal pairing. Eventually I started investing in more expensive wines.

Me having Barolo in La Morra, Piedmont, Italy

In 2014, we moved to Geneva, where I learned a lot about other European wines besides French wines, especially Italian and Swiss wines. There were frequent tastings of international wines and even higher end wines that I couldn’t afford to drink.  We were also a few hours away from wine regions like Burgundy, the Loire, the Rhone Valley, Piedmont, and the Jura. It didn’t hurt that I could do tastings in Sonoma, Napa and other parts of California whenever I visited my family too. My collection started to build.

Finally, we moved to Santiago, Chile in 2017. I’ve been exploring just about every Chilean wine I could get my hands on ever since. Fortunately, I’ve learned that Chilean wines are so much more diverse and dynamic than I had once thought because even I would get bored of drinking only cheap Chilean Cabernet from the Central Valley every day, which is mostly all you see of Chilean wines in other parts of the world.

I come from the perspective of a wine enthusiast and consumer just like most of you. I’m not a wine snob, but I am naturally a curious explorer, academic and teacher who likes to experience, reflect, learn and teach new things. Some of what is in this blog comes from years of experience while others are things I’ve just learned as I keep exploring.       

Why do I love wine? In a nutshell, wine enhances everything. It enhances the meal. It enhances the conversation. It enhances life. Life can be monotonous and frustrating, but drinking wine from some other part of the world each night is a relieving consolation and escape. Besides just being delicious and sensual, it is an intellectual and philosophical challenge as well. My geeky side is happy to read, ponder and muse about the nature and history of wine. I’m also a collector at heart. I used to collect baseball cards when I was a kid, so wine allows me to collect something again. However, it’s something I can share with others and that I’ll hopefully consume before I die rather than just sitting in some box in the garage like my baseball cards. In that way, wine is both an exercise of carpe diem and self-discipline for the future. I’m happy to share this passion with you.

Curt Schwarz, CSW, Wine Writer & Contributor

My love of wine goes way back to where I grew up in Virginia (U.S.) at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This was the heart of Virginia wine country hosting over 300+ wineries and being the U.S.’s 4th largest producer of wine (behind California, Oregon, Washington respectfully). I was fortunate to have wine loving parents and found myself always around it. Different wines, different labels, wineries and vineyards. I would find myself at these locations even though I was too young to be able to participate. It all certainly paid off with time.

Later I moved away to attend university and eventually found myself in Prague, Czech Republic for a short time while attending an International Studies program. There I fell in love with beer. Visiting ancient breweries, learning their methods and “exploring” an infinite number of pubs and Biergartens (beer gardens). There I learned to identify brewing processes, materials, aromas, etc. I had hundreds of notes taken, mostly focused on Czech and German styles which carried over into my wine career.

Back stateside, I worked for a short while in a small store hosting olive oil, balsamic, red and white vinegar tastings. These products were from high quality imported Southern European varieties while we had a small fine wine selection. I began these tastings and eventually found a love and respect for the diversity of these olive oils and vinegars. Later I discovered an opportunity to work full-time in the wine industry.

I worked for a number of years with two different wineries. There I really learned the ins-and-outs of the industry which accelerated my thirst for more. I began aggressive studying for professional certifications. There was eventually an opportunity that I could not resist. I was hired at the U.S.’s largest wine retailer at the company’s #2 grossing location of $20 million/year out of 200+ locations. I eventually passed the Sommelier exam by the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2016, the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) exam by The Society of Wine Educators in 2017 as well as the Cicerone exam by The Cicerone Certification Program (this is a beer professional’s title) as well in 2017.

I was eventually promoted to Wine Educator and hosted numerous wine and spirits classes for clients and groups up to 50 people. I personally selected wines for various clients such as Hall of Fame NBA players, the MLB World Series Championship team, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stars, NFL starting line players, NASCAR drivers, CEOs and wines which were flown on S&P Corporate Aircrafts. I was also a Private Sommelier for clients responsible for private cellar selection. Someone asked me once how many wines I have tried. I do not have the slightest idea. My best estimate is perhaps 10,000. But who knows…

Needing to explore more, I took part on a solo international backpacking trip through Central and South America with stops in 8 countries. I fell in love with Chile. The backdrop of the snow-capped Andes, the southern Pacific Ocean, and the infinite number of vineyards and wineries, I was hooked. A trifecta. I moved to Chile in 2018 and have consulted for private wine cellar enthusiasts and small wine start-up companies. Here, I also began to make my own wines at home from a variety of fresh, locally sourced Chilean fruits as well as Patagonian honey for mead (honey wine). I consider myself to be a collector of wine, professional and connoisseur.

I love Chilean wine. It is underrated and under-priced. A perfect hidden gem in the wine world which is slowly being discovered for top international quality. I am here to share my love and experiences with Chilean wine, whether you are here in country, at home in your local wine shop, or from the comforts of your own couch.