Ever dream of owning your own vineyard and making your own wine? Then Chile is a place to make your dream come true. Continue reading
Category: Articles
Viñedos Herrera-Alvarado: Natural & Traditional Winemaking in Marga Marga
Have you ever had wine from the Marga Marga Valley? What about wine fermented in leather? Or Cristal the grape? Then Herrera-Alvarado is your best choice to discover the Marga Marga. Continue reading
My Go-To Wines with Chilean Seafood
As pandemic restrictions are easing up, we were finally able to get out of Santiago and head to the coast. I visited a couple wineries (write-ups coming soon), but we also enjoyed a lot of seafood. Therefore, I wanted to talk about my go-to whites with seafood and give an overview of Chilean seafood. Continue reading
Pais: Chile’s Real National Grape
With a referendum in Chile about to take place, I’m calling for a referendum to elect Chile’s national wine. My vote: Pais. Continue reading
Cork: To Sniff or Not to Sniff
Corks: To Sniff or Not to Sniff
That is the question… Continue reading
Review & Interview with Rex Pickett about his Sideways Pinot Noir
You all love the film and novel, but how is the wine? Is it more than a novelty wine to sip while watching the film? Continue reading
World’s Best Value Pinot Noir is Chilean
Why you should be drinking Pinot.
I wasn’t always a Pinotphile. However, once you start getting older and drinking a lot more wine, you start needing something lighter that you can have with lighter dishes. Your stomach and palate simply can’t handle a big Napa Cab everyday with red meat. For red wine lovers, Pinot Noir is a perfect solution because it pairs with so many things. It’s also healthier since you’re likely to have lighter dishes with it, and it is one of the grapes with the highest levels of the antioxidant resveratrol. Continue reading
Cork vs. Screw-Cap vs. Alternatives
What is the purpose of corks, screw-caps and the alternatives? Wine preservation, obviously!
There have been a lot of heated debates with the simple question: Is the cork better than the screw-top? Let’s take a closer look and you decide… Continue reading
My Wine and Music Pairings
One reason why I love wine is its ability to engage all your senses. Its shiny hue entices you to the glass. It’s a reflecting pool or a transparent prism to see yourself and the world in a different way as you take each sip. Of course it engages your sense of smell and taste, but equally as important is how it feels in your mouth and glides down your throat as the alcohol slowly relaxes your nerves. However, the sense that is least engaged directly is hearing. Perhaps the sound of the cork being popped and the wine being poured conjures up some Pavlovian response. Sparkling wines also have a sound and that may actually indicate the size of the bubbles and hence the quality. Otherwise, there’s not much that wine directly adds to your sense of hearing. Yet, some of the greatest conversations you’ve had were over a glass of wine. You’re listening acutely to who and what’s around you as your other senses are enthralled in pleasure. And if there’s the right music around you, it can enhance your overall drinking experience too. So how do you find the right wine and music pairing?
Great Chilean Wines while Social Distancing
One consolation for much of the world practicing social distancing is we have more time to enjoy cooking food and drinking wine. As a consequence, at home wine consumption and online wine purchases have increased dramatically. When you buy online with more time on your hands, it’s also easier to explore how many different types of wines are out there. While you can’t travel to Italy at the moment, you can at least try an Etna Rosso from Sicily for the first time to go with your pasta. At the same time, a lot of us have to watch our pocketbook while buying wine, especially these days. Therefore, for my first article in The Wine Diplomats, I want to give you some ideas for affordable Chilean wines to try during the pandemic. Continue reading