17-19 April... Aunty Wino is very happy

"Yes, I think the 2006 Cabernet will be excellent........."

Lynne says...

It was the lure of my favorite tipple that brought us to Talca. I am after all, "Aunty Wino", as my two and a half year old nephew, Ben, often reminds me.

Chilean wine has become increasingly popular in England during recent years due to its quality and affordability. As French classics continue to loose their share of the market, Chilean winemakers consistantly produce decent wines at good prices.

There are around thirty wineries in the Maule Valley area but it proved fairly difficult to visit them - we struggled to find any information and all tours must be booked in advance. After a few phone calls we eventually arranged a guided tour of three wineries - Casanova, Calina and Casa Donosa.

The vineyards varied in size from the small, fourth generation family run Casanova to the huge, American owned Calina. The tours themselves varied in quality and two were conducted entirely in Spanish.

We sampled Cabernet Sauvigon midway through the fermentation process, watched as Cabernet grapes were crushed and discovered Carmanere, a variety of grape that had been wiped out in France due to disease yet was rediscovered in Chile in 1994. I´m not sure I´ve ever seen it for sale in the UK but then again, I´m hardly an expert. I just like to drink it.


"Mine, mine, they're ALL MINE!"