There's no question that Chilean wines are starting to experience a sort of Boom Time in the US market. The price is right, you get a lot of great wine for your buck, and there is t-o-n-s of variety and depth. But with all this recent growth, is Chile really just...
If there was a natural “juice” that tasted great, gave you a little buzz, kept your heart healthy, AND maintained those wrinkles at bay, wouldn’t you be sprinting to get your hands on it? Ok, rhetorical question. There’s been a lot of press hoopla as of late around...
As many of you know, in late April, I paid a visit to some dear friends in the Napa Valley for a second time. The mission? To hang out with them, obviously, and soak up that "Napa" vibe. The "good life" vibe is definitely happening there--and I am totally down with...
My disappearance from the blogosphere in the past 2 weeks has largely been due to another move. Yes, after 8 months of living in the farther reaches of the Ñuñoa burbs far, far, far away from the metro and signs of urban life, I am back DOWNTOWN in my favorite...
Fall in Chile is synonymous with the potato harvest in the south where dozens upon dozens of colorful native potatoes are unearthed from dark, fertile soil. Purple, red, pink, yellow, spotted, striped, tinged, oblong, round, knobby, and thin, they are infinite in...
Friday night I jetted from Chile up to the west coast of the US for a quick trip— 9 days--of business and pleasure in the Napa Valley and Portland, Oregon. In tow I had only two small suitcases: a Roller carry-on and my computer bag. Back up to two nights before the...
This Friday, I take off to two of the biggest foodie zip codes in the US (Napa and Portland, woohoo) and it got me thinking about what qualifies, in my mind at least, a place as a “foodie” city. Immediately New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Chicago all spring...
Centaurí Sauvignon Blanc 2009 US$16 Although O.Fournier’s future winery will soon call Lo Abarca home alongside prestigious neighbors like Casa Marin, for the interim as the project takes off, they are making this super fresh Sauvignon Blanc with grapes hailing from...
Energetic. Passionate. Humble. Determined. Frank. Sophisticated and maybe even a little quirky. These are all adjectives I used to describe the wines in my recent tasting of O. Fournier's most recent vintage in Chile. As I scanned over my notes and reflections from...
I am leaning on a faux-marble bar waiting to place my order for a simple cortado, espresso with steamed milk, the Chilean version of a half cappuccino. It is 4:00 p.m. and I am in desperate need of an afternoon caffeine rush to push through the stacks of paper on my...
I was born under the sign of Aquarius, the water bearer, in the middle of a storm of frozen water (snow). Perhaps it was coincidence, but since my appearance in this world, water has been a major protagonist in my life. As a child, I wanted to jump in it, play in it,...
One of my favorite wine books is a memoir written by Lawrence Osborne entitled The Accidental Connoisseur. Filled with insights, humor, and brilliant prose, he brings to life the other side of wine: the people behind the wines. This book closely...
When it comes to pursuit of drinking good wine, sometimes you get lucky enough to stumble upon one of those bottles that hits the price-quality ratio dead on. A wine that year after year gives the same consistency, hovers in the same price range, and has decent...
I want to share this short video documentary (two minutes long) with you guys that a dear friend of mine here in Chile, Jacqueline Fabius, produced. Jacqueline is a gifted photographer, graphic designer, and a budding filmmaker. She's also off in...
Since everybody has Chile in their thoughts this week, why not continue to show your support and throw a Chilean theme dinner party over the weekend? Great idea Liz, but, errr...what should I make? Well, let's do a little primer on Chilean cuisine first and then lay...
Yesterday afternoon I went for a walk. As I walked quietly, I observed the pristine yards in our neighborhood. The mountains turned pink at dusk. On my way home, I saw the first pile of rubble in our area. Images from the south flashed through my mind. Ironically, it...
Yes, you read that correctly. And no, I am not nuts. Let me explain, por favor. While so much of the worldwide media seems intensely focused on the devastation in Chile, please note that many of these images are from the cities of Constitución, Talca, and...
I slept like a baby last night. 10 hours to be exact. I never do that. I awoke at 6:30 am to two soft tremors that rocked the building like a boat. At 8:30 am, it felt like any Sunday morning. Church bells tolled for mass. I was making coffee and then we had a...
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