Yesterday evening, I needed to blow off steam from the office and went out for my favorite vuelta, walk, around Parque Forestal from the Fine Arts museum to Plaza Italia and back. Earlier that afternoon, it had been an infierno outside but now, as the...
My casero at La Vega takes the time to shell kilos upon kilos of cranberry bean. She always greets me with a hearty smile. I landed last Tuesday, on my birthday, in Chile. Since I moved to Chile over twelve years ago, one of the things I relish every...
Before moving to Chile, now over twelve years ago!, January used to be the biggest drag. Bleak, cold, gray days that I had to endure until spring. My birthday at the end of the month was always accompanied by a blizzard. Not being a cold weather person, it was...
Imagine this. Twelve dramatically different wine valleys packed into a 1,000 mile north to south mid-section of the country, no more than 100 miles or so wide at any point. Vineyards sit in the piedmont with jagged, snowcapped peaks cutting into the sky. Others...
Chile is really carving a niche out for itself with its white wines. Every year, they just get better and better with Sauvignon Blanc blazing the path. Long gone is the style of the over-oaked, caramel-laden Chardonnay. That is so California. So 1990s. Chilean...
The air is heavy, humid and so full of oxygen it feels weighted. In the distance, bolts of lighting make contact with earth and a stormy breeze ruffles the palms. There's a scent of grilled meat perfuming the air. Next to the river, dozens of street food...
I love bubbly. Any kind. Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Sparkling wines from California, Argentina, Chile, etc. etc. If you asked me what would be my preferred wine to pair with food for the rest of my life it would be (good) bubbly. What never bores me with...
Love yoga? Love wine? Love Nature? We do. If you find it hard to get back into your fitness and healthy eating routine post holidays, we have some inspiration for you. January may be cold and dreary, but it's summer in Chile! Break out of the winter...
Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon is, quite frankly, a rock star grape here. This late-ripening grape was brought from France in the mid-1800s, and quickly adapted to the Mediterranean climate, flourishing in vineyards in the Central Valley like the Maipo,...
Sorry I have been somewhat desparecida as of late. Between numerous work trips in South America, we’ve been hunkering down to finish our brand new website. After months of designing, writing, editing, and programming; we are super psyched to debut the revamped...
Out of the whole year, September is my favorite month. Early spring. The Andes gleam with white snow. The first wild flowers dot the vineyards as the buds break on the vines. The almond and plum trees decorate the valley floor with white and pink...
Think that Uruguay is all about Tannat? Only Reds? Think again. This summer, we sipped away on astoundingly good local whites while traveling in country from everybody’s favorite zinger, Sauvignon Blanc, to some quirky ones like Albariño and Sauvignon Gris....
This Saturday, my husband and I went out to the tapas bar at the Ritz Carlton Santiago called Arola. Arola is the new-ish project of Spanish Michelin-starred chef, Sergi Arola, from Barcelona. The new debut has gone hand-in-hand with an unveiling of the Ritz's new...
I have been holding out on you guys a little. I took off on a trip to Uruguay without a peep. Sorry about that. We got wrapped up in the beach, grape harvest, scouting new artisan cheese makers near Colonia for our tours. Every time I visit Uruguay, I come home...
Yesterday I turned 35. For many years, I always felt I had to do something to celebrate my birthday. Trips to Buenos Aires, the beaches of Uruguay, parties on terraces, etc. etc. Perhaps it was because for most of my life before I moved to South America, my...
Summer is the best. I wait all year for this season in Chile. Hot, dry sunshine-filled days that feel like a loving hug. The nights still dip into the mid-50s and there's light until 9pm. At 4pm, it can feel hot but find a shady tree, and that balmy summer breeze...
December. Again. This year, the months passed as if they were weeks, but it has been awesome. Busy. Productive. Fun. I´m always in favor of New Year’s resolutions and defining my yearly goals to achieve, but before setting off on that exercise, I take a moment to...
Yesterday, I finally broke down and bought a fake, plastic (pine) Christmas tree. Four days before Christmas and fittingly on our summer equinox in the Southern hemisphere. Many of you wrote me that Christmas is not Christmas without a tree. I agree....
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