CYNfull Living: March 2014

March 2014

SOUTH AMERICA WINE AND FOOD TOUR

We planned this trip and were joined by our brother in law, Tom Ditzler, our son, Dave and his wife Kaitlyn, and our friends and Sunapee neighbors, Harry and Suzanne Tether. Tim Robertson of "Robertson Tours" arranged our itinerary for us. Tim specializes in wine tours in South America and in Italy. Ray discovered Tim online.

Departure March 7th to fly overnight to Santiago, Chile. We checked in to our hotel, Plaza El Bosque Ebro on Saturday morning the 8th.We arrived to a sunny day in the 80s ( what a change from New Hampshire Winter!! ) Dave and Kait arrived from Florida a couple of hours behind us. Dinner that evening was an adventure. David selected "Peumayan": a chef whose specialty is the authentic cuisine of indigenous tribes around Chile. Meats like llama, rabbit, goat and horse, also veggie and fish dishes. Apps were served on a wooden plank. A beautiful setting for dinner, and VERY lively saturday night restaurant scene in that "barrio".

SUNDAY, MARCH 9th was a tour of old town Santiago with our guide, Fanor. Harry and Suzanne joined us for lunch at the hotel and a 4 hour bus/walking tour of this city of 7 million. It is in a valley surrounded by mountains. The costal range to the West, and the Andes to the East. This makes for pollution problems, especially in their Winter months, which are June , July , and August. We walked around the old town for about 1 1/2 hours. Saw the presidential palace, a lot of government buildings, the Plaza de Armes ( which is having all it's central gardens renovated. The old cathedral from 1531,
and the museum of Precolumbian Art. Stopped for coffee and Gelato at 5pm.

The author with a replica of an Easter Island statue outside a Santiago hotel

La Moneda , the Presidential Palace

Santiago from the top of our hotel

Our favorite tourists, Dave and Kaitlyn

7:30 that evening was our wine orientation and first tasting with our guide, Fanor Velasco. Fanor is a retired Chilean wine professional and he knows a LOT about it. He led us through a tasting of 4 CARMENERE wines from the COLCHAGUA VALLEY. The oldest, the 2008 Casa Silva was by far the best. Chile is famous for this varietal.
Then off to dinner at "Nolita" in the Lastratta district. We had a fun and tasty meal in an offbeat, charming place. Back at the hotel, a late night stroll and singing show tunes with David and Suzanne from Annie and My Fair Lady.

MONDAY, MARCH 10th: Day ONE of our wine tour. The CASABLANCA VALLEY..

We started out early to pick up TOM at the airport.Arrived at LOMA LARGA Vineyards for a 10:30 tour. As we go through this blog, I recommend you refer to the websites of any winery that interests you. They are all Unique and have good websites.
Alejandra was our charming guide and taste master. Beautiful building and cellar, with a "living"
roof ( covered with vines) above the aging room with all the barrels. A frost last September did a lot of damage to this years grapes. Very sad. They lost a fair amount. We spent quite a while wandering around on a gorgeous sunny morning enjoying the property. Then a beautiful vertical tasting of their Syrahs with a lovely local cheese to accompany. The 2004 Syrah was the oldest and loved by all.
At the end she gave us a taste of her Cabernet Franc just to compare the 2 varietals.

Kait and Cyn standing on top of the "living Roof" at Loma Larga

Next stop was AMAYNA winery. This one is not open to the public, but Tim managed to get us in not only for a tasting, but for lunch as well. This is a gorgeous facility set up in the hills. We met Francisco, the winemaker, in the reception area and were led through a beautiful barrel storage space to a tasting room. Francisco guided us through a tasting of 7 different wines....The 2009 Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc was rich and still fresh at an age of 5 years... The 2012 Pinot Noir from their estate in the cool climate of Ledya district of the San Antonio Valley was also a favorite.
Then LUNCH in the owners private getaway house set even farther up the hill in a beautiful garden. What a life!!
His chef knows all the traditional recipes and she gave us a tasting of starters including ceviche (amazing.. turned out to be the best on the trip) and light and tasty empanadas. Then a full lunch with roast lamb and veges and salad. The dessert was custard cake with fresh fruits in a watermelon "basket".... fabulous! And this was just the first of many gorgeous lunches at the wineries we visited. It was 4pm by the time we finished lunch and we still had another winery to visit!!!

Amayna and the hills

With Francisco at Amayna

CASA MARIN winery is only 4 km from the Pacific Ocean. A small boutique winery in the San

Antonio valley owned by winemaker Maria Luz Marin. Because of the cool climate there, they specialize in whites. We tasted a delightful barrel aged sauvignon gris wine that was new to all of us.
Nanette was our Dutch guide. Beautiful. We met Maria Luz during our tasting and she conveyed to us her passion for her craft. The 2013 Sauvignon Gris was a surprise to us. This is a varietal we really had not explored. We later enjoyed a bottle of it at NADIA OF Restaurant.

It was a long first day... and we were almost too tired to go out to dinner at " ASTRID Y GASTON "
a fine Peruvian restaurant in Santiago... Glad we made it. Fantastic food with beautiful presentation. We tried a wine from Haras del Pirque winery which we'll visit later. "Character" blend of Cab/ Carmenere/Syrah/Cab Franc.

Fanor , our guide, and Tom at Casa Marin

Day TWO : TUESDAY, MARCH 11th, Wineries of the ACONCAGUA VALLEY

This valley is located just over an hour north of the city.
Our first visit was to ERRAZURIZ,
a larger winery with over 2,000
hectares of land. A beautiful winemaking facility and the area for visitors made me think I was in a very classy and authentic hotel.
We liked the 2011 Don Maximiano,
a Cabernet Sauvignon blend.
They served us a beautiful lunch too!

Lunch at ERRAZURIZ Winery, Smoked Salmon, Lamb with corn cream sauce

This and above shots all at ERRAZURIZ

Our second and final visit for the day was at VINA VON SIEBENTHAL winery. In 1998, a Swiss Attorney decided to indulge in his passion for wine and good weather, and he bought 32 hectares of gorgeous land in the valley. He now owns a boutique winery there. We visited and tasted 2 very fine wines made there. Montelig 2008 and Toknar 2008, 100% Petete Verdot. Both REALLY lovely reds. We are short on photos of this winery, so recommend the website. It was a very nice one!

That evening Tom, Ray and I had dinner at a Santiago Seafood restaurant called Puerto Fuy. Wonderful outdoor patio atmosphere with torches and tropical plants. Our best dish was Rays Black Chilean Sea Bass. Amazing! Dave and Kait ate at a Japanese Restaurant, Osaka, in the W hotel.
They LOVED the Sushi there.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 12th : DAY 3: WINES OF THE MAIPO VALLEY......

I stayed in the room today to rest up, but the rest of our intrepid group carried on. First stop was AQUATANIA winery. Highlight was a 2006 "Lazuli" Cab.

Dave and Kait at Aquitania tasting

David is taking a sommelier course with his colleague at Disney... He is getting SO much out of this trip as he embarks
on a study of "New World" wines. Looks like he's having fun too.

Then on to HARAS DEL PIRQUE winery. Set on the lower slopes of the Andes mountains, this
stunning place combines Eduardo Matte's passion for wine and horses. In 1991, he launched a major winery project on his existing thoroughbred breeding farm. The farm today houses 4 stallions and about 200 mares and foals along with 600 hectares of vines. Among the wines tasted was the 2009
"Character" Cab blend. A standout.

An orientation to the Haras property

A glorious estate.....

The main entrance...... Haras del Pirque

The tasting....... never too much wine to taste!

Lunch was at SANTA RITA winery.

At table with our guide, Fanor, at Santa Rita

Lavendar field at Santa Rita

Last stop ( this was a big day) was ANTIYAL winery. This was a very small operation, and the winemaker/owner is very focus on working with the soil , very organic.

Discussion of Biodynamic growing methods with Antiyal guide

Making new friends!

Dinner on Wednesday night was at a famous restaurant in Santiago called "BORAGO"..... a famous chef and an outstanding tasting menu. We all loved it. Harry and Suzanne were dining alone that night. It was our last night in Santiago....

THURSDAY, MARCH 13th: Day 4.... Travel to ARGENTINA

We all got up early to catch a 1 hour flight over the ANDES MOUNTAINS to get to MENDOZA,
ARGENTINA to spend the next 4 days exploring the wineries and restaurants of the famous Mendoza valley.... I won't talk too much about the fiasco Ray and I had to deal with because I lost track of our entry papers for Argentina, but thanks to Ray's heroic effort to get them reprinted at the airport, we made the flight. I lost a lot of points that morning.

Banco in Mendoza

Outside the Park Hyatt hotel in Mendoza

We met our new guide, Augustina Ronchi, at the airport and travelled directly to lunch in our coach with all our bags. The CAVAS WINE LODGE is a Relais & Chateau country hotel with a rustic and delicious restaurant. We all ordered from the menu and tasted our first Argentinian wines there. A highlight was the 2008 Bondara Reserva. That was a varietal we saw very little of, but this was a delicious example.

Approaching Cavas

The entrance to Cavas

A Friendly chat on a country road

The beauty of ordering a la carte. Ray's dish above is almond gazpacho

After lunch, by then it was almost 3pm, we drove to KAIKEN WINERY..... in the LUJAN de CUYO
VALLEY. We enjoyed a long tasting of 7 wines including a very nice 2008 "Icon" wine called MAI,
and a really lovely sparkling wine as well. Then we went for a stroll through the vines admiring the gorgeous roosters that were wandering around the vineyard. Our hostess took us past a block of vines to show us a trench dug there to give us a cross-section of the "terroir" and let us appreciate the layers and texture of the soil. That was different.

On the road to KAIKEN

Almost harvest time

Our hotel in Mendoza was the Park Hyatt, whack includes 2 restaurants, a spa, and a casino. David loves Black Jack and Kait the slots, so they were super excited about this hotel. We were pleased to learn there is a vintage car rally going on in town and based in our hotel! Fun to see all the beautiful old cars parked outside as we walked to our first dinner at AZAFRAN RESTAURANT. This place was TONS of FUN for all of us as we got a private table in the WINE room. The walls in this room were lined with all the wines that the restaurant served. Our room WAS the wine list of the place. Ray selected a beautifully aged gem from the rack... a 2007 Kinien Malbec from Bodega Ruca Malen.
We had a big lazy susan in the center of our round table and we had a tapas style dinner with lots of shared plates. and of course several wines!! Ceviche, empanadas, salads, pasta, desserts. It went on and on...

Our table in the "Wine list" room at Azafran in Mendoza

FRIDAY, MARCH 14TH: DAY 5...

This day started out rainy and cleared to gorgeous by late morning Dave and Kait were not with us today. They stayed in to rest and dry out! We arrived at our first winery, ACHAVAL FERRER WINERY at 11am with Agustina. It was a larger and very busy tasting area. Our guy was Nicholas, and he led us through a tasting of some EXCELLENT wines. The 2010 "Temporis" was 100% Malbec and only sold at the winery... We bought several bottles and he arranged to ship them for us. MALBEC is the famous wine from this region, and they had some great ones.

Next stop was a much smaller and more rustic winery run by an Italian called MENDEL WINERY.
The first thing Ray and I notices was a sign by a block of Malbec vines that said "1928". We learned from our guide Mariela, that that was when those vines were really planted!! We tasted 4 wines : a
2013 Semillion, a 2010 Malbec "Finca Remota", and a Malbec blend, and their top wine, a premium Malbec from the Uco Valley where the soil is perfect for this wine. We bought about 4 bottles here! The importer in the US is "Vine Connection".....

We really liked our guide, Mariela at Mendel

She gave a really good presentation, and talked about phyloxera, the terrible infestation and how it was dealt with

At 2:15 we headed to MELIPAL WINERY for lunch. I Highly recommend this place for lunch if you go to Mendoza wineries ever!!! It was WonDERful!!!! We had a 2010 "Nazarenas" Vineyard Reserve Malbec here.... The winery was gorgeous and the restaurant tops!! Our best lunch so far. 5 beautiful courses paired with wines. AND the vintage cars drove by
as part of their rally!

Car Rally through MELIPAL during our lunch.... what a treat!

One of many lovely dishes

Lunch at MELIPAL .. it was a gorgeous tasting menu. Steak for the main, and Tom and I had mushroom croquettes with a vegetarian flair. Dave and Kait were not with us that day. They needed a day off from feasting.

Back at the hotel, we relaxed by the pool and wandered around town a bit. Our mission was to buy Pesos at a good rate of exchange. The park in the late afternoon sunlight was so lovely.

Dinner was at Nadia OF Restaurant in another town called Chacras do Coria. I stayed in. Lunch was Plenty for me! But the other 6 of our group stayed with the program! They enjoyed a bottle of Casa Marin's Sauvignon Gris there. Remember Casa Marin? And a 2012 O Fournier "B-Crux" Sauvignon Blanc.

SATURDAY MARCH 15th: DAY 6

Breakfast at the Park Hyatt.... a fancy cappuccino for Ray

We headed South to the UCO Valley. Another GORGEOUS Mendoza morning. Chilly, but with the
promise of a warm, sunny afternoon.

Our first stop was PULENTA ESTATE. The Andes Mountains were at their most dramatic so far from theentrance to Pulenta. We all got out of Leonardo's bus to take photos and gaze in awe at this towering and majestic mountain range. There was a long table set up for us in the reception area with huge glass windows everywhere so we never lost touch with the "terroir" and the mountains. They had some very nice Malbecs and blends. In Argentina, they often blend Malbec with Cabernet, Merlot, and Petit Verdot grapes. This place had a really delicious 2010 "XI"100% Cabernet Franc, which we hadn't found anywhere else. Dave bought a bottle to take home. We also enjoyed a "VII" Grand Corte ( a Malbec/Cab/Merlot blend).

Andes from Pulenta

Amazing Mendoza Landscape

The Reception and tasting room

Next stop was DOMAINE DE BOSQUET WINERY. This one has French owners, but is now run by Argentinians. There is an amazing old double door at the entrance to the winemaking room from Carcassonne, France. So large, I can't imagine the shipping process. We tasted on a patio looking out at the Andes, and then wandered around the property.

Bosquet landscape

Lunch stop was at an amazing place called O. FOURNIER WINERY..... Fabulous lunch wines included their 2009 "B-Crux" vino Tino, a blend of Malbec, Tempranillo, and Touriga National which is an unusual blend for Argentina! Also the 2006 "Alfa-Crux", a Tempranillo/ Malbec blend. The wines and the meal were excellent!! Glorious tour of the facility afterwards. David sang opera in the barrel room. It had a huge echo and made his glorious booming baritone voice sound bigger than life!
If Dave ever gets tired of his chef gig, he can be a professional singer!

One of the buildings at O Fournier Estate

Dinner that evening was at 1884 RESTAURANT in Mendoza. Owner Frances Mallman has now moved on to his other properties. This place was visually stunning with a lovely outdoor courtyard complete with open grill and tables. Nice food, but not up to our expectations given the reputation.
A standout wine was the 2007 Cuvelier los Andes: Malbec/Cab/Merlot blend.

SUNDAY, MARCH 16th: Day 7

We checked out of the Park Hyatt Hotel and loaded our coach. Set off for DOMAINE ST. DIEGO
WINERY. This one is a small family owned and run property. Truly a hidden gem! We all fell in love
with the place: the vines, olive trees, and intimacy of the place. Our guide Laura, the owner's daughter, gave us a great tour and explained in detail the technical aspects of their approach to pruning and training the vines. Everybody ate it up! Then we took a long stroll through the vineyard
on a glorious morning with loads of photos and pleasant moments. On the patio, we tasted the ELEA Sparkling Rose, made from 100% Malbec grown in the shade of the olive trees... higher acidity is great for sparkling wines. Then a 2010 "Paradigm", a blend of Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon/ Cabernet Franc grown on the hot hillside. Also a 2009 "Pura Sangre", a Malbec/ Cab blend aged 24 months in oak.....
They make olive oil too and we tasted and purchased quite a bit...

We took a long stroll through the St. Diego vineyard to inspect and observe all the olive trees

Laura's hybrid vines

Harry really got into our tasting.....

The neighborhood church near St. Diego

On to our lunch adventure at DOMINIO DEL PLATA WINERY... This one is owned by Susana Balbo, who is also the head winemaker. There was a beautiful restaurant on the property and our tasting lunch was fantastic. We had to say goodbye to Dave and Kait after lunch as they were heading to the airport to return to Orlando and work.....

Approaching Dominio del Plata

Tom at Dominio del Plata lunch with Anna, the owner's daughter

Ray captured this painting on the restaurant wall. So Spanish!

Our last wine tour stop was at COBOS WINERY. Our guide, Sophia, gave us a tasting of 4 of their
Malbecs and blends. then we bought a bottle of their best reserve wine to taste and take with us
to enjoy at our next stop.

Before leaving Mendoza, we took a little tour around the area. We visited a large city park with a lake
and many local families enjoying their Sunday. Then to the monument to St. Martin, who led the army that liberated Argentina, Chile, and Peru from the Spaniards in the 1600s.

St. Martin's monument

That evening we arrived at The ALGODON MANSION in BUENOS AIRES.....
Tom, Harry, Suzanne, Ray and I flew together, but Harry and Suzanne went to visit their friends in the city. Ray, Tom and I did Buenos Aires together.

I FELL into bed that night just exhausted, and slept until after 10am Monday morning.

MONDAY, MARCH 17th.......

We wandered the neighborhood in search of pesos.... it's a great shopping area "El Recoleta"..

Sculpture near Piegarai, our lunch spot.

Lunch was at a great local Italian restaurant, Piegarai. Then a stroll back with stops in the local shops. Dinner was a really fine experience at Herman Gipponi in the Fierro Hotel. On Monday nights, the chef does a "One Table" dining experience for about 20 people.
A very convivial group, and a fantastic meal. 8 Courses! We took lots of photos of the food with our phones....
Some of the courses:
Burrata cheese/pear and onion preserves/peanuts/greens
grilled prawns ( wow!)
Creamy rice/sweetbreads/mushrooms/leek/onion
Lamb Butt/sweet potato/manioc/homemade ketchup
Roasted plums/cocoa cookies/lemon ice cream

We rolled home... should have gone dancing!

TUESDAY, MARCH 18th..... Started with breakfast with Tom at a local institution under a huge gum tree near our Hotel, LA BIELA CAFE.... it was cool to finish breakfast at 11am! We decided this was living!

Congratulations Ray! A perfect BA photo!!! We will see more of the dog walkers. This is a big profession in BA

La Biela.... The guy next to the red post is a statue

This was a common sight all around La Recoleta

After La Biela, we visited the Famous "CEMETERIO DE LA RECOLETA", which was just across the way. I
recommend that you google this place to read about it. It resembles "Pere Lachaise Cemetery" in Paris only without
the country charm. This is wall to wall tombs in various states of repair.

Tom and Cyn At La Recoleta Cemetary/ happy to be the visitors!

Eva Peron " Evita" died at the age of 30. She is a goddess in Argentina. She is buried here in her
family tomb.

This little boy angel was stunning! See the sadness on his face.

The church next to La Recoleta Cemetery

Our next stop was a leather store called "Maybe". We selected a beautiful suede for Chris... Tom's wife and my sister.
She had to stay back home and run the business, so she deserved something nice. Hope you like it , sis.
I found a nice wine colored jacket.... a perfect souvenir from this trip!

Lunch a little later was at a Japanese place called DOSHI.... nice to enjoy Asian food and a BEER!

Doshi lunch

Our last stop that day was the famous Teatro del Colon. This famous opera house in Buenos Aires
was completely restored and cleaned. It is now a sight to behold. We took the guided tour after a mean cappuccino in the coffee shop.