From the perspective of a North American, I am always giddy with delight by the cultural differences and how much I love Vendimia. For example:

In the parades, each float, hence each queen, represents a different fruit/vegetable/wine which they throw into the crowds during the Via Blanca and Carusel parades through the streets of Mendoza. Imagine flying melons!

The queens seeming obsession with blue makeup, and possibly 80’s metal band hairstyles

You should definitely not miss the billboards of each of the regions queens- classic Olan Mills pin up girls

The plaza festivals- full of music, food, and fun

The Vendimia festival- a perfect excuse for 3 days of fireworks, not to mention the Vendimia show itself.

This year they have already crowned the queen from the Santa Rosa Province, the lovely reina, or queen, below. It is a bit like the Miss America pagent for those familiar with the roles and selection process. For more information check out this article in Spanish from Diario Los Andes.

Now comes the hard part- the real grape harvest!

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This is an update from Liz Caskey who is based in Santiago, Chile

Eatwineblog.com

Dear Friends and Family,

I want to truly thank you for your continued support during these tough times in Chile. It has been so wonderful to hear from you all through calls and e-mail as Chile deals with the aftermath of the quake. We appreciate your prayers and thoughts.

To give you an update, now 5 days from Saturday’s devastating events, things in Santiago are thankfully normal, as in much of the country. As you know, with Chile’s long geography, the majority of the country is functioning perfectly normal with the exception of the affected areas within 100 miles of the Concepción area and the coastline hit by the tsunami. While the news images continue to show looting, please know that the military, Red Cross, and many volunteers have already arrived with food, water, and aid. Electricity and communications are being restored as we speak to these areas. This Friday, there is a huge drive, Teletón, raise millions of dollars to provide temporary housing for every family who lost their home. There is a sense of real solidarity here. The of light of hope has appeared for these people. The next huge step is reconstruction.

The wine industry here did suffer some serious losses of inventory and damage to facilities, mostly in the regions of the Maule, Curicó, and some areas of Colchagua. Others escaped completely unscraped. I will be posting later this week with a full update since many of you have asked. It is a complex situation since harvest is due to start any day and vintners trying to manage where they will make the 2010 vintage in some cases.

Many of you have also requested information on how you can contribute to the rebuilding efforts in Chile. Beyond the Red Cross, which is for aiding relief efforts, we suggest these three ways.

1.   Travel to Chile

If you have traveled to Chile, have a trip scheduled here, or know people that do, please encourage friends, family, and colleagues to still come. Refer them to my blog, where I directly addressed this issue yesterday. The images the media is “exporting” and messages the US State Department issuing are harmful for the country in the long term and can impact its tourism. The information they are providing is simply not accurate since many people do not understand the country’s geography and where the quake is contained. They stick all of Chile in the disaster boat and this is completely false. Chile is operative and normal in ALL areas minus the above-mentioned affective area. We have had clients on wine tours this week and heading to points in Patagonia with zero problems or alterations. Don’t let TV paranoia ruin what makes Chile so wonderful. Help spread the word.

2.   Support Local Business & Reconstruction

Our business has started a direct initiative to support a local non-profit foundation with a school and organic farm we visit with our tours to channel funds to families affected by the quake both locally and in the south. We are donating a significant portion of the proceeds from our Eat Wine Santiago guide, a food & drink e-guide to the capital. Please help our efforts by purchasing this e-guide. Ask your family and friends to help too. Even if you/they don’t plan on coming to Santiago, Eat Wine Santiago includes a great wine list, insight into Chile’s food/wine culture, will directly contribute to reconstruction efforts in Chile, and seriously, costs less than a dinner for one or a bottle of decent wine. We also will be offering free updates for the first two editions for friends, family, and colleagues who may have Chile on the horizon in the future. Click here for more information.

Please feel free to e-mail me directly at liz@lizcaskey.com with any questions you may have.

Un abrazo cariñoso,

Liz & Team

TO DONATE

For those in the US or Northern Hemisphere click here for options and agencies like the Red Cross. Or just text from your phone:

The Mobile Giving Foundation has launched a text messaging campaign for micro donations, and the four major U.S. mobile carriers, Verizon, At&T, Sprint and T-mobile, have waived text messaging fees for donations.

1. Text the word “CHILE” to 25383 to donate $10 on behalf of the Habitat for Humanity

2. Text the word “CHILE” to 20222 to donate $10 on behalf of World Vision

3. Text the word “CHILE” to 52000 to donate $10 on behalf of the Salvation Army

4. Text the word “CHILE” to 85944 to donate $10 on behalf of International Medical Corp. that include texting from your phone

If you are in Mendoza/ Si esta en Mendoza y quiere donar:

Cómo hacer para colaborar con los damnificados , según lo que dicen los
diarios.

13:04 | Mendoza | Enterate de los puntos de recolección y los números de
cuenta donde podés ayudar desde Mendoza.
02 de marzo de 2010

El ministro de Desarrollo Humano y Comunidad, Carlos Ciurca, informó esta
mañana que dentro de pocos días partirán los primeros camiones hacia Chile
con los elementos aportados por la comunidad de Mendoza. Además, viajarán 15
rescatistas y un médico.

Las formas de colaborar son varias: con ropa de invierno, frazadas, carpas,
agua o alimentos no perecederos, además de dinero.

Puntos de recolección de elementos, alimentos y agua:
Gran Mendoza: Ministerio de Seguridad: Salta 672 de Godoy Cruz, 8 a 18.
San Rafael: Libertador 47, sede administrativa del Gobierno de Mendoza.
Malargüe: Ruta 40 y Jorge Newbery, sede de Gendarmería Nacional.

Para donar dinero:
En pesos: Cuenta del Banco Regional de Cuyo Nº 11801900020638.
En dólares: Cuenta del Banco Regional de Cuyo Nº 11803800020105.

También se puede donar a
http://www.untechoparachile.cl

esta bueno porque se puede hacer con tarjeta de crédito que es mas fácil para todos.
http://www.cruzroja.cl

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND ARTICLES

Chile Says Rebuilding May Cost Tens of Billions of Dollars- New York Times

Quake stops production for biggest Chile winemaker- Associated Press

Chilean Wine Industry Damaged by Quake- The Pour NYT

Powerful Earthquake Rocks Chilean Wine Industry- Wine Spectator

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Here are the results and cooking commentary from Langdon:

Salmon Tartare

The idea with the food pairings is to bring out the natural tropical fruit and citrus flavors and to offer a counterpoint to the crisp acidity of the wine with something sweeter and creamier

I added soy and two different citrus flavors (lemon and lime – both the juice and the rind) – this will highlight the aromatic tropical flavors – adding the sweetness of cucumbers and the creaminess of avocado should even out the acidic finish of the wine and harmonize the pairing – that is the theory.

Wine Winner: without spicy sauce Mairena Sauvignon Blanc, with spicy sauce Puleta Chardonnay

Beer Battered Coconut Shrimp

By deep frying the shrimp in a coconut beer batter we are adding the sweetness of the coconut and shrimp and cutting the acidity of the wine with some fat.  the dipping sauce is slightly creamy, sweet, sour, tart, pungent, and spicy at the same time which should theoretically enhance the tropical notes of the wine and balance out the acity as well.  am looking forward to this one.

Wine Winner: Las Perdices Pinot Grigio

And for the rest of you we challenge you to do your own parings with this succulent selection! Send us your Malbec, Malbec blend or varietal selection that you think would be best!- emily@vinesofmendoza and langdoty@gmail.com

Curry Porkchops with Strawberry Pineapple Salsa

the curry will be subtle but will harmonize with the sweet pork and, with its many spices, it should pop the fruit out of the wine. the salsa should explode the fruit of the wine with its sweet tart pineapple strawberry notes and, blended with the richness of the pork should really round out the wine

lets see what happens!

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El proyecto vitivinícola inmobiliario del Valle de Uco está listo para producir 50.000 botellas en el 2010. Elaborarán en la bodega que inaugurarán en marzo.

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So to give you a little background- 1337 Wine is your leet wine resource-a journey of expanding and improving the palette palate and nose. Wines reviewed are typically $10 or less and is a good resource for study material for those looking to delve much deeper into wine, spirits, beer, cigars, and service – everything the aspiring Sommelier needs. Mark is studying to be a sommelier so if you ever thought about going through with your wine dreams or just want to be about to spout “Sommy” vocabulary at adept points in dinner and cocktail parties, you can follow along and get a real time version of the experience.
Here he explains the concept and what a Leet is- “leet speak” (aka elite speak) numbers can be used to represent letters. In this case, 1 = L, 3 = E, 7 = T – LEET. If you watch Episode 1 I briefly explain what happened. Here I will go into a little more depth. I saw a wine bottle at an angle that had “337″ on it. I thought it might have been “1337.” Unfortunately it was just 337. So I decided that to call a wine 1337 would be epic and geeks from far and wide would buy it. I immediately went to Go Daddy to buy that domain. For a couple months I tried to figure out what I was going to do with this domain. The idea of doing wine reviews came to mind since it would be a long time before I could afford to create 1337 as a wine. I then remembered that I was also going to do a blog called “Sommelier in Training.” That never got off the ground. So here you see all my wine website ideas in one place. Hopefully, one day, you will be able to buy 1337 Wine in a store near you. Until then……”

So thank you Mark for your reviews- we look forward to more from you!

2007 Monteagrelo Syrah- 91 point range

“Sweet with some smokiness…its real interesting. Earthiness, with dusty, dirty and fruit.”

2006 Bressia Profundo-90 points

“smooth, real silky, cherries, chocolate, an elegant wine…a wine I could just sit and drink this wine”

2005 Urraca Familia Langley- 93 points

“Outstanding- there is a ton of stuff going on”

“Dust,chocolate, sweetness from red fruits…it just feels juicy.”

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However over the last two years or so, Mendocinos are opening up- we now have 3 sushi restaurants, rather shocking to be honest. But food tends to go hand in hand with fine wine, so now we are starting to see more interesting food creations.

SECRET SUPPER CLUB?

One of The Vines friends and sometimes videographer, Langdon Doty, has witnessed this transformation and would like to take it one step further- a secret supper club! At various times during the month he will put on an amazing impromptu gourmet meal for tourists and locals alike based on different wines and his creative culinary whims.

I suggested that he test his skills with the wines we tasted at last night’s winemaker night with Finca Sophenia (http://www.sophenia.com/).  This is what he came up with and my mouth is already watering, I can’t wait for the actual meal!

For more information about the Mendoza Supper Club or for any of these recipes contact Langdon at langdoty@gmail.com

FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS

Finca Sophenia Synthesis Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Tasting Notes: (Robert Parker: 90 points)
The unoaked 2007 Synthesis Sauvignon Blanc is medium straw-colored, it offers up a sophisticated aromatic array of citrus, melon and tropical fruits. On the palate it has considerable complexity, good balancing acidity, and a refreshing finish.

Appetizer:

• Tuna Tartare with avocado, cucumbers, chives, sesame seeds and a citrus soy dressing

Main Course:

• Grilled Pork Chops with pineapple mint mango salsa
• Coconut Battered Shrimp with spicy horseradish mustard sauce

____________________________________________

Finca Sophenia ‘Synthesis’ Malbec – 2007

Tasting Notes: (Robert Parker: 90 points)
Saturated purple-colored with a nose of violets, smoke, black cherry and blueberry that jumps from the glass. Medium-bodied, layered, and smooth-textured, the wine has excellent depth, good balance, and a pure finish. Give it 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2011 to 2020.

Appetizer:

• Parmesan and Cashew Polpette with Malbec dipping sauce

Main Course:

• Grilled Lavender Crusted Rib Eye with black cherry glaze and gorgonzola mashed potatoes
• Rack of Lamb with coriander crust, with a plum demiglace and sauteed pears and fennel

_______________________________________________

Finca Sophenia Synthesis The Blend 2007

Tasting Notes:

Deep and intense ruby red color with violets dyes.
It shows a great aromatic intensity of ripe red and black fruits, blended with spicy and mineral notes like black pepper and eucalyptus. Its long ageing in French oak shines elegant smoked aromas of vanilla, tobacco and chocolate.
It is sweet and generous in the entry and of complete and concentrated palate. It shows mature and voluminous tannins.
Its mineral and fruity sensations venture a wine of great longevity, elegance and finesse.
We suggest decanting for at least twenty minutes before serving.
Appetizers:

• Truffle Oil Crostini with prosciutto, Fresh Figs, Blue Cheese, and watercress

Main Course:

• Grilled duck breast with a herb de provence dry rub and blackberry gravy on smoked mozzarella polenta
• Truffle stuffed quails with spicy dried cherries and wild mushroom flan

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In 2004 Michael Evans bought a ticket from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires. He had suffered two recent traumas: the end of his six-year marriage and the failure of John Kerry’s presidential campaign, on which he had slaved for four months. “I was physically and emotionally fried,” says Evans, 44, up to that point a peripatetic business and political consultant. Time for a makeover.

Evans restored his juices in Mendoza, in the foothills of the Andes. He discovered a new career: vine renting. His five-year-old company, Vines of Mendoza, manages a 1,046-acre Argentinean vineyard on behalf of casual winemakers who would rather do the quaffing and let others handle the pruning.

Each owner pays Evans $55,000 an acre for a planted vineyard. Beginning in the third year, owners pay cost plus 25% for a slew of services. Pruning, mowing and irrigation come to $1,500 per acre; harvesting, $114 per acre. Evans will also ferment, bottle and distribute the wine, leaving owners to focus on fun stuff like choosing a name and designing a label. In a good year you can get 250 cases of Malbec from an acre of grapevines.

To entertain visiting investors and lure new ones, Evans converted an old Spanish Colonial house into a tasting room and built a wine store and bar, featuring 100 Argentinean varieties, in the Park Hyatt Mendoza. The surrounding area isn’t shabby, either. In October Seattle technology executive Michael Brochu and his wife rode horses to survey their 5-acre plot tended by Evans. They stayed overnight in a nearby stone casita, ate steak at an Argentinean barbecue and put back a lot of wine. “I can’t say I’ve had as much fun with any other investment,” gushes Brochu. Evans is having fun, too. Last year Vines of Mendoza generated $3.7 million in revenue, down 30% from 2008. About 80% came from selling the plots.

Launching a wine empire was a huge leap for Evans, who had bounced around for 20 years working political campaigns, doing business development for a few technology startups and running the foundation arm of the trade group for the wireless-communication industry. When Kerry lost in 2004, Evans was renting an apartment in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and most of his belongings were in storage. On a whim he met up with David Garrett, an old friend, in Buenos Aires. The pair took a wine-tasting class, and their instructor suggested they look up wine expert Pablo Gimenez-Riili, who gave them a tour of his family’s vineyard in Mendoza. “A lightbulb went off,” recalls Evans. “The combination made me think that Mendoza is Napa Valley 35 years ago.”
Evans and Garrett rented a house for $400 a month and came up with a business plan. They decided to open a tasting room featuring Argentinean wines, a hotel and a mail-order business that would ship Argentinean wine from a Napa Valley, Calif. warehouse to buyers in the U.S. and Europe. In six months they raised $260,000 from family and friends. Evans kicked in $85,000 in savings and credit card debt; in lieu of putting up his own money, Garrett agreed to work for free while he ate into his savings. “I was all in,” says Evans, who took Spanish lessons for an hour a day. “My advice is to invest enough of your own money that it hurts.”

Selling somebody else’s wine was fun, but Evans really wanted to make his own. That would require capital, so the twosome worked the phones for up to 14 hours a day, mailing articles about Mendoza and Argentinean wine to prospects. “Raising money is hard, especially when you’re sitting in a lawn chair in Argentina talking to people about a business that doesn’t exist in a place they’ve never seen,” says Evans. “We had to get through hundreds of noes before we could get to one yes.”
Fifteen months later Evans and Garrett had rustled $2.9 million from 59 angel investors, who put in $5,000 to $400,000 apiece. They used the money to buy the land and to build the tasting room. Twelve of the investors also bought units in the co-op. Of 100 plots between 3 and 18 acres apiece, 32 remain for sale. (Evans owns 20 acres.) Owners can buy the land only if they agree to plant grapes on it. Once a plot is sold Vines of Mendoza sends the buyer a case of unmarked wine. The owners sample it, then consult with Santiago Achaval, Evans’ chief winemaker, about their likes and dislikes. Based on that conversation, Achaval helps them pick which of the 14 available grape varieties to plant.

Prepping a vineyard isn’t cheap. Evans spent $300,000 for a well and an irrigation system, $30,000 to install underground power lines (to avoid spoiling the views) and $285,000 for 250,000 grape plants, half of which came from Italy in refrigerated containers. Then the partners had to clear the brush from the virgin desert ground and put in roads to get to it. (In the early months they spent $15 a day to rent horses from a gaucho, who would meet them on the side of the road and take them to the vineyard.) By the fall of 2007 planting had begun.

To protect against flash floods, Evans built “water defenses”–dirt canals with 16 feet of soil piled up behind them. As for the random hail storms that can strike nearly all year round, Evans’ plan is to pray. “The collective wisdom among local winemakers is that it doesn’t make sense to buy insurance,” he says. “Even if you get hit with hail, the worst thing you lose is production for one year.”

The biggest casualty of Evans’ second act thus far has been his partnership with Garrett. The twosome, friends for 17 years, clashed over fundamental strategy: Garrett wanted to focus on the tasting room and the mail-order businesses, which he thought were more stable, while Evans was enamored of the private vineyard. But there were deeper issues. While Evans loved the rural life in Mendoza, meeting friends for five-hour-long barbecues and taking midday siestas, Garrett grew antsy for the bustle of Buenos Aires. “After six months of working together everyone knew that [Evans] would be in Mendoza for life,” says Garrett. “Selfishly, I like to build things, but I don’t like to manage them.”

Garrett also sweated over how he would get his money out of the company. “Michael wanted it to be a business that would be around forever, and Pablo wanted to be a part of something that would make him and his family proud in their hometown,” he adds. Garrett left in March 2008 to return to Buenos Aires. He remains the company’s third-largest shareholder and owns a 4-acre vineyard called Bleeding Heart. Garrett has visited Mendoza several times since he left, and he’ll be joining Evans to celebrate the vineyard’s first harvest in March. Says Evans: “When Dave moved, the hole wasn’t only on the business side. A good friend of mine wasn’t in Mendoza anymore.”

In December 2008 Evans opened the Vines Wine Bar & Vinoteca on the first floor of the Park Hyatt Mendoza. With any luck, the first harvest–reaped from 110 acres planted in 2007–will yield roughly 200,000 bottles of wine. Evans expects to turn his first profit this year.

“I’m back to working six and a half days a week,” crows Evans. “But it’s a feeling of wanting to go to work, not having to go to work.”

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