MW Chile trip in pictures

Day 5: Itata. After a very early flight to Concepción, we began the day with a seminar on Old Vines, including a Pais from a producer called Cacique Maravilla, based in Bio Bio, which the winemaker, Manuel Moraga said was 253 years old, having been registered at his family’s farm back in 1776.

It was then a long bus journey to Guarilihue in Itata, where Leonardo Erazu introduced the MWs to the specifics of the region, comparing his quality classification of the area to the crus of Beaujolais. Erazu has been making wines from ancient vineyards in Itata under the label ‘Rogue Vine’, but is a relative newcomer to the area.

“The first vines were planted here in 1551, and you can find vines that can be over 300 years old, but the area of vines is shrinking as the older people are retiring and the younger generation don’t want to take over,” he said. “There are no tractors here, everything is done by hand or horse, it is very hard work,” he added. 

Producers of the area came out to show the MWs a selection of typical wines from the area, many of them based on Pais, which was introduced to Chile in the 1550s. Today, fewer than 8,000 hectares remain in Chile, although there were more than 15,000ha at the turn of this century.

An early dinner was generously laid on by the producers.

Among the empanadas were options for those with food allergies.

And this was the makeshift loo set up by Leonardo and his team. This visit showed another side to the Chilean wine scene, and made a sharp contrast to the concrete chic of Vik, or Montes-Mallmann meat feast.