(Santiago, Chile)

We travelled to the nearby Maipo Valley today in order to visit a local winery.  We went to the Pérez Cruz winery: I was not previously familiar with it…but it turns out that Canada is its second biggest export market, after the U.K.

This was a very modern facility:  all wood and curving walls.  We went into the cellars to taste some not-yet-aged wine (French oak barrels are generally preferred) before seeing some of the production facilities and finally doing a taste test.  I was very curious about this, as I am not much of a red wine drinker and Pérez Cruz only makes red wine.

We were given samples of three limited-edition/premium red wines:  Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah (Shiraz) and Carménère.  We were also given a plate of various cheeses and crackers.   The idea is that you have a small piece of cheese with each wine.  If either the cheese or the wine is overpowered by the other, it is not a good pairing.  However, if they both retain their flavour, they are complementary.  It was fascinating to eat a strong cheese but not taste it at all because it was overpowered by the wine.  Similarly, some of the cheeses made an objectively bold-tasting wine taste like water.

Much to my surprise, the taste testing confirmed that I enjoyed the Shiraz the most.  It was a little sweeter than the others; we found out later that Shiraz is often chosen by those who actually prefer white wine.  We are learning a lot of unexpected things here in Chile!

After returning to Santiago, we were on our own for the rest of the day.  We decided to find our own lunch at the Mercado Central (“Central Market”).  While this was a little touristy and focused on seafood (see photo at the top of this post), we found another market a few blocks north that catered slightly more to locals.  However, if we wanted to eat, we would have to speak Spanish!  We kept it simple and had a couple of very cheesy empanadas (one with shrimp, one without).  Success!

We then explored Bellavista:  this is known as the “Bohemian and cultural barrio” of Santiago   It was probably more Bohemian than cultural, as our local guide had indeed suggested earlier.   Santiago is much like Toronto in some respects:  although it is a very large city, it is also a collection of neighbourhoods that have their own very strong identities.

While we have enjoyed acclimatizing to Chile in Santiago, the real reasons for our trip to this part of the world still lie ahead.  Our language training continues and we are ready for some exciting outdoor adventures!