Posts by ChrisAndAllison


mendoza wine

Wine thievery in the barrel room.

One of the things that was particularly notable throughout our first trip to Argentina’s Mendoza wine region was the influence of the French. Whether directly through ownership, partnership, or through reputational excellence that wineries in Argentina wanted to emulate, wine producers from Bordeaux have recently invested heavily in the region with some terrific results such as Cheval des Andes. Bodega Catena Zapata managed to forge its own path in the local wine industry by, ironically, revitalizing a French varietal that they thought would flourish in the Mendoza region’s terroir.

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Altair Winery: A Chilean Star

Altair Winery: A Chilean Star


Posted on Jan 29, 2020

Vina San Pedro

The stunning view at Altair.

Altair is a special winery project within the much larger Vina San Pedro, Chile’s second largest winery. The project was formed in 2000 as a joint venture between Vina San Pedro and France’s Laurent Dassault. The idea was to combine some of Chile’s top terroir with top winemaking techniques coming out of Bordeaux to make world class wines from Cabernet Sauvignon dominated blends.

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Viña Santa Rita’s Hotel Casa Real

Viña Santa Rita’s Hotel Casa Real


Posted on Jan 22, 2020

Vina Santa Rita chile

Casa Real Hotel

Chile’s Maipo Valley is home to some of the most recognized wineries in the country. Arguably one of the most famous is Viña Santa Rita which is not only one of the oldest and largest wineries in Chile, it is home to one of the most spectacular hotels we have ever had the pleasure of staying at.

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Syrah: A Primer

Syrah: A Primer


Posted on Jan 15, 2020

Washington Wine

Washington State’s Force Majeure’s Syrah wine.

Syrah, also known as Shiraz (in Australia) is getting on more and more wine consumers’ radars. And for good reason. It can make delicious wine, it has long been a favourite among sommeliers, and is grown in many different regions that result in many different styles. Something for everyone! In this article we hope to give you what you need to know about Syrah, whether as an introduction to the wine or to expand your horizons.

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Chile wine

Concha y Toro’s Icon wine, the Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chile is one of the top 10 wine producing countries in the world and the majority of their wine is made by a handful of wineries. At the top of that list is Concha y Toro with over 1 million litres produced from 15 facilities across the country, along with 1 in Argentina, and 1 in California. While we typically search out small, boutique, artisanal wineries (and we found some gems in Chile), Concha y Toro has proven that size doesn’t always matter when it comes to making high quality wine.

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