Soon our itinerary takes us to the Colchagua Valley—a
two-hour drive south of Santiago—where we stand
under the watchful eye of the Andes Mountains. The
sky is a brilliant blue, a marked contrast from the rich
greens of the olive groves stretching around us for
acres. After walking through the virdidian aisles, olive
oil maker Carlos Guerrero of Diaz Guerrero gives us
an intimate tasting of his farm’s varietals. A blend of
Frantoio and Leccino olives is mild and restrained,
while one made with Picual olives has a smooth, nutty
start and a peppery finale.
Our host invites us across the road to his countryside
casa for a homespun breakfast that makes for one of
the most impressive meals of the trip. On his white
cloth–covered dining room table, he lays out a basket
of warm, coffee bean–shaped marraqueta bread,
chopped mild green chiles languishing in a pool of
olive oil, soft white cheese, and scrambled farm eggs as
yellow as sunflowers. Pile the latter three components
on a hunk of the French roll–style bread, sprinkle on
some merquén—dried and smoked red chili peppers
mixed with salt and other seasoning that’s used here
as frequently as Americans shake on the S&P—and
you have a bite that’s so satisfying you’ll never want
to leave.
Next stop is an organic garden growing more than one
hundred and fifty types of herbs, greens, and vegetables,
including Peruvian red peppers, lemon basil, radishes,
dill, lettuce, mint, and aloe. Our guide for this portion
of our trip, chef Pilar Rodriguez, is there to pick up
some fixings for lunch. She operates the Food & Wine
Studio on the grounds of the Viu Manent vineyard,
whose fields of Malbec grapes spread out around the
boutique restaurant. Her food is elegant and refined,
but never fussy or overly complicated. After all, when
you have a natural pantry like Chile, you don’t need to
do much to ingredients to make their flavors pop.
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