THE WORD
I drink to the word, lifting a word or a glass of crystal, in it I drink the wine of language … giving crystal to crystal, blood to blood and giving life to life, the words.
— an excerpt from“ The Word” in Plenos poderes by Chilean poet and politician Pablo Neruda( translation by A. S. Kline)
Colourful Valparaiso, Chile remains an important historical port and cultural centre.
with French culture led to importation of French wines and noble vine stock, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Carménère, Chardonnay, Semillon, and Riesling( starting in the 1830s).
• The timing is critical for understanding Chilean wine: these vines were imported from the leading French wine regions before the phylloxera plague. To this day, Chile remains phylloxera-free and represents the world’ s greatest reservoir of own-root vines. One can imagine that Chilean wines still express flavours of the nineteenth century.
• In the late 1800s, political instability in Europe, vineyard devastation by the root louse phylloxera( imported from North America) and the allure of a booming economy led by mineral( copper) mining precipitated a wave of immigration to Chile. This marked the dawn of the first Golden Age of Chilean wines and the establishment of the enduring estates of Cousiño Macul, Concha y Toro, Undurraga, Errázuriz, La Rosa, Santa Rita, Carmen, and San Pedro.
TWENTIETH-CENTURY CHALLENGES
• The period between 1930 and 1980 wrought world conflict and economic depression, rampant domestic alcoholism fuelled by abundant cheap wine with no export market, and agrarian land reform aimed at redistribution of estate lands among the less wealthy. All of these factors led to a depression in the Chilean wine industry.
• In 1973, a military junta led by General Augusto Pinochet seized power from President Salvador Allende. Military rule reigned until 1990.
• A subsequent smooth transition to democracy opened foreign markets and encouraged an inflow of international investment and technical expertise.
• Nationally, vineyards doubled in size between 1995 and 2002 and exports grew from 43 to 355 million litres. We are currently in the Chilean wine industry’ s second Golden Age.
CULTURAL ICONS
• Chile’ s national dance is la cueca, a Spanish-African influenced social folk dance that facilitated flirting and“ partner finding.” During the time of Pinochet, it became a form of protest used by the mothers of the Disappeared.
• Rodeo is the national sport practiced in rural areas( and, of course, real football is a passion!). A huaso is a skilled horseman identified by a chupalla( straw hat), a chamanta( a short multi-colored blanket worn over the shoulders, also called a manta or a poncho) over a short Andalusian waist jacket, tooled leather leggings over boots, and impressive carved spurs.
• Chileans call their country país de poetas— country of poets. Chile’ s most famous poet, Pablo Neruda, won the 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Winnipeg is the name of the ship that arrived at Valparaíso, Chile, on September 3, 1939, with 2,200 Spanish immigrants fleeing Franco’ s victory in the Spanish Civil War( 1936 – 39). Poet Pablo Neruda became a national hero for his role in arranging for the immigrants’ escape.
WINE TOURISM
• Currently, a visit to Chile’ s wine regions— except Colchagua Valley— is a driving adventure. A few short years ago, you would be hard-pressed to find an adequate road map. However, change is afoot as hospitality infrastructure emerges and Chile becomes increasingly accessible. Many visitors hire cars and drivers in Santiago and leave the driving to someone else.
CHILEAN CUISINE
• Spanish and other European influences abound in Chile’ s colourful and flavourful cuisine, which is essentially based on meat, especially lamb, fish and
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