2009 Chilean Wine Fest Event Review - LB

2009 Chilean Wine Festival Event Review
By Laura Beingessner, iYellow Ambassador

The 2009 Annual Chilean Wine Festival recently took place in Toronto, including a consumer event, media/trade tasting and Winemakers dinner. The Distillery Historic District was the perfect location for novices and connoisseurs to congregate, offering a certain old world charm and ambiance to the evening. I have been to other wine events in the Distillery, but this felt a little bit different. Perhaps it was the saunter in my step, inspired by the live Chilean band. Or, maybe the feeling of being in a different place - catching the sound of a Spanish accent speaking passionately about wine. The event promised a “fiesta”, and judging from the buzz around the room, everyone seemed to be feeling light-hearted, and in a celebratory mood.

While exploring my way around the room, I stopped to notice a poem displayed on the cavernous walls of the Distillery Fermenting Cellar.

Ode To Wine
Day-colored wine,
night-colored wine,
wine with purple feet
or wine with topaz blood,
wine,
starry child
of earth,
wine, smooth
as a golden sword,
soft
as lascivious velvet,
wine, spiral-seashelled
and full of wonder,
amorous,
marine;
never has one goblet contained you,
one song, one man,
you are choral, gregarious,
at the least, you must be shared.

(continued below)

Pablo Neruda, beloved Chilean poet and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, wrote Ode To Wine, and few could capture the essence and spirit of Chilean wines as beautifully as his words. As I looked around the room, surrounded by people of all ages enjoying lively music, delicious food, and of course, wonderful wines, I realized that Pablo had it right – wine must not be contained, it must be shared and enjoyed.

His poem speaks of community, and of showing appreciation for “every drop of gold” and “every purple ladle”. With over 31 wineries present at the consumer event, I had the opportunity to speak with many winemakers, learning about their country and discussing their product. What better opportunity to savour the fruits of their land and labour. As a region, Chile positions itself within the leading 5 largest exporters of wine to Canada. They make wine in a variety of flavours and styles - suitable to any palate, but their signature grape is Carmenére, which is rich in berry fruits and spice, with well rounded tannins. They also produce a variety of cool climate wines, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Located directly between the Pacific Ocean and the magnificent Andes mountains, winemakers benefit from cool sea breezes and fertile valleys.

Chile has also developed a reputation for exotic, gourmet food – and we had an opportunity to sample at the festival! The event was well planned out, with food pairing stations weaved throughout the wineries. The appetizers definitely added an authentic flare, and allowed attendees to appreciate the flavours that would traditionally pair with Chilean wines. Several of the more notable options included:

Carved beef lime and cumin marinade, with pebre salsa
Everyone loves food on a stick! This tasty appetizer was best paired with a Chilean Shiraz. I was enjoying a glass of Viu Manent’s 2007 Single Vineyard Syrah – the crisp acidity worked well with the zesty flavours of the beef, and the rich cherry aroma added to the experience. Unfortunately, this wine is available through private order only (looks like I’m going to Chile). Retail price is $25.95.

Citrus cured salmon with avocado and tomato on tostones
Tostones, a twice fried crispy plantain, acted like a little cracker and added an interesting flavour and texture to the other fresh ingredients. Along with this, I sampled a glass of 2008 Santa Rita Reserva Sauvignon Blanc. Produced in the centrally located Casablanca Valley, this wine retails $13.95 in the LCBO.

Abobado pork with avocado and pink grapefruit
This tidy little morsel piled high with pulled pork, indicated it was best paired with a Chilean Merlot. I happened to have in my hand a glass of the 2008 Pinot Noir from Cono Sur, which still worked well for me. I love Pinot anytime, and enjoyed the lightness and flavour of strawberry and cherry red fruits. This was my value pick for the night that I will be sure to pick up, at a price point of $10.95 in the LCBO.


As Ange was off exploring other cobblestone streets in Europe, I was glad to attend and share my experience of this event. I got a glimpse of a place I would someday love to visit, and have a few new bottles and recipes I’ll be sure to share!


[continued from above]

Ode To Wine

Day-colored wine,
night-colored wine,
wine with purple feet
or wine with topaz blood,
wine,
starry child
of earth,
wine, smooth
as a golden sword,
soft
as lascivious velvet,
wine, spiral-seashelled
and full of wonder,
amorous,
marine;
never has one goblet contained you,
one song, one man,
you are choral, gregarious,
at the least, you must be shared.

At times
you feed on mortal
memories;
your wave carries us
from tomb to tomb,
stonecutter of icy sepulchers,
and we weep
transitory tears;
your
glorious
spring dress
is different,
blood rises through the shoots,
wind incites the day,
nothing is left
of your immutable soul.
Wine
stirs the spring, happiness
bursts through the earth like a plant,
walls crumble,
and rocky cliffs,
chasms close,
as song is born.
A jug of wine, and thou beside me
in the wilderness,
sang the ancient poet.
Let the wine pitcher
add to the kiss of love its own.

My darling, suddenly
the line of your hip
becomes the brimming curve
of the wine goblet,
your breast is the grape cluster,
your nipples are the grapes,
the gleam of spirits lights your hair,
and your navel is a chaste seal
stamped on the vessel of your belly,
your love an inexhaustible
cascade of wine,
light that illuminates my senses,
the earthly splendor of life.

But you are more than love,
the fiery kiss,
the heat of fire,
more than the wine of life;
you are
the community of man,
translucency,
chorus of discipline,
abundance of flowers.
I like on the table,
when we're speaking,
the light of a bottle
of intelligent wine.
Drink it,
and remember in every
drop of gold,
in every topaz glass,
in every purple ladle,
that autumn labored
to fill the vessel with wine;
and in the ritual of his office,
let the simple man remember
to think of the soil and of his duty,
to propagate the canticle of the wine.

- Pablo Neruda

Chilean poet, diplomat, and politician, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.