EAT WINE

I just stumbled upon my gastronomic discovery of 2006 in Santiago: Emporio Nacional. It is a “Made in Chile” goodie store; a gourmet delicatessen sporting Chile’s finest temptations from jams like Cochayuyo (that seaweed I never know WHAT to do with) or spicy ají (chili) to local cheeses like sheep’s milk from the Patagonia or the creamy Jack-style Mantecoso from German descendants in the southern Lakes district. Chorizo and longanizas (spicy sausages) from Chillán and whole Serrano-style hams made by a Spanish immigrant family hang from the ceiling and the whole place smells toasted with spices like the smoky Merkén from the south, earthy crushed cumin, and chuchoca (fine grain cornmeal). Being an olive oil junkie, I was bowled over by their collection of fantastic oils—from mainstream decent to the cult variety like Novello. The list is of their inventory is endless and well-selecte, but the basic requisite to be in the store is to be, well, “Made in Chile”, but gourmet this time. Hallelujah.

Emporio Nacional definitely made me raise my eyebrows at some of their innovative flavor combinations and offerings, but it also caught my attention for its quality, and I have since made two trips this past week. The place itself gets an “A” for its digs—a corner old-time grocery store that has been painstakingly remodeled and decorated with much care and style to give it the polished feeling of another époque; an emporium where perhaps our (Chilean) grandparents may have shopped as children. Most importantly, in a country where the majority of taste buds fall on the bland side and mayo, sugar, and salt are still major food categories (think US cuisine in the era before Julia Child), this is a MAJOR addition to the gourmet food stuff places that truly promote the local gastronomic culture. As you can gather, I am very stoked about this.

For more information, check out www.emporionacional.cl They even have home delivery if you live in Santiago, although a detour to the actual store (at least the first time) is definitely worth the trip. And for you foodies visiting Santiago, do not miss this brilliant piece of native gastronomic culture. In Chile they say, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are” (obviously taken from the words of the ultimate gourmand Brillat-Savarin), but definitely, Emporio Nacional is a great peeping hole into this curious (food) idiosyncrasy known as Chile—and you will find some exquisite local gems to share with your friends at home.

Contact information:

Emporio Nacional

Bellavista 0360 (corner of Punta Arenas, behind the Clínica Santa María), Providencia

56 (2) 481 3820

info@emporionacional.cl

Ladies and Gentlemen: once again, the wine fair in Santiago known as Vinos de Chile (in its 12^th version) will take place at the Hotel Plaza San Francisco September 27, 28, and 29. I am not a huge fan of large wine fairs as they are crowded, overwhelming, and in my experience, many times the wines served hit the mid-range ho-hum variety. However, not here! This event, well-organized and sporting a decent entrance fee to cover the costs, establishes itself in a different niche. Oriented for wine aficionados of all levels, the focus is on educating the consumer and ultimately creating more interest in wine via tasting, learning, and perhaps some mingling. In Chile, I need to underscore how important events like this are! Although Chile is large wine-producer, almost 95% of total production is exported and most (average) Chileans still reach for a piscola (local grape brandy with coke) or beer. We need to help induce and spread the wine-drinking culture and appreciation here urgently!

Back to the event. To get future wine geeks (I mean, consumers) really into the event there will be blind tastings; tastings of the great wines from Apalta (this includes Clos Apalta, Montes M, Purple Angel, and Folly, and the newcomer blend, Neyén); the “Aroma” table (sniff and ask a sommelier to clarify); great workshops on wine topics of interest for those wanting learn more about the lay of Chilean wine like Getting to Know Organic Wines; Climate and Vineyards of San Antonio Valley (Chile’s hot little number producing good whites and Pinots with inspiring volume and acidity); The Great Wines of Apalta (the hyped micro valley in Colchagua), and What is Icewine? (A wine Canadians make well and they are trying to make artificially here, boo!). If that isn’t enough to get you to the door, then okay, the entrance fee includes tastings from 40+ great wineries, a permanent cocktail prepared by Chilean cuisine evangelist Chef Guillermo Rodriguez and a souvenir wine glass. So for all you Chilean enophiles, if you live here or happen to be in town, it would well be worth for your wine education to swing by have a swirl, sniff, sip, schmooze, and nibble.

Essential info:

Entrance fee: 19.900 Chilean pesos (around US$35)—includes tastings at all stands, cocktail, and wine glass.
Tickets go on sale September 4, 2006. www.feriadevinos.cl or www.plazasanfrancisco.cl

En Estados Unidos es un rito social del día domingo; el “Brunch”, la forma perfecta de terminar un fin de semana agradable y recargar las pilas para la semana que viene en compañía de la familia o los buenos amigos. El término nace de la combinación de las palabras breakfast y lunch (desayuno y almuerzo), pero brunch es más bien una comida cameleón, no es exactamente desayuno y tampoco es almuerzo—su horario varía entre las 10:00 y las 15:00 hrs. dependiendo de la hora en que se logre abandonar la cama. En términos gastronómicos, brunch es básicamente lo que uno quiera: desde unos panqueques dulces con ricotta y miel, o los famosos huevos pochados Benedict, hasta los Bagels de la ciudad de Nueva York, con queso crema y lox (salmón ahumado). La institución del brunch puede ser preparada y disfrutada en la casa o ser organizada como una salida a un restaurant. Es también una de las pocas veces que es socialmente aceptable tomar alcohol antes de mediodía. En gringolandia, los tragos suelen ser los Bloody Mary— un trago a base de vodka con jugo de tomate levemente picante o la Mimosa; mitad espumante, mitad jugo de naranja. Mis papas siempre preparaban un gran brunch con huevos, croissants o bagels, jugo (o mimosa para ellos), todo junto a la gran edición del New York Times en domingo. Pasamos horas placenteras juntos, tirados en el living, disfrutando la comida, la compañía y leyendo el diario. Cuando llegué a Chile, por mucho tiempo extrañaba esta tradición gringa hasta que un día domingo mi pareja llegó tipo 12:00 hrs. con el diario bajo el brazo y un paquete que olía maliciosamente exquisito, como pan recién hecho. Adentro habían unas empanadas caseras de pino. Abrimos un vino tinto y nos pusimos cómodos para hojear el diario, conversar a ratos, y disfrutar el día sin apuro. Era para mí el “brunch chilensis”,  una tradición de domingo distinta pero con igual inspiración. Aún sigo fiel a la tradición del brunch de día domingo en nuestra casa—pero ahora al salir a buscar croissants o bagels, de vez en cuando sorprendo a los amigos con unas buenas empanadas chilenas.

For those who have been following the Argentine wine industry over the past years, you may be aware that there is much more out there than Malbec, and well, more Malbec. Sparkling wine powerhouses like Chandon have maintained investments in Mendoza for more than 4 decades. Local grapes like Torrontes and Bonarda, although very rustic, also are part of the local grape inventory. The age of blends, assemblages, meritages has also fallen upon Mendoza, but this time we are starting to see more out-of-the-box--starting with Spanish grapes like Tempranillo.

Leading the pack is Bodega O. Fournier, located in the Uco Valley, about one hour south of the city of Mendoza. O.Fournier is the Argentine investment of a Spanish winery headed by the Madrid native José Manuel Ortega. Its solid winemaking, state-of-the-art technology, and privileged soils (here they use bush vines) and location in the Uco Valley are the formula for its base success. But what about its wines?

We have visited the winery on a few occasions and drank their wines in both tastings and for personal pleasure (in fact, last night we polished off another bottle of the BCrux 2003 which went quite well with hummus). I would qualify the editorial line of their wines as: serious, pure, modern (in its style), and even a little daring--they go out on a limb (sometimes with blend, sometimes with the balance) and obviously  not everyone will take to this wine style. However, the wines always have a unique personality and are all very well made.

I just got a heads up on some recent ratings from Wine Spectator and Decanter on O. Fournier wines that I would like to share. These are now being distributed slowly in the US. They are worth looking for and trying--the BCrux is a great value wine and the ACrux 2003, well, that it may just make you swoon.

WINE SPECTATOR (James Moleworth), August 11, 2006

ACrux (Uco Valley) 2002 93 points US$42

Very flashy, modern-styled wine, with layers of mocha and spice-infused toast leading the way for boysenberry, blackberry and fig fruit. Shows additional tar, mineral, graphite and even violet notes through the rich but racy finish. Tempranillo, Malbec and Merlot. Drink now through 2010. 600 cases imported.

ACrux (Uco Valley) 2003 92 points US$45

A flamboyant style, with lots of bacony, spicy toast woven into the blueberry and boysenberry. Yet stays focused, with the fruit shining through on the lengthy finish. Great mouthfeel. Drink now through 2008. 1,000 cases made.

BCrux (Uco Valley) 2003 91 points US$24

Very dark, but pure, with cassis and blackberry fruit layered with vanilla, mocha, mineral and tar notes. Long, dark, plush finish stays nicely focused thanks to fine-grained tannins. Tempranillo, Malbec, Merlot and Syrah. Drink now through 2008. 1,000 cases imported.  

DECANTER (Steven Spurrier), September 2006

ACrux (Mendoza, Argentina) 2002

“A top performer, Bodegas O. Fournier´s 60% Tempranillo/35% Malbec/5% Merlot blend has all the New World benchmarks of dark colour, intense berry fruit, marvellously ripe tannins and a lift of acidity. But it adds an Old World elegance and length to a wine both succulent and serious.”