Buenos Aires – The WineGeese arrived in Buenos Aires a few days in advance of the trip to take in the sights and enjoy the 117th Hurlingham Club Open thanks to the kind assistance of Dr Guillermo MacLoughlin and Paul Chiaraviglio. Our first official evening was spent at the exclusive private club Curculo de Armas for a WineGeese dinner hosted by HE James McIntyre, the Irish Ambassador to Argentina. On the evening we inducted Amb McIntyre, Guillermo MacLoughlin, and Federico Benegas Lynch of Bodega Benegas Lynch as honorary members into the WineGeese Society.
Mendoza
After a glorious few days at the Alvear Palace Hotel – an impeccably preserved 1930s Recoleta palace that takes you back to Buenos Aires' wealthy heyday – the group departed for the provincial charms of Mendoza. We stayed in working wineries – Finca Adalgisa, a lovely early 20th century country house and Terrazas de los Andes, the recently renovated estate house located in the middle of the vineyards where we dined and enjoyed the award-winning wines of Terrazas de los Andes.
The following days passed by swiftly touring such famous wineries as the great Catena Zapata to the boutique winery about which there is such a buzz, Achával Ferrer where Manuel Ferrer shared the story of this young winery that so beautifully represents the wines of Argentina. We experienced our first traditional asado paired with Benegas Lynch wines at the home of Federico Benegas Lynch who was inducted into the society in Buenos Aires. The Irish Lynches came to Argentina via Spain in the 1750s. We headed down to the Uco valley where we were the first to dine at the newly opened DiamAndes winery estate house, the dinner prepared by award-winning chef Nadia Haron de Ortega. DiamAndes is part of the colossal Clos de los Siete, Michel Rolland’s great Argentine adventure, where the famed Bordeaux consultant established this 850 ha unique group of wineries.
Our final evening in Mendoza was spent at Cheval des Andes (the product of the great St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Clásse Château Cheval Blanc and Terrazas de los Andes who make a Bordeaux-meets-the-Andes wine) where a polo match between the Irish Argentine WineGeese were represented by Guillermo Jr and Francisco MacLoughlin who beat the team of Cheval des Andes.
Santiago
From the easy charms of Mendoza we headed to Santiago, Chile where we stayed at the splendid and stately Ritz-Carlton. Where Mendoza was all about elevation – and of course Malbec – Chile is all about microclimates and the intriguing effects of those cool winds that sweep through the myriad river valleys from the nearby chilly Pacific Ocean.
Aconcagua and San Antonion Valleys
Heading north to the Aconcagua valley we toured and lunched at Errázuriz, which produces some of Chile’s greatest wines under the Viñedo Chadwick and Errázuriz labels where we had the privilege of touring the yet to be opened new winery at the estate. Our return to Santiago was enlivened by a visit to Quintessence, an alpaca farm where we discovered just how truly soft an alpaca is. Moving east of the capital we headed to the Pacific ocean and the San Antonio valley where María Luz Marín, proprietor and winemaker of Viña Casa Marín, led us through a tasting of her superb wines. She honored us by accepting membership into the Society.
Maipo Valley
The superb wines kept coming as we explored the prestigious winegrowing region of the Maipo valley for a tour and tasting at Almaviva, the joint venture between the Rothschilds of Ch Mouton Rothschild and Chile’s largest wine company Concha y Toro. We continued our exploration of the Maipo with a tour and lunch at Undurraga. This most historic of Chilean producers is now expanding to include the McKenna Collection which was developed to celebrate the Irish hero, General Juan McKenna in Chilean history.Colchagua Valleybr> We left the capital for a three day visit to the Colchagua valley, about which there is quite a buzz, and with good reason. Gastronomy and tourism are part of it, but at the heart of this appeal are its wines. En route we stopped at Altaïr, where we were treated to an enchanting al fresco lunch beautifully paired with their elegant wines. After checking in to our hotel for the next two nights, the charming Hotel Santa Cruz, the brave WineGeese once again set out to uncover the great wines of Chile. We biked our way through the vineyards of Cono Sur and found ourselves sufficiently refreshed to engage in a lively and slightly riotous wine tasting and dinner.And still the great wines kept coming, including a stunning tasting at pioneering Viña Montes where the spectacular view matched the wines, then on to Clos Apalta, its breathtaking new winery, and even more breathtaking wines. Lunch, served on the terrace of Mme Marnier Lapostolle was a dream.
Our last evening in the Colchagua valley at MontGras was enlivened by our efforts at winemaking. An evening of great food and gorgeous wines was made all the more memorable by the induction into the Society of Managing Director Patricio Middleton, our gracious host.
Our final evening in Chile was celebrated at Cousiño Macul – what wine writer Hugh Johnson calls, “the first growth of Chile” with Dr Carlos Cousiño who graciously took us round this historic winery and HE Mariano Fernández Amunátegui, former Chilean Foreign Minister and renowned wine expert. Famed Chef Guillermo Rodríguez prepared a spectacular dinner
The WineGeese were completely taken by warmth of their reception in Argentina and Chile and are determined to do their part in bringing these superb wines to the notice of all.