Tag Archives: chilean wine

Casas del Toqui Barrel Series Chardonnay

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Pan-Seared-Salmon-and-Gnocchi-with-Sage-Butter-Sauce

© Photo by Inquiring Chef

Pan Seared Salmon and Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

  • 16 oz gnocchi (look for gluten-free if needed)
  • 4 (4-6 oz) salmon filets
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil (I use grape seed or avocado)
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 4 leaves fresh sage, chopped
  • 2 cloves shallots, diced
  • 2 tsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Boil gnocchi according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, pat salmon filets dry with paper towels. Season it on both sides with some salt and pepper.
  3. Place salmon, skin-side down (or on either side if using skinless salmon), in a room temperature non-stick pan with a thin layer of cooking oil. (This is the key to crisp salmon – the salmon must be placed in a cool pan and then slowly brought up to heat.)
  4. Place the pan over medium heat and cook the salmon, without moving it, until the skin is crisp and easily releases from the pan. (After it has cooked for ~5 minutes, gently nudge it with a spatula, until it easily slides around in the pan.)
  5. Turn salmon with a spatula and increase heat to medium-high. Continue cooking until the side touching the pan is golden brown and crisp and the salmon is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more. (It should flake easily with a fork.)
  6. Transfer salmon to a serving platter and return pan to medium-high heat.
  7. Add butter until melted. Add gnocchi, sage, and shallots. Cook, stirring constantly, until shallots are golden brown and sage is crisp.
  8. Pour gnocchi and butter sauce over salmon. Squeeze lemon juice over top.
  9. Serve salmon and gnocchi with extra lemon wedges on the side.

© Recipe courtesy of Jess Smith of Inquiring Chef

MARCH WINE CLUB:

Silky styleBarrel Series Chardonnay 2020Casas del Toqui
Chardonnay
Cachapoal Valley, Chile

SILKY WINE STYLE

This chardonnay has a complex nose, although it still maintains fresh and fruity aromas. There are dominant notes of pineapple and citrus, while the contribution of French Oak offers hints of caramel and vanilla. On the palate it has a great deal of volume, with a pleasant acidity and long finish.

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Analysis: 13.5% alcohol / volume
Viticulture: Vertical espalier
Vinification: Fermentation at 80˚F-84˚F, post fermentation maceration and aged in oak barrels for 6 months.
Closure: Screw cap
Pairing: Serve between 50˚F-53˚F with salmon or white meats

Vincent Johnson

Photo of Vincent Johnson

As a wine region, Chile is truly blessed. It has a Mediterranean climate that is similar to the climate in California and France. The climate and the geographical traits have helped Chile remain one of the only locations in the world that is resistant to phylloxera, the louse that destroyed many of the world’s best vineyards in the 1800’s. Chile is going through a wine revolution and the independents have broken away from Chile’s industrial wine culture to lovingly squeeze out small lots of wines, usually using organic, even spiritually tinged theories of winemaking. This new generation is much more conscious about the environment and committed to healthy, sustainable agriculture and also for the production of wines that have a stronger connection to local traditions.

Wine club logoJoin our WINE CLUB and enjoy these amazing wines and pairing recipes each month. Plus, you’ll receive 10% off all retail wine purchases!

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March Wine Club Pairing Recipe

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Pork Chop Recipe

© Photo by Little Ferraro Kitchen

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Garlic and Thyme

  • 1 bone in double cut pork chop, about 2 inches thick
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp grape seed oil for drizzling
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3-4 garlic cloves gently crushed and skins removed
  • 1-2 sprigs of rosemary and thyme

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Start by removing the pork chops from the fridge and bringing it closer to room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
  2. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper on all sides and get your cast iron pan hot on the stove top.
  3. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F and drizzle the skillet with a neutral oil, such as grape seed oil.
  4. Once skillet is hot, sear pork chops on all sides, about 2 minutes per side until nicely charred, then place in oven and roast for about 6-8 minutes until internal temp reaches 135°F (mostly cooked through).
  5. Place the skillet back on the stove top and add butter, garlic and herbs and as soon as butter melts, carefully tilt the pan with one hand and use your other hand to baste the infused butter onto the pork chop for another 1-2 minutes, not letting the butter burn.
  6. Once done, turn off heat and remove pork chop to another plate to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into it.

© Recipe courtesy of Samantha Ferraro of Little Ferraro Kitchen.

MARCH WINE CLUB:

Bold wine Style logoTerroir Selection Carmenere 2019Casas del Toqui
Terrior Selection Carménère
Cachapoal Valley, Chile

BOLD WINE STYLE

Cherry red color with violet hues. Aromas of black fruits, chocolate and spices, with hints of currants, nuts and tobacco. On the palate there are silky tannins. This wine is juicy and well balanced, with a lingering finish.

Varietal: 100% Carménère
Analysis: 14.5% alcohol / volume
Aging: Native yeast vinification in neutral French oak
Viticulture: Vertical espalier
Vinification: Fermentation at 80.6ºF-84.2ºF, post fermentation maceration and aged in oak barrels for 12 months
Closure: Natural cork
Pairing: Serve between 60˚F-64˚F with pork chops and sausages

ABOUT CASAS DEL TOQUI:
In 1994, Château Larose Trintaudon, a major French wine producer from the Bordeaux region, partnered with traditional wine producers from the Cachapoal region in Chile and together they founded Casas del Toqui. Recently, their legacy was recaptured by a Chilean family with a great passion for wine, contributing with their own unique and distinctive mark.

The Cachapoal Valley is renowned worldwide for its Mediterranean weather, where the Coastal Range and the Andes create one of the best soils in the region to produce high quality wines. The terroir of Casas del Toqui includes a wide range of soil types. Each plot of land is handled individually according to the unique characteristics of the terroir, which through a coordinated harvest, vinification and barrel management allows Casas del Toqui to keep individual lots to show the purest expression of each component before crafting the different blends.

© Photo by Casas del Toqui
© Photo by Casas del Toqui
© Photo by Casas del Toqui

Wine club logoJoin our WINE CLUB and enjoy these amazing wines and pairing recipes each month. Plus, you’ll receive 10% off all retail wine purchases!

Learn More >

March Premium Wine Club

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Court Rollan
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah
Cachapoal, Chile

Bold wine Style logoBOLD WINE STYLE

Ruby red color. Intense aromas of ripe red fruit and black fruits such as redcurrant, accompanied by floral touches and dried fruits notes, especially toasted nuts and candied almonds. Fresh in mouth, with good volume, firm and silky tannins. The contribution of the wood is balanced, and brings complexity to the blend. Persistent and elegant finish.

Region: Alto Totihue, Cachapoal Valley
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon 88%, Syrah 12%
Analysis: 14% alcohol / volume
Viticulture: Vertical espalier
Vinification: Fermentation at 80.6ºF-84.2ºF, post-fermentation maceration and aged in French and American oak (second use) for 14 to 16 months
Closure: Natural cork
Pairing: Serve between 60.8ºF-64.4ºF. Ideal to accompany lean, grilled red meats.

Court Rollan
Carménère, Syrah
Cachapoal, Chile

Bold wine Style logoBOLD WINE STYLE

Deep ruby red in color. Complex and elegant in aromas, the first layer shows the well worked out typicity of the predominant variety with black pepper, accompanied by floral notes and fruits such as plum and fig. Well balanced in taste, with silky and polished tannins, with a good mid-palate, and a persistent finish. Interesting cassis notes in the aftertaste.

Region: Alto Totihue, Cachapoal Valley
Varietal: Carménère 82%, Syrah 18%
Analysis: 14% alcohol / volume
Viticulture: Vertical espalier
Vinification: Fermentation at 80.6ºF-84.2ºF, post-fermentation maceration and aged in French and American oak, both of second use for 14 to 16 months
Closure: Natural cork
Pairing: Serve between 60.8ºF-64.4ºF. Ideal to accompany stuffed pasta based on cheeses and nuts, or baked quail

ABOUT THE WINERY:
Court Rollan was born as the expression of passion and family commitment for the quality of wines. This project shows the excellence through different wines, made from the best vine grapes from the vineyards. Wines with a superb presence, full bodied, with great character, structure and intense complexity. Extraordinary aging potential.

In 1994 Château Larose Trintaudon, a major French wine producer from Bordeaux region, partnered with a traditional wine producer family from the Totihue region in Chile, and together they founded Casas del Toqui Winery, producer of Court Rollan Wines. In 2010, their legacy was recaptured by the Court family, who has a great passion for wine, contributing and adding their own unique and distinctive seal to the company.

The Cachapoal Valley is renowned worldwide for its Mediterranean weather, where the Coastal Range and the Andes create one of the best soils in the region to produce high quality wines. The terroir of Casas del Toqui includes a wide range of soil types. Each plot of land is handled individually according to the unique characteristics of the terroir, which through a coordinated harvest, vinification and barrel management allows Casas del Toqui and Court Rollan to keep individual lots to show the purest expression of each component before crafting the different blends.

© Photo by Court Rollan
© Photo by Court Rollan
© Photo by Court Rollan

Wine club logoJoin our PREMIUM WINE CLUB, enjoy amazing wines every other month. Plus, you’ll receive 10% off all retail wine purchases!

Learn more about our Premium Club >

Winery Spotlight Series: March 10 De Martino

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De Martino LogoVirtual Wine Tasting Event on Zoom and Facebook LIVE

De Martino

Isla de Maipo, Chile

Wednesday, March 10, 2021
6:00pm CST / 7:00pm EST

Join us for a virtual wine tasting event, featuring De Martino wines from Chile, with guest speaker Sebastián De Martino. During our virtual event, Sebastián will be guiding us through a tasting of the following 6 De Martino wines:

Zoom Facebook Live

  • Estate Sauvignon Blanc
  • Legado Chardonnay
  • Legado Pinot Noir
  • Gallardia Cinsault
  • Legado Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Les Cruces Malbec

Be sure to RSVP at your local WineStyles location or on Eventbrite. Pre-order your wines in advance at your local participating WineStyles location and taste alongside Sebastián with a front seat on Zoom! Or watch on our Facebook LIVE event.

De Martino WInes
About De Martino:

Founded in 1934, for four generations, the De Martino family has specialized in creating wines that are a faithful reflection of their origins by focusing on selected parcels throughout Chile. The De Martino family has worked to achieve wines that represent them as a family; they believe wines of great purity, with a sense of place and balance, are a result of sustainable agriculture and traditional fermentation techniques. The style that represents the De Martino family, is one that blends origin, personality, balance and gastronomic sensibilities. In order to achieve this type of wine, over the years the De Martino family has explored over 347 vineyards all across Chile. The fourth generation, headed by Marco Antonio and Sebastián De Martino, along with their team, continue with their constant search for exciting terroirs to polish their house style. Learn more about De Martino Winery here.

Winemaking:

De Martino Winery uses organic farming and early harvesting to achieve balanced alcohol levels in their wines. Their fermentation is carried out exclusively with native yeasts, leaving out unnecessary winemaking additives that can alter the profile of the wine. Finally, aging is completed in concrete or stainless steel containers, old barrels, large oak foudres (5,000 liters each) or an ancestral terracotta amphorae (pictured below). All of these are used in the hopes of limiting external influences on the aromas and flavors of their wines, allowing the quality of each origin to fully express itself.

De Martino Terracotta wine vessels

About Sebastián De Martino:

Sebastián De Martino is a 4th generation vintner and co-owner who grew up in Isla de Maipo on the vineyards of his family’s wine estate. The De Martino family came from Italy in 1934 and settled in Chile in Isla de Maipo (DO Maipo), where they began specializing in creating wines from Bordeaux grape varieties. In the years since, De Martino has become a leader in innovation and winemaking. Along with receiving his Wine MBA in Bordeaux, Sebastián supplements his wine education by traveling to wine regions around the world. So far, he has traveled to the wine regions of Burgundy, Champagne, Bordeaux, the South of France, Barolo, Tuscany, Sicily, Jura, Rioja, Madrid, Georgia, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.

In 2011, Sebastián and his brother Marco worked with the De Martino technical team to help define the house style of De Martino wines. In the years since, their goal has been to position this house style in the market. Their current goals are also to help develop Itata as a world-renowned wine region, to create an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere from D.O. Maipo, and to spend time experimenting with volcanic wines from the Patagonia region. Today, Sebastián lives in the vineyards of the De Martino winery on Isla de Maipo, with his three dogs.

© Photo by De Martino Winery – Sebastián De Martino
© Photo by De Martino Winery
© Photo by De Martino Winery
© Photo by De Martino Winery – Cava
© Photo by De Martino Winery
© Photo by De Martino Winery
De Martino Terroirs: 

In the Coast the De Martino’s farm vineyards in Limarí (limestone/ clay) and Casablanca (granite), where they specialize in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. In the mild – warm climate of Maipo (gravel) they grow Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon. In the southern region they focus their attention at old vines, fi eld blends, dry farmed vineyards in Cahcapoal and Maule (granite). In the coast of Itata (450 km south of Santiago), where fi rst vineyards were planted back in 1551, the De Martino’s farm old vines– up to 110 year old – grown sustainably over granite, resulting in exciting Cinsault, Muscat and some other rarities.

 

Let’s Taste, Learn and Enjoy® together! 

Contact your local WineStyles to RSVP for this tasting event.

De Martino
Isla de Maipo, Chile

Cheers!

WineStyles.com

Around the World in 48 Sips!

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Passport-48sips

Passport_shadowJoin us in 2015 as we embark on a virtual wine tour around the world. Each month, we will host an education class, focusing on different wine regions around the world. We are kicking off our ‘Passport Series’ with a Chilean Wine Education class.

During each class we will discuss the wine history of the region, appellations within that area, the typical grape varietals of that region, and tasting 6 different wines from that area.

StamperYou will receive a tasting Passport at your first class.  Upon completing the class, we will stamp your passport, acknowledging your attendance.  Attend all 8 classes and receive 8 stamps in your passport.  The more you learn, the more rewards* you earn!

LEARN MORE, EARN MORE:

3 stamps in passport = Free Wine Tasting for 2 people
6 stamps in passport = Free Wine Tasting for 4 people
8 stamps in passport = Free Wine Tasting for up to 20 people

2015 Passport Tasting classes:

January  – Chile
February – Tuscany, Italy
March  – Germany
April  – Mendoza, Argentina
May – New Zealand
June, July, August – school is out (no classes)
September – Napa Valley, California
October 20 – Washington State
November 17 – Champagne, France

48_sips_bottles

Please RSVP at your local WineStyles location. Seating space is limited, so make your reservation as soon as possible.

 

*Please note, rewards may vary at different WineStyles locations. Offer void where prohibited by state or local alcohol laws.  See your local WineStyles Tasting Station for details.

Chilean Shrimp with Matetic Sauvignon Blanc

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Gambas Pil Pil (Chilean Shrimp)

INGREDIENTS:shrimp
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil or olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cacho de cabra pepper, or Anaheim pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons pisco or brandy
• salt to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS:
Place the garlic cloves and grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Let the garlic slowly turn golden brown as the oil becomes hot; continue cooking until the garlic has turned golden-brown, and the oil is quite hot.

Add the shrimp, stir to coat with oil, and cook for 15 seconds before stirring in the chile pepper. Continue to cook until shrimp is pink and firm. Pour in pisco, and cook for 30 seconds to let the alcohol evaporate. Season with salt to taste, then pour the mixture into a serving dish. Serve sprinkled with cayenne pepper, and garnished with lime wedges. Makes 6 servings.  Recipe compliments of AllRecipes.com

WC_Jan_2014_EQ_BottleMatetic EQ Coastal
Sauvignon Blanc
San Antonio D.O., ChileSilky_Sticker

“Smoke, Meyer lemon and grapefruit notes play out in this crisp yet concentrated white, with layers of spice and flint adding range to the solid finish.” 90 pts. Wine Spectator

Winemaker: Julio Bastias
Appellation: San Antonio D.O., Chile
Varietal:  100% Sauvignon Blanc
Analysis: 14.0% alc/vol
Critical Acclaim: 90 pts. Wine Spectator 2012
94 pts. Years Best Wine & Spirits 2011
91 pts. Editors Choice Wine Enthusiast 2011
90 pts. Wine Advocate 2010

Chilcas Pairing Recipe

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Pan-Roasted Chicken
panroastedchicken

INGREDIENTS:
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into ribbons
• Leaves from 2 small sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 whole chicken, quartered (about 3 pounds)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put a cast iron or other ovenproof skillet large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer, or a small roasting pan, over medium heat and get it good and hot. Drizzle the pan with a 3-count of oil. Add the prosciutto and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the prosciutto is crisp and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Push to one side of the pan. Season the chicken on both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper and add it to the pan, skin side down, in a single layer. Cook for about 5 minutes until the skin begins to set and crisp. Turn and cook 3 more minutes. Turn the chicken again, stick the pan in the oven and roast until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30 more minutes.

Take the pan out of the oven. Remove the chicken and prosciutto from the pan and arrange on a platter to keep warm while you prepare the pan sauce. Pour out all but about 1 tablespoon of the rendered chicken fat and return the pan to the stove top. Stir in the stock and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, scraping up the flavors stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until reduced to a syrup, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the pan sauce over the chicken and serve immediately. Serves 4.  Recipe compliments of Tyler Florence, Food Network.

WC_Jan_2014_Chilcas_bottleChilcas Single Vineyard
Cabernet Franc
Maule Valley, Chile

Bold_stickerClean and bright, with an outstanding deep ruby-red color. The nose is intense, with notable fruit aromas of strawberry, black cherry, and blueberry accompanied by spicy aromas that recall bay leaf, white pepper, and an interesting hint of tobacco. The voluminous palate has smooth, elegant tannins and a tremendously long finish.

Winemaker: Camilo Viani
Appellation: Maule Valley, Chile
Varietal:  87% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
Analysis: 13.7% alc/vol