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In need of a Tuesday get together with your friends after work? Eager to enjoy haute cuisine and premium wines?
Come to “WINE Beats & Bites” this Tuesday 12th at 8:30pm at the W Hotel Santiago. Take the opportunity to taste the best cool climate wines on a tour of 5 stalls with food from the restaurant NoSo, and “Bites” prepared by their chef created to find the perfect match! It’s a not-to-be-missed experience for your taste buds!

Make your reservation at:
paulina.narvaez@whotels.com
Tel: 22770 0085

We are estatic in sharing this excellent news and great honor with you our clients and consumers! Tripadvisor has awarded us with their coveted “Certificate of Excellence 2015”. The achievement is the result of top quality service over time, and consistently excellent reviews from our clients and visitors.
It’s a commitment for all of us and one we consider a must for all our visitors, we have been and continue to be as committed!
All our passion for wine and the very nature of this unique terroir inspires us to continue making unrivaled cool climate wines,
thank you!

On the past 11th and 12th of April the Casablanca Valley Association of Winemaking Businessmen, in conjunction with the Illustrious Township of Casablanca, successfully celebrated the third consecutive year of the Wine Harvest Festival.

The widely attended opening of the festival was presided over by the President of the Casabalanca Valley Association of Winemaking Businessmen Mr. Mario Agliati who thanked those present, all the participating vineyards and in particular the 20 ambassadors from varying countries in Chile for their sincere interest in the production and export of local wines. He also emphasized the importance of national and international authorities attending said harvest as he stated; “wine is Chile’s finest ambassador the world over”.

In the same manner, Rodrigo Martinez, mayor of the Illustrious Township of Casablanca, thanked the foreign dignitaries in attendance and celebrated the traditional winemaking country overtones the festival had managed to preserve over the years.

He also invited everyone to enjoy the party and taste all the local wines. This particular anniversary of the event gathered over 40 thousand, all of whom partook of artisanal samples, local cuisine and the sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, sparkling wines and special cool climate reds from the 11 vineyards participating in the event: House Casa del Vino, Viña Casas del Bosque, Viña Indomita, Viñamar, Viña La Recova, Viña Veramonte, Viña Emiliana, Viña Quintay, Viña Loma Larga, Estancia El Cuadro and Viña Ventisquero; not to mention the sparkling wines of Viña Casablanca, the Belen Group, Viñamar, Casas del Bosque and Indomita.

This year the Wine Harvest Festival also boasted tasting classes taught by specialists from the Culinary Institute; the lucky participants “discovered the aromas of Casablanca” via a sensory tasting session with fruit and other aromatic descriptors; they were taught about cold climate bubbles in a tasting session for types and pairings of Casablanca sparkling wines; and lastly they were guided through a tasting session coupling wines with local produce such as cheeses, ceviches and delicatessen.

As is tradition competition was stiff to choose the Queen of the Wine Harvest Festival where five candidates were presented wearing traditional attire and participating in several events, among which were pigeage, a quiz on Casablanca itself and the sale of tickets in benefit of the local 2nd Fire Company of Casablanca.

The Queen of the Wine Harvest Festival 2015 was Gimena Chopitea, representing Viña Indomita. Both days of the festival included entertainment from local performing artists, “cueca” dances, activities for the younger attendees, stand-up from “El Guaton de la Fruta” who brought laughter in a fresh and family oriented routine. Juan David Rodriguez – a former contestant on the television show “Rojo, Fama Contra Fama” – was the closing act on Sunday bringing the event to an end on a high musical note.

This year’s Wine Harvest Festival held in the World’s 10th Great Wine Capital was rife with grand moments where both Chileans and foreigners from all over the world enjoyed the township’s attractions, sampled the tastes and wines of the region, the most significant cool climate valley in Chile.

Source:http://chiletourism.travel/

Once again the month of April plays host to the harvest in Casablanca vineyards in the third version of the Casablanca Wine Harvest Festival, year 2015. This Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th of April, the township’s Arms Square will be the scene for a select array of cool climate white and red wines. Shows, entertainment and the finest local artisanal products and cuisine will be the perfect company for those attending the event to which the organizers expect there will be 30 thousand patrons and tourists, all flocking to the heart of the country’s central valley.

For the third year running the Illustrious Township of Casablanca, together with the Casablanca Valley Association of Winemaking Businessmen, organized the Casablanca Valley Wine Harvest Festival, with over 10 local vineyards participating in the event offering their finest creations of the year, in particular their Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay, as well as the line of cool climate reds which have earned the valley its place as the 10th Great Wine Capital; a distinction awarded by the prestigious international winemaking organization Great Wine Capitals.

n addition to the wine tasting visitors will be privy to the finest artisanal products and traditional cuisine made by local craftsmen and cooks. “We invite all our neighbors and tourists who come in steadily greater numbers, to enjoy this wonderful Wine Harvest Festival held here in Casablanca this weekend. We will have scrumptious traditional food, artisanal arts and crafts and the best wines in the valley. The Casablanca Wine Harvest Festival is open and free to all and will be held outdoors in our local Arms Square. It’s truly worth coming to our town and getting to know and enjoy what we do here in our beautiful town, its people and our traditions” stated the Mayor of Casablanca, Mr. Rodrigo Martinez Roca.

According to the Casablanca Valley Association of Winemaking Businessmen, an entry ticket will cost $5000 pesos and comes with a tasting of three valley wines and a gift glass to take home. In addition, the sparkling wines bar will offer a locally made ceviche with 3 tastings of sparkling wine from vineyards in the valley for the same price.

The Wine Harvest 2015 will also have entertainment and the traditional Wine Harvest Queen Pageant whose candidates will represent the respective vineyards participating in the event. There will also be wine tasting lessons, pigeage contests, traditional creole games and children’s activities and many more surprises. A truly not-to-be-missed event for the weekend, no more than an hour away from Santiago and only half an hour away from Valparaiso, Viña del Mar and the Central Coast, don’t miss out!

PROGRAM CASABLANCA WINE HARVEST FESTIVAL 2015

SATURDAY 11th APRIL
1:00 pm. Opening Ceremony.
1:30 pm. Villa Don Alvaro cueca dance group.
2:00 pm. Presentation of Pageant Queen Candidates.
2:30 pm. Presentation of singer Bricilia Alcaino.
3:30 pm. Presentation of the folkloric group “Pasión chilena”.
4:00 pm. Presentation of the folkloric group “Los del Mauco”.
4:30 pm. Folklore school “Valle de Casablanca”.
5:00 pm. Presentation of the dance group “Renacer”.
5:30 pm. Singing workshop with the Casablanca Cultural Center.
6:00 pm. Zumba Fitness.
6:40 pm. Queen candidates pigeage.
7:10 pm. Presentation of the IVO-K singer.
8:00 pm. Star show presenting “Andrelo”.
9:00 pm. Star show presenting singer Juan David Rodriguez.
10:00 pm. Closing day 1.
SUNDAY 12th APRIL
12:00 pm. Interactive show.
1:00 pm. Start of stage show.
1:30 pm. Musical presentation.
2:00 pm. Contest.
2:30 pm. Vineyard stand show.
3:00 pm. Cueca danced by pageant candidates.
3:30 pm. Barrel roll contest.
4:00 pm. Presentation of “Acordes de mi pueblo”.
4:30 pm. Folkloric group Villa Don Alvaro.
5:00 pm. Presentation of group “Raíces de mi Viña”.
6:00 pm. Surprise Candidate Activity.
7:00 pm. Wine Harvest Queen Award.
8:00 pm. Event closing.
Presenters: Rodrigo Tobar / Night presenters: Daniel Valenzuela
Source: www.municasablanca.cl

At the start of February this year one of the world’s most respected wine authorities, Jancis Robinson, visited Chile. Author of several prestigious and well-received books such as “The Oxford Companion to Wine”, “World Atlas of Wine” and “Wine Grapes”, Robinson was the first journalist to become a Master of Wine and she is currently a leading critic and international wine expert. After spending four days in Chile, Robinson sampled and tasted several referent wines from each valley throughout the length and breadth of Chile.

Of course she tasted a Loma Larga Cabernet franc 2008 and left an excellent review of the wine as stated in the following:

“Will this be the oldest wine I taste here in Santiago? A very dark Carmesi. In the nose it’s very complex with more than a touch of St-Émilion maturity. Varietal flavors are pure and fresh. Totally mature and assuredly much better than any red from Burdeos sold in this price range? Absolutely ready to drink now and even though the Casablanca acids are very much present, it’s very much worth drinking. Delicious and very easy to drink.”

On the next 13th, 14th and 15th of February the Arms Square in Casablanca will be the scene for a new version of the traditional “Payaderos Meet”, an event celebrating competitive poetry and popular poetry in general, and this year will see seven delegations gathering the best “Paya” poets in Latin America.

Acknowledged as one of the most significant competitions of its type, it constitutes a true celebration of brotherhood and culture.

During the entire weekend visitors can enjoy the spectacle of local folklore, wine tasting of vintages produced here in this beautiful valley and a large variety of artisanal craftsmanship and local cuisine. All activities are open and free for admission.

More information is available at: www.municasablanca.cl

For the third consecutive year the event “Sauvignon Blanc by the Sea” took place. On this occasion the meet was held on the Yugoslav Boardwalk on Cerro Alegre in Valparaiso, where 13 vineyards presented their 2014 harvests of Sauvignon Blanc from the Casablanca Valley; an acknowledged great wine capital. Special press, a knowledgeable public and guests dressed in white as is customary, gathered to enjoy a sunny afternoon savoring the finest cool climate wines from the valley. Exclusive cuisine was provided by restaurants Tanino, Indomita, Estancia el Cuadro, Macerado in Viñamar, Bendita Pasta, Zamba y Canuta, Confiero Que He Comido, Helados del Fundo and Mercadito Alegre, and all their dishes made perfect mates for the wines presented at the event.

The Casablanca Valley is recognized all over the world for its superior quality wines, in particular for its Sauvignon Blanc, which in the harvest of 2014 rendered more delicate wines possessed of rich acids, very aromatic and salty notes – a characteristic of some whites – in addition to the special influence the grapes receive due to their proximity to the Pacific Ocean, a characteristic inherent to the area and promoted by the Casablanca Valley Association of Winemaking Businessmen via the “Suavignon Blanc by the Sea” event in Valparaiso, Casablanca Valley.

It has always been difficult to make pinot noir, the mischievous and tricky wine requires the most dedication in the cellar. Eduardo Moraga, in today’s edition of Wiken, highlights the Pinot Noir from Lomas del Valle, naming it the ideal wine for the summer.

Once again Lomas del Valle stands out presenting the perfect wine for summer afternoons. A unique Malbec! “What was once a trend has now become a definitive style in the scene of Chilean wines: fresh reds, light, crisp with acids: fruity beverages to open under the sun. These are only some of the most outstanding wines to offer”, Patricio Tapia.

Marco De Martino, General Manager of our friends the De Martino Vineyard comments on the Malbec from Casablanca.

Wines with a character reflecting the terroir: Lomar Larga is the only vineyard in the valley with its own Malbec vineyards.

See article