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The Maipo Valley, Chile, arguably one of the finest wine producing regions in the world

Check out authentic artisan wines

Mairead Robinson champions the growth of the Chilean Wine industry at the Senior Times Live Show at the RDS

Santa Rita winemaker Oscar Salas

The fact that Chilean wine is the most popular wine sold in Ireland today, and has held that position for some years now, came as a surprise to some of the many people who enjoyed the tasting workshops in Dublin recently. During the three day event a number of tutored tastings took place where people got to enjoy a range of wines from Santa Rita and from Carmen – two very popular Chilean brands here in Ireland.

First of all was Santa Rita 120 – Ireland’s favourite wine. While the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are well known, the newer Pinot Grigio has come more recently to the market and as a light white, it is destined to be a real summer hit. Wine maker at 120, Oscar Salas, who I chatted with on the Senior Times Podcast platform recently, has blended 85 per cent of Pinot Grigio with 15 per cent of Moscatel to produce a wine that is both fresh and floral with a pleasant finish and it has an ageing potential of three years. What is interesting about this delightful wine is its alcohol content, which comes in at just 9.3 per cent, making it really suitable as an aperitif, a picnic wine, and perfect with light salad lunches. As several of the tasters remarked it is a perfect wine to keep in the fridge for when a friend drops by of a summer’s evening to sit in the garden a chat!

The other Santa Rita wine that we tasted was the Medalla Real Reserva, which is 100 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and is also made by Oscar Salas. It comes from the Maipo Valley, arguably one of the finest wine producing regions in the world and 60 per cent of the wine is aged in oak barrels for eight months, with the remaining 40 per cent aged in stainless

steel vats until bottling. This wine was undoubtedly the star of the show at the tastings, with a rich ruby red colour and notes of tobacco and cloves and vanilla. A perfect food wine for red meats and ripe cheeses, it has an ageing potential of five years and comes at a balanced 13.3 per cent alcohol.

We also tasted three wines from Carmen under their colourful Frida Kahlo label. The Sauvignon Blanc is indicative of the quality that Chile can produce with this grape, matching even the success of New Zealand. The grapes come from the Central Valley, wine maker is Cesar Catalan and the resulting wine is both refreshing and vibrant, well balanced with a long finish. This was also really enjoyed by all the tasters, who were not familiar with such Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.

And so to Rose – my favourite summer wine. Once again from Carmen’s Frida Kahlo range 2020, this is a true rose, not over sweet, but rather tasting of fruit and flowers. With an alcohol content of 12.4 per ent, it should be served nicely chilled and pairs with light meals of cheese, pasta and seafood. It is made with 100% Syrah and again the winemaker is Cesar Catalan. The third wine from the Frida Kahlo range was a Merlot 2021 which has a deep and intense purple colour which immediately captured the eyes of the tasters. The grapes come from the central valley, and as with the other two Frida Kahlo wines, the winemaker is Cesar Catalan. The wine is fruity and spicy on the nose and has caramel and vanilla notes. Merlot is a favourite red wine for many people, it has a certain chocolate flavour and pairs very well with food without being a heavy red. As such it goes very well with pasta and lean red and white meats. With the alcohol content at 12.8 per cent, it is a balanced wine which will complement food without overpowering it.

Throughout the Dublin tasting, the attendees were all very engaged and contributed to discussions on the ideal temperature to chill white and rose wine, how long you can keep an open bottle of red or white wine after opening, and course the ongoing discussion of cork versus screw-cap. Everybody agreed that they learnt a new appreciation of Chilean wine and were particularly interested to learn that Carmen is the first Chilean winery, founded in 1850 with a track record going back over 170 years. Perhaps not such a New World wine as many had assumed. winters. Of course the proximity of the Andes Mountains plays an important role as the mountains rise in altitude, the temperatures drop. On the other side of this long country, the Pacific Ocean also plays a very important part. The interaction between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean create a broad daily temperature differential that helps the grapes develop fresh and unique flavours.

Having enjoyed such pleasant and interesting wines, it was not such a surprise in the end for people to learn that one in four bottles of wine sold in Ireland hails from Chile!

Look out for details of our next wine tasting workshops at the Senior Times Live event in Cork on the 3rd and 4th of September. Meanwhile be sure to check out some interesting Chilean wines next time you are wine-shopping. You will find that there is not just good value, but great quality from this South American wine-producing country.