Casablanca, Chile Lapostolle vineyard pic

Good Morning!

So on day two of my trip to Chile, I was taken to the Lapostolle vineyards located in Casablanca, Chile. I was told there are 3 main grape growing and wine producing regions in Chile: Casablanca, Maipo and Colchagua. All have different reputations because of the types of wines and or weather, just like Napa and Sonoma.

When I arrived in Casablanca, I met Igor the vineyard manager and we got in his truck and thankfully I had Dani the interpreter with me, his English was about as strong as my Spanish. But some things I already knew about Lapostolle is they are a totally bio-dynamic vineyards and winery and it is no small task getting certified and keeping all aspects of biodynamic growing of wine grapes in place.

It was beautiful and sunny and when you see the photos you can see the rural setting. I was surrounded by vines and the day I arrived they were about 2 days from starting to pick in many of the blocks. They grow merlot, syrah, cabernet, chardonnay and carmenere. They had buildings filled with equipment but I think the composting area surprised me most. They recycle everything and everything is done by hand. They also made many animals on the vineyard and baby lambs and goats were just born before I arrived. Geese, chickens, horses etc. Each animal has it’s reasons for being there to keep the bio-dynamic cycle in place.

I also noticed how hilly and and steep many part of the vineyard was and he explained how the picking cycle has to work to get all grapes picked at proper sugar levels and maturity. We tasted grapes all along the way. he walked me through how he tastes for maturity and then walked me through the lab work they do to ensure his mouth was correct. he was spot on with every test he ran…pretty good taste buds!

Then we discussed how dry it is there and how the drainage works in the sandy and stony soil. He talked about the process of tilling up the rows and hand shoveling compost into the rows to put nutrients back into the soil for the root for next season and how labor intensive that can been on such rugged terrain.

By the end of the visit, I had such a great respect for how intimately he knows the land, the vines and how he does not stress about trying to “hurry” the process. Being a “Type A”, I was wondering if I had the discipline he has, to just let the grapes do their thing until I knew in my heart they were ready…..That is yet to be determined. But I learned a ton about patience, process and vineyard work and that was a day I will hold with me as I start planting my vineyards in the years to come.

Tomorrow, we will go to Vina Del Mar Chile and see the ocean and you can hear more about my missing luggage!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi