Welcome to stunning Tirohana Estate in Martinborough, Wairarapa, New Zealand. Home to award-winning wines such as Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. 5-star accommodation and beautiful views on the vineyard itself.
Wine grapes (Vitis vinifera) are not native to the Americas; they arrived with the Spanish in the 1500s. Early attempts to form vineyards in more northerly climes, such as the Caribbean, Mexico, and Peru proved unsuccessful; in Chile, however, the vine found its first true New World home.The Catholic missionaries who followed the Spanish Conquistadors lamented the lack of wine that was essential for celebrating religious rites, and they set about to resolve the problem. Fray Francisco de Carabantes is widely credited with bringing the first vines probably País (pronounced " pah-EES" and known as "Mission" in California) into Chile through the port of Concepción round 1548. Such was the success that vineyards were quickly planted throughout the country from the Limarí Valley in the north to Bío-Báío Valley in the south precisely the areas that still delimit the vast majority of Chile's wine production today.Of course the desire for wine in Chile was not limited to the Church-there were plenty of secular uses for the traditional European beverage of choice. The thirsty residents of the burgeoning capital city of Santiago also clamored for wine, and the surrounding Maipo Valley proved to be a ready and abundant source of red wine.Improvements in maritime transportation made cross-Atlantic travel much more viable by the early 19th century. Chile, freshly emancipated from Spain, yearned for knowledge of its European roots, and members of the country's wealthiest families embarked upon an intercontinental pilgrimage that would change Chilean life and culture in many ways. France was a favorite destination, and soon French customs, from food to clothing to architecture, flourished among Chiles upper classes. It did not take long for the first French-style wineries to make an appearance as well.By the mid-1800s, interest in European-style wine production was taking hold. Well-heeled families many with fortunes earned in the mining industry built extraordinary mansions beyond the city limits and surrounded them with vineyards.Pioneering naturalist and scientist Claudio Gay brought some 30 Vitis vinifera varieties from France for experimental purposes in the nascent University of Chile's Quinta Normal agricultural center.Silvestre Ochagavia is generally credited with being the first to introduce French varieties for commercial purposes 20 years later in the Maipo Valley. Others quickly followed suit, and many of Chile's now traditional wineries were formed, including Carmen, Concha y Toro, Cousiño Macul, Errá¡zuriz, San Pedro, Santa Rita, Undurraga, and Urmeneta.New varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec (Cot), Carménère, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillón, and Riesling produced noble wines that quickly gained popularity and replaced the then-traditional País grape, which was relegated to the country's winemaking extremes, where it is still used today for rustic wines destined for local consumption.Chile had entered into a new phase of its winemaking history, again one of the first in the New World to make serious noble wines. This small South American country was also fortunate; the European wine industry was about to undergo a crisis that would never touch Chile.Trans-Atlantic exchange brought with it tremendous benefits to both continents, but it also had its downside. European garden enthusiasts had unwittingly imported a devastating vineyard pest Phylloxera hidden in the roots of America's native grape vines that were beautiful, despite being useless for wine production. Europe's Vitis vinifera vines were defenseless against the tiny and voracious louse, which advanced unchecked, quickly decimating thousands of hectares of ancient Old World vineyards along the way. The pest was re-introduced to the Americas with the import of Vitis vinifera vines, yet for reasons that have never fully been understood, Chile remains Phylloxera-free to this day.
We visit with Dean Reiman, owner of The Wine Shack in Cannon Beach, Ore., about running a wine shop in a resort town and what he's been tasting lately.
Viña Morandé was founded in 1996 with the aim of producing innovative wines of great quality, with a clear focus on the development of its brands. We have always prided ourselves on providing an excellent service and commitment to our customers, consumers and the environment.To achieve this we have developed production processes and quality guarantees that includes the following: selection of terroirs, grape varieties and clones, vineyard architecture, advanced irrigation systems, organic management and systems for monitoring the growth, ripening and development of the fruit.We currently have worldwide distribution and have a presence in more than 40 countries over the five continents.At the same time, we are leaders in Chile in the development of direct distribution channels, allowing us to maintain excellent communication with our customers and to face our challenges and opportunities with increased insight.
Grapes and wine have been produced in the Land of Israel since Biblical times. The ancient land of Israel (known at various times as Canaan and Judea) was harvesting grapes and making wine over two thousand years before Europe. In Biblical times the wine industry was the mainstay of the economy and wine had significant ritual importance. The most common grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon (The best awards for Israeli wines & the premier wine of each winery tends to be with this grape), Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Others include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Johannisberg Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muscat Canelli. Of the newer varieties, Syrah/Shiraz was noted as the most promising. Numerous o
The intro to the 12th episode of Mastro's cooking show. Watch the full video at http://www.mastrotv.com or check local listings for when it will air.SHOW DESCRIPTION: Tom Mastrianni pairs wines & spirits with easy-to-make but delicious dishes.Special Wine & Cheese episode! Featuring "My Blue Heaven" Big Blue Cheeses from America, France, Spain and the UK, along with various Goat Cheeses. Mastro shows you how to prepare a Wisconsin Gruyere Cheese Fondue. Special Guest: Bryan Naylor from Taste This TV.Featured spirits: Boschendal Sauvignon Blanc, Iron Horse Chardonnay, Mark West Pinot Noir, Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Spellbound Cabernet Sauvignon, Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon.
