OK just a quick update on our day trip to Isla Negra (coastal home of the Nobel-winning poet and national hero Pablo Neruda) and the impressively up-to-the-minute vineyard in the San Antonio valley Matetic (or as our guide said ‘it’s pronounced Matet-itch – if it ends in an itch it’s Croatian!!). Amongst our fellow tourists were two Peruvians, here for a conference on Neuro-Psychotherapy who were very friendly and great company – curse my appalling Spanish though – we could only converse on the most superficial level but found plenty to stumble-along over with Art Psychotherapy and the S American approach to people with brain lesions of one sort or another.
There were also three young Brazilians whom even the guide struggled to talk to but who smiled a lot. Then there were the two American women, each working over here with family back home in the States. It turned out that they too were worshipping at Santiago Community Church so we hooked-up this morning at the Remembrance Day service and have already exchanged e mail addresses, photos and tips on travel around Chile.
We started at Isla Negra – quite similar to La Chascona, his Santiago home – but designed to feel like a ship and looking out over the ocean and the black rocks from which they named the island. Pablo Neruda was fascinated by the sea, sea life and sailing, but was evidently terrified to set sail himself, preferring to watch the sea from the comfort of his home and even a land-locked sailboat!! He was a fantastic collector of whatever took his fancy – African masks, quirky bottles, maps, hats and of course all things maritime from shells and narwhal ‘teeth’ to navigation instruments, ship’s figureheads from round the globe and ships’ lamps. Unfortunately no photography was permitted inside the house so you will have to imagine the delightful treasure-trove that lies within!!
You can’t help thinking he must’ve been great fun to know – and he was part of a select group of artists and writers such as Picasso and Diego Rivera. The place was heaving with quite a few state-sponsored groups in evidence – not just schoolchildren and students, but groups of older folk who are encouraged to enjoy the culture to which they have contributed so much. Almost as good as a bus pass hehe.
We went from there to the vineyard’s restaurant for a great lunch – washed down of course with two very respectable homegrown reds – a Syrah and a Merlot. The restaurant was set in the middle of a beautiful garden complete with huge pond that we crossed by a bridge. This was fine dining Chilean style. Nicely relaxed we arrived at the vineyard and a tour that really gave an insight into how science and a respect for the environment can be used to produce some of the best wines the world has to offer
This is an organic vineyard so selecting the terroir is vital. The vines are weeded and manured by llamas who don’t damage the crop at all and whose fleece provides additional goods to sell. The grapes are picked by local women and crushed by inflating a ‘balloon’ above them in vast stainless steel vats The wine is put into French oak barrels that are kept underground in an ultra modern cellar where the temperature and humidity are controlled by the use of river stones in the walls which hold the humidity and coolness. If it becomes too cool simple wooden slats the size of a church door can be opened easily.
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Each barrel holds 220 bottles apparently and Matetic is pioneering a technique which takes a lot longer but may prove more environmentally friendly (not to mention cheaper) in the long run. They are trialling using huge concrete ‘eggs’ to age the wine instead of barrels – an interesting and controversial method – watch this space. The tour ended with a tasting of a Sauvignon Blanc that even Colin really enjoyed and a rich fruity red which I think was the Syrah we’d tried with lunch. Altogether a brilliant day out enjoying what Chile does best.
, orange and red giants. We also saw Orion breakdancing (well how else could his sword hang upwards??), the southern cross and the surface of the moon which was waxing at the time. Whilst it was beautiful to look at the moons’ surface in such detail, we didn’t realise just how much its brightness was interfering with our view of the night sky until it finally set behind the mountains. </p><p><img class=)
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