Fresh Chilean Wine Appellation for the Maule Valley

Winemaker Andrés Sánchez just wrote from Chile. He shared news about a new appellation in the Maule Valley that applies to wines based on the Carignan grape (Andrés and I met years ago during my research for the book Vino Voices).

Click here to read about this new Chilean wine appellation.

Gilmore Winery in Chile’s Loncomilla Valley

Andrés, together with his wife Daniela and her father Francisco – the winery owner – live in Chile’s Loncomilla Valley, which is part of the Maule Valley. I wrote a post about their Gilmore Winery years ago. They are an inspiring trio because they live off the beaten path, grow their own vegetables, and created the design of their own winery and guest house buildings – which are spacious and flooded with light. All have traveled the world and worked in many countries, and now love their chosen home in the Chilean countryside.

Chapel on winery grounds

Andrés told me –

“We live together here. Our house is there in the corner. It’s a quality lifestyle. We use spring water so we can take showers. We grow all the vegetables that we eat today. We cultivate an organic yard and we eat organic. We try to find the balance. We are really connected with some of our clients in Germany, Switzerland, Finland. But it’s kind of a luxury to live in this way. Probably more and more people will try to get this lifestyle, the natural way. With space, with an environment, with less real cost of food. Real food.”

Sounds ideal.

Onsite aviary