Andes Wines’ sweets and pastry writer Suzanne Taylor sips through the history of coffee drinking in Chile, brings some light into the local popularity of instant coffee, and the principle behind the quintessential café con piernas.

You just can’t beat chillin’ out in a sidewalk café enjoying a nice cup of joe.

This is not an experience to take lightly down here in Santiago, however. It wasn’t all that long ago that there was a perception out there about Chile’s coffee scene being somewhat lacklustre.

A couple of years ago, I wouldn’t have blamed visitors for bringing beans from home. Going into a restaurant, at times, meant you got some hot water and some Nescafé instant coffee. Thankfully, the times are changing.

A couple of weekends ago, I happened to come across the 1st Annual Cafe Expo held in Espacio Juventud in Providencia, where coffee baristas got to demonstrate the art of making wonderful lattes and espressos. Could it be that Chile is finally shedding this age old reputation of bad coffee and is embracing a new atmosphere of coffee bean supremacy?

Yes, you may be thinking like I did when I first got here: When you are on the same continent as some of the biggest and best coffee producers in the world, how can you not get a decent cup of coffee in Chile? Unlike Brazil and Colombia, coffee has never been a traditional hot drink down here. It really has been in the last 50 years or so that it has started to take hold; more on this point later.

Before that, tea and a drink called “Ulpo” were the choices; Ulpo got its start when the Spanish conquistadores brought wheat to be grown in the south. The Mapuche toasted the wheat, ground it and added it to hot water with some honey. This was very popular in the countryside, and in some parts it still is.

Now, about 50 years ago, a group of business men got together and decided they would really like to have a place to go in the afternoons and have their espresso. A new business was born, Café Haiti, which was soon to be known as the first café con piernas (coffee with legs) This wasn’t any ordinary business as it was a coffee shop where the female servers all wore very tight fitting attire and high heels while offering only conversation… and fresh brewed coffee, of course.

Other coffee houses soon took off as did a little extra clothing in some places- ever wondered about those blacked out windows downtown!? One thing about most of these places is that the coffee is served from a bar and all the patrons are standing. So you really don’t have the relaxed, laid back atmosphere that you find in the cafes in Europe or even next door in Argentina.

But then again, Chileans seem to never have time for big, leisurely moments to enjoy a cup of coffee. Take breakfast, for instance. Back during the 70’s, Nestlé started a marketing campaign that capitalized on this fact by introducing instant coffee that could be made quickly and anywhere with just hot water at any time.

Of course today you will still see store shelves lined with Nescafé bottles and cans, but kitchens and supermarkets are starting to make room for more and more whole bean stuff (yeah!).

It’s 2012 now, and Chile’s economy is booming. Many Chileans are traveling overseas and people are flocking here. More people want to experience what they have enjoyed in other parts of the world. Now they get to relax with our favourite cup in many different cafes throughout Santiago offering different blends and preparations, and I don’t just mean the stand-up kind. Even those diehard fans of Starbucks –impossible not to miss the famous green label even here in Chile- can have their way.

My favourite places are the ones that have hidden patios and gardens that take you away from the hectic pace. There are the ones that play a great mix of music and have a nice shaded terrace. You can sit back, relax and chill.

So next time you go off on a trip, just leave room in your suitcase for other things than coffee. It won’t take you long to find a small cafetería with interesting alternatives from around the world.

If you’re in Providencia, check out:

Café Espresso-Avenida Pedro De Valdivia 1974

Nice easy going music, light snacks and sandwiches. Really enjoyed the pear and almond tart!

Café Plaza Victoria – Santa Isabel 052

Right next to the Santa Isabel Metro stop, with a little garden patio in the back. They’ve got delicious European style cheesecake made with ricotta cheese, yum!

Andes Wines

andes@andeswines.com

Twitter @andeswines

(Santiago, January 2012) Chilean wine marketing and strategy firm Andes Wines announced that it has signed a strategic alliance agreement with Norwegian web applications developer nLink, as part of its new spin-off project “WineAmix: Digital Laboratory”.

Wine Amix’s main objective is to fuel innovation in the winemaking, food, tourism, and entertainment businesses with the use of digital tools. For this purpose, it will offer a custom-made service in the design and implementation of digital tools to improve customer relationship management initiatives, as well as generate and/or increase sales using the Web as a tool.

Through this alliance, Andes Wines and nLink will work together to develop and deliver high definition web applications starting with an interactive “wine-quiz,” a game platform that will bring together winemakers and consumers in 15 countries.

Halvor Gregusson, co-founder of nLink, said: “This partnership combines two successful industries in the San Francisco region. The wine industry can leverage from the market communication provided by well designed applications. In return, tech-consumers will gladly spread the word about their new app when they find good tasting wine in their physical mailbox. Working with Andes Wines, which possess the logistics for branding and exporting wine, is a vital part in the future of Word of Mouth marketing.”

In the meantime, the companies have jointly begun to search for investment partners in Silicon Valley and San Francisco in order to raise around US$ 2 million in start-up capital, all the while they have begun negotiations with wineries in Chile and the United States to offer this service.

Andes Wines’ spin-off emerges as a result of the firm’s ten years of experience in the international markets after becoming the first wine marketing firm in South America, with an office in Santiago led by the company’s CEO Maximiliano Morales.

“We are currently making US$ 1 million in gross sales through our wine, beer and gourmet products sales, which motivated us to set up this ‘spin off’ due to our knowhow in selling, marketing and promoting Chilean wine abroad,” said Morales from Andes Wines”, CEO Morales said.

The agreement was signed in December 2011 in San Francisco, California, in parallel to Morales’ participation in a two-week Silicon Valley Immersion Program California, at the University of San Francisco, after being awarded a grant by Chilean economic development agency Corfo- Innova Bío Bío.

For more information, contact:

Andes Wines

andes@andeswines.com

Twitter @andeswines

(56)(2) 370 2997

Andes Wines’ sweets and pastry writer Suzanne Taylor shares her impressions about some food traditions that surround Christmas and New Year’s in Chile, and reveals a secret about the once, the quintessential Chilean meal, that will leave many wondering…

One of the best ways to learn about a different culture is to share food and drink. Some of the Christmas customs in Chile may mirror those in the north. But then when you factor in the summertime heat, it all goes south from there, but in the best way.

Let’s start with a local must be. Throughout the year, Chileans enjoy a light snack called “once” (pronounced “own-say”) in the late afternoon. At Christmas time, this snack becomes especially important because they won’t have dinner until 9-10 on Christmas Eve. Because let’s face it, no one wants to cook a turkey when it’s sweltering outside!

Rumour has it that once started long ago when men wanted to have a drink at 5pm. Happy Hour back then was considered taboo. So they devised the code word “once” which means “eleven” in Spanish and is also the exact same amount of letters in the alcohol “aguardiente”. I see a bit of a pattern here.

Now, this same alcohol is in the seasonal drink, “Cola de Mono,” or monkey’s tail. Don’t worry; no monkeys were harmed in the making of this drink. It consists of milk, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, coffee, sugar and aguardiente; it’s the equivalent to drinking eggnog.

The typical feasts include roast turkey, chicken or beef, potatoes and crisp salads. For dessert, there are fresh fruits and Pan de Pascua. Some say it is like fruit cake, but I would say that it is a closer cousin to the Italian Panettone. It is not commonly made at home because, again, who wants to spend all that time in a hot kitchen when you can be by the pool with your Cola de Mono.

However, for me it just doesn’t feel like Christmas unless there are shortbread cookies around. So I decided to give it a try here, using local ingredients…

In my defence, I can tell you that back in Calgary, I would make thousands of cookies leading up Christmas. But of course, I had a huge mixer to help. In my rented furnished apartment here in Santiago, I had a bowl and a spoon.

All I wanted to make was a small batch of cookies! At one point I started to have one of those moments… you know, one of those What was I thinking? moments, when all I had to do was look at the butter and it would melt. Not the consistency I wanted in my cookie dough.

In the end, the cookies looked great but they had a bit of a crumble problem which I rather suspect is because of the flour difference down here. I’m sure I’ll find some volunteers for my next experiment.

There are interesting food traditions that are more common for New Year’s, as well. One is eating a spoonful of lentils, which supposedly will bring prosperity in the New Year. Considering the financial crisis over the last year, better make that two spoonfuls! Also, eating 12 grapes and making a wish with each grape. Lastly, my favourite, is bringing in the New Year with a glass of champagne and a scoop of pineapple sorbet inside! Yum!

So I bid farewell to 2011, and look forward to the delicious surprises I will write about in this hot Chilean summer. A hint: think fruit!

All the best for a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Andes Wines

andes@andeswines.com

Twitter @andeswines

Andes Wines’ sweets and pastry writer Suzanne Taylor visited the VIII Andes Wines Gourmet Food and Wine Sale, the largest of its kind in Chile … and was in for a big surprise!

To many North Americans, knowledge of Chilean foods may only lead to the produce section where fruits like blueberries, blackberries, grapes and apples are abundant during the winter season. But dive a little further and you would be surprised at just how much more there is to this extremely diverse country. And why not, when you have such extremes in climate and geography from top to bottom.

You can see it for yourself at the Andes Wines Gourmet Food and Wines Sale in the Buenaventura Outlet Mall in Quilín, until December 31 at San Ignacio 500, Bodega 18, Quilicura. It was here that I found culinary gems from all different areas unique to Chile. Locally grown olive oils, cured deer meats, jams, artisan cheeses and seafood are just a few of the things you will find, not to mention amazing Chilean wine. You just have to love assignments like these!

Despite its name, the Chilean palette tends to prefer foods that are not too intense or spicy. This is not Mexico! Having said that, the indigenous people, the Mapuche, have been using their own blend of smoked dried chiles for years called “merquén.” Now this English background girl doesn’t normally appreciate really spicy things, but is has an incredible flavor that just cries out to the “asados” (barbeques in Chile.)

Because merquén is becoming more main stream, there is the introduction of other slightly spicy sauces and preserves to the Chilean kitchen such as Productos Toty. They make a wonderful chopped olive spread that comes in various levels of spiciness. This is great on crackers, in dressings for salads, sauces for roasting or with rice dishes.

Of course it wouldn’t be Chile without salt and Sal Gourmet makes a line of salt products to tempt different taste buds. Various spices, herbs or even vegetables are dried with the salt and then later ground up to produce a more flavorful and colorful salt.

Gourmet mustards, pasta de ajo, -a garlic paste that has been delicately infused with seasonings or herbs from the Island of Chiloe- as well as cebollas al Merlot (onions in a Merlot wine reduction) are just some of the examples of spreads and sauces that would enhance sandwiches, roast meats or cheese trays.

From the far south, on Isla Fresia, comes the new product of salami de ciervo from Bauser. These salamis of deer or boar would be perfect for light lunches or an enticing appetizer.

Let’s not forget the dessert course. Sweetened condensed milk or “manjar” as it is called in Chile, is almost a national treasure. It can be found in all kinds of desserts and ice creams. But the ingenious founder of Doña Vicky decided to do something different with it. She created a series of recipes that included rice, beans and fruits so that her children would eat manjar without realizing they were eating something good for them.

There are lots of preserved papayas, peaches and cherries. The day I was there, the owner of Dulce Patria was handing out samples of the syrup like dessert that has the essence of almonds with a touch of cream that just melted away on your tongue.

These were just a few of the many examples of the tastes of Chile. Being able to talk with some of the producers, you could see how proud they are of their products. The pride of Chile always comes shining through!

Of course wine is the star too, considering the 8th Wine Sale has over 35 wine brands, plus three beer brands and several spirits, tequila, vodka, whisky, etc.

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10 to 20.00, Sunday and holidays from 11 to 19.00 hrs.

Location: Avenida San Ignacio N°500, Edificio 2, Bodega 18, Quilicura, with easy access coming from Autopista Nor Oriente, Autopista Américo Vespucio Norte, Túnel San Cristóbal, Autopista 5 Norte and Carretera General San Martín.

The debate about how independent can wine critics really be added another chapter with American critic Jay Miller leaving The Wine Advocate, and both his former employer, Robert Parker, and the Institute of Master of Wine starting formal investigations on the alleged cash payments charged by Pancho Campo MW to secure access to Miller during his visit to Spanish wineries in 2011.

Miller´s decision to leave the magazine took place a few months after Decanter wine writer Jim Budd reported that winemakers in Spain were being told to pay 20,000 euros in management fees to have Miller visit their wine cellars while he toured the country during a visit organized by the Wine Academy of Spain, institution founded and directed by Campo (to read Budd’s report click here).

Budd’s extensive investigation, which revealed the e-mails that show Campo requesting Spanish winemakers to pay these fees to get Miller for a 2-day visit to their wineries and lead a wine tasting, has brought the legitimacy of the independence of wine critics to question once again.

In a public statement, Miller insisted that his departure from the magazine had been planned well before the scandal. While announcing his resignation from TWA he reiterated that he had never “accepted (or requested) fees for visiting wine regions or wineries”. He said that up until now he had felt “constrained” to respond to his critics by being part of the TWA staff. “While the office has defended my actions, justifiably, now it is time for me to speak for myself… I leave The Wine Advocate with a clear conscience,” he insisted.

Meanwhile, the publisher of the Wine Advocate and leading wine critic, Robert Parker, has defended Miller’s performance while working at the magazine, insisting that he “clearly and irrefutably has taken no money for a wine review or winery visit.”

Nonetheless, he will await the final report of the law firm Cozen O’Connor, which he asked to “determine whether our strict policy of independence in the review and tasting of wines for publication in The Wine Advocate or posting on www.eRobertparker.com was compromised by any conduct of The Wine Advocate or any other party associated with tastings in that region.”

The Institute of Masters of Wine has opened an investigation after receiving a formal complaint against Campo, as well.

Campo has denied the accusations and insisted that the management fees were destined to organized paid speeches by Miller, an not paid wine reviews.

In his blog Jim’s Loire, Budd has insisted that his reporting of these irregularities has no hidden agenda but to demonstrate how Campo was using Miller and the TWA brand for his own benefit.

He has insisted that his investigation shows “that the bodegas are being charged both for having their wines rated and assessed by Jay Miller for The Wine Advocate/erobertparker and for the opportunity to have their wines included in the master class as well as a possible visit to their bodega”.

The wine journalist has warned that “one aspect of this scandal that has yet to be explored is whether public money was used to pay Campo, The Wine Academy of Spain and Miller’s substantial lecturing fees”.

By Marta Lillo
Andes Wines Journalist

andes@andeswines.com
(56 2) 370 2997
twitter: @andeswines

Christmas always conjures up many memories and, of course me being Canadian, this usually involves snow; Santa Claus and Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer are usually factored in there as well.

This will be my second Christmas in Chile after last year, and I almost feel sorry for Santa Claus, known here as the Viejo Pascuero (Old Man Christmas). He doesn’t get top billing like he does in the northern hemisphere. There is a lot of other stiff competition out there that he is up against, not to mention having to wear that huge, heavy suit when it is more than 30 degrees outside. It’s like carrying around your own personal sauna.

It seems that in the past few years, stores in the United States and Canada have been stocking earlier and earlier for Christmas even before Halloween costumes have been decided on. But down here, decorations start to come out sometime in November and not to very much fanfare. There isn’t this barrage of commercials on TV trying to lure people to buy, buy, and buy some more. There is a scattering of decorated houses and apartments, but there are just too many other things to finish off before the end of the year.

People scurry around on their lunch hours; the streets are filled with tacos (Chilean for traffic jam). It’s enough for me to want to sit back and reach for a glass. Good thing there’s is plenty of choice for liquid refreshment in this country.

For Chile, the end of December does not only bring Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. This time of year also means end of the fiscal year for business, the start of summer holidays for students and other planning for family vacations and get-togethers. It always seems like there are not enough hours in the day. Well, imagine trying to organize Christmas parties and your child’s graduation ceremonies from school all in the same month.

To add more icing to the cake, a local university football team (that’s right America, not soccer!) has just won a major title, the South American Cup. This is like winning the Super Bowl, World Series and Stanley Cup all at once. I thought the New Year’s fireworks were being set off a little early after their win. Not to mention all the celebrating in the streets. Sorry Santa. You don’t stand a chance this year.

But no matter what side of the equator you’re on, one common factor always comes out on top. Getting together with family and friends is always what you will remember the most.

So I wish you a Merry Christmas! Stay tuned for my next column on Chilean Christmas holidays’ eating and drinking traditions, because there’s more to roasted turkey here. And for those feeling nostalgic, there’ll be a special treat for you: I will be making traditional Christmas desserts, Canuck style, using Chilean ingredients!

¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!

We introduce you to our newest addition to the Andes Wines team of writers, Canadian sweets and pastry critic Suzanne Taylor. Her mission is deliciously simple: getting to know Chile’s sweet side!

To some people it may have appeared as if I snapped and began a midlife crisis: I sold my house, fortunately at just the right time, and I quit my Baking and Pastry Arts Instructor job in Calgary, Canada, to come live in Chile. Here I am three years later, and I’m not freaking out. In fact, I am having the time of my life.

Why Chile? In my last year of teaching, it was decided that there would be a culinary tour to this long and narrow country. Something told me that I had to be on that trip. Little did I know how life changing it would be.

Initially, my plan was to go to Asia, but my first trip to Chile would alter everything afterwards. Normally, when I go on a vacation, I research the history and the area to death to make sure I understand more about the people and the culture. However, the time leading up to the end of my last school year went by so quickly that basically all I knew about Chile was that it was in the southern hemisphere, next to Argentina, and that it exports “a little bit” of wine and fruit to Canada. It would be an understatement to say that I was blown away by the rugged beauty of the landscape.

I was fortunate to see other countries in my time off, but there was that pull to keep coming back to the land of empanadas, pastel de choclo, and pisco sours.

Since that fateful first trip, I have come back several times to venture North, South and West of this long skinny country; there’s not really an “East”- you’re pretty much into Argentina then. It is a land of such extreme contrasts from the driest desert in the world in the North, to the daunting mountains of Patagonia and the mystical Moai statues on Easter Island. Every time I turn around, there is always a spot that leaves me breathless.

This time around, however, I will taste my way through Chile’s sweet side and bring my observations on the many cultural happenings that are at hand.

Because you only have to walk off the plane to notice that Chileans have a serious sweet tooth. There have been different influences throughout the years to mould the dessert scene throughout this country. Immigrants from France, Germany and Italy have brought over their style of cuisine and melded with the Chilean flavours. It seems that if there is a way to incorporate sugar into the food, the Chileans will find it. I’ll be happy to discover when they do it. So stay tuned…

Andes Wines

andes@andeswines.com

(562) 370 2997

At Andes Wines we got curious about the absence of Chilean wines from Wine Spectator’s 2011 Top 100 Wine List. This is a referential ranking among winemakers worldwide, and not being on it for the first time since 2008, when Clos Apalta 2005 from Casa Lapostolle made it to the first place, got many in the industry concerned.

Let’s go back a little. From 1988, this influential wine magazine has been reviewing wines and compiling a 100 best list reflecting significant trends, outstanding productions, and successful vintages around the world. The ranking selects four criteria: quality, value, availability, and Wine Spectator’s own excitement about the wine producer, the vintage or the region, something they call “X-factor”. In their words, “these choices reflect our editors’ judgment and passion about the wines we tasted”.

So we asked Wine Spectator executive editor Tom Matthews why Chilean wines had not raised enough passion this year. His answer was very simple and toned down: Regions rise and fall every year.

“It is not a comment on Chilean wine quality in general; it has nothing to do with the change in our lead taster; it has no larger significance at all. It reflects only our editors’ judgements about the high points in wine during the year just past. Remember, we select this list from among the more than 16,000 wines we reviewed in 2011. That’s a lot of competition for only 100 spots,” he said from his office in New York.

Matthews compared the performance of Bordeaux and Chile over the past three years to explain the situation further. “In 2009, Chile had 2 and Bordeaux had 4. In 2010, Chile had 4 and Bordeaux had 1. In 2011, Chile has none, while Bordeaux has 2. So over the three years, Chile has had 6 total wines, while Bordeaux has had 7. And in 2008, Chile earned Wine of the Year honors with Clos Apalta 2005; the last time a Bordeaux was Wine of the Year was in 2004, with a Sauternes, Chateau Riussec 2001. So you could argue that in the recent past, Chile has done just as well as Bordeaux. In the future, who knows?” he said.

There is so much the wine industry can control, adds Matthews. Much will depend on factors like vintage variation, changes in the exchange rate, shifts in consumer demand, for Chile to make it back in the list. “But I believe that Chile will continue to be a major player in the US wine market, and a significant factor in our Top 100, for many years to come”, he insisted.

Andes Wines

andes@andeswines.com

(56) 2-3702997

twitter: @andeswines

After 10 years developing wine sales & marketing strategies in Latin America, Chilean consulting firm Andes Wines will launch a “spin off” project to fuel innovation in the local winemaking, food and tourism, and entertainment businesses with the use of digital tools.

To speed up the implementation of this “Digital Laboratory”, Andes Wines’ CEO, Maximiliano Morales, will be among the Chilean entrepreneurs that will participate from December 3-16 in the Silicon Valley Immersion Program California, at the University of San Francisco, after being awarded a grant by Innova Bío Bío.

The Digital Lab’s main objective is to offer a custom-made service in the design and implementation of digital tools to improve customer relationship management initiatives as well as generate and/or increase sales using the Web as a tool. A secondary goal is to develop game applications to promote brands and businesses.

Andes Wines will implement this start-up firstly in Chile and later with clients across Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia, due to the strong expansion of Chilean wine and tourism in the international markets. The firm aims to gather more than 3,000 wineries, about 4,500 wine and food traders and more than 90,000 wine consumers and leaders of opinion in winemaking, food and tourism, and entertainment industries across the ten most important countries in those regions.

The project emerges as a result of Andes Wines’ 10 years of experience in the international markets after becoming the first wine marketing firm in South America, with an office in Santiago led by Morales and in Buenos Aires, Argentina by Gabriela Luna Romano.

“We are currently making US$ 1 million in gross sales through our wine, beer and gourmet products sales, which motivated us to set up this ‘spin off’ due to our knowhow in selling, marketing and promoting Chilean wine abroad,” said Morales from Andes Wines.

Andes Wines is currently negotiating with two potential investment partners to finance this new area of digital business, in order to raise around US$ 2 million in start-up capital.

The company’s commitment with entrepreneurship and start-up efforts in Chile has been from the start. The firm was among the city founders of the Concepción chapter of the knowledge and business network for innovation and entrepreneurship platform First Tuesday, and is now media partner to First Tuesday Santiago.

Andes Wines also started in 2011 its own start-up networking forum under the name of Wine After Office, in order to facilitate relationships and developments in leading and emerging industries, with wine tastings as the meeting point. Among the key speakers invited to this event was James Bond´s Quantum of Solace producer in Chile, Bud Theisen. Founder and CEO of Straightforward Films, Theisen provided an insightful analysis about the challenges ahead for Chile to become a strong destiny for international motion picture filmmaking.

In that sense, Andes Wines is exploring business opportunities in the promotion of Chilean wine and beer in international movie and advertising productions; among them, the creation of a film private equity fund to attract local and foreign investment to finance international motion picture productions in Chile.

Andes Wines
andes@andeswines.com
9-2197117 / (2) 370 2997