One day - Three wine regions

Today three wine regions were visited, leaving Maule:
-Curico
-Colchagua
-Cachapoal

Curico wine region
This was a region where I had initially intended to spend a night, if it wasn't for finding a place to stay. Doing some research, it seems this wasn't a bad thing, as all wineries required reservations - some days in advance.

First winery attempt - success!
Unless there was a sign on the road, we were ready to give up on the region. Lo and behold, a sign! So we turned off Ruta 5 and ventured towards San Pedro.

Much to the travel guide's chagrin, the winery did not need reservations, and were able to provide tastings. Very welcoming, they also have a great wine store with a varied selection.

Travel books
I've used the travel books as a bit of a reference point to help guide me through all the wineries. However, with the earthquake we've found it to not be very reliable. It is amazing how things have changed in the year.

Second attempts - failure and success
Since it was on the way, and since we knew the situation, we gave Casa Silva another try.

Before going there, we went back to its next-door-neighbour: Santa Helena. This time it was 1pm, so surely it couldn't be closed. But of course not - it was closed once again. Done with Santa Helena.

So we went over to Casa Silva for a highly-rated lunch. Of course there was no pairing option, but even worse, you couldn't buy wine by the glass. So I settled upon a Syrah, which was greatly disappointing. Plain, medium body, red fruits, it tasted like an average table wine.

For lunch were mini "beef jerky" empanadas, which were good. The salad was supposed to have pears, but when we asked why they were missing they just shrugged that they were out (of course still charging us the same amount for a partial salad...). The beef tartar was overly spiced and didn't have enough "bread toasts" to accompany it. Finally, the "mixed grill" comprised entirely of sausages, which we expected more mixing of meats and veggies.

Third attempt - fail
With our third region at the side of the road, we made a turn and headed towards a well-signed road. First, Chateau Los Boldos, which was closed to tours/tastings...as far as we could make out in Spanish.

Fourth attempt - success!
So we kept down the road and headed towards Anakena. Now, originally the plan was to go to Altair, but with the winery there it was good enough. We walked in and were welcomed warmly, and enjoyed a nice tasting. I had recognized the name and know that we can get some of the wines at home. But for someone who has a goal of two wineries a day, this was an added bonus.

Cabernet Sauvignon please
I've discovered over the past year that I'm a fan of syrah and of blends. The latter is more rare here, and back home I found success. However, here, it has really been hit or miss. (Much like Carmenere) But the Cabernet Sauvignon has been mostly a hit. Lesson learned - go with the cab.

Roaming dogs
In Argentina there were roaming dogs, but they were generally well-fed. At the start of this trip, it seemed about the same. But in the last couple of places there seem to be more street dogs than I'd like to see. It breaks my heart to see such well-mannered dogs not being treated well that we would like to take them all home. Instead, we do what we can by feeding them tidbits from our meals and hoping that a little goes a longer way.

I love air conditioning
After two nights in unairconditioned rooms, wilting like a flower, the air conditioned room was a welcome treat. So good-bye sticky apathy, and hello to enjoying the cool breeze like a dog sticking its head out the window! Simple pleasures.