May 21, 2007 at 10:08 am · Filed under Chilean appellations, Elqui Valley, Chilean white wines, Semi-sweet wine Chile
Cavas del Valle Vineyard Presentation:
“This is a ‘Late Harvest’ type of wine, in which the Muscat grape is harvested in a highly mature state, in the middle of autumn, giving rise to a fruity and slightly sweet wine, with an aroma of sunsoaked grapes, especially appropriate for aperitifs.”
SurVino:
We had the good fortune to try this wine in the vineyard itself (at the foot of the mountain). It was in the morning, and therefore the coolness of the night ensured it was at the perfect temperature for tasting. At first sight, its attractive amber colour lent by the Rose Muscat grape makes it stand out from other Muscatel wines, which are generally of yellow tones (since the white varieties are more common). Its aroma and taste are very delicate and silky. Its understated sweetness allows the appreciation of a range of tones depending on our own capacities. Highly recommended.
Chilean wine for share
May 18, 2007 at 4:45 pm · Filed under Chilean appellations, Elqui Valley, Chilean white wines, Semi-sweet wine Chile
Description of the wine:
Pajarete is a product of high quality sweet fermentation of the Chilean grape must. It is characterised by its sweet taste, with a moderated but deceptive alcoholic content, viscous, of a pale cinnamon colour, semi-sparkling, aromatic and flavourful. “Pajarete” is a name which comes from “pajar” – haystack – and the name was made popular by the Spanish.
It began to be produced under the name Huancara by the CAPEL cooperative, in honour of the village of this name in the Elqui Valley, where the congregation in around 1670, would have produced this wine commercially, in those days known as ‘mercedario’, taking advantage of the particular characteristics of the grape grown in the region: sweet, juicy, very pure and of a good size.
However the history of Pajarete is more associated with the story of Huasco, as recounted in the articles of the folklore researcher Oreste Plath and the researcher and naturalist Claudio Gay. In effect, in the immediate surroundings of the current town of Vallenar, the Jesuits brought the production techniques for ‘pajarete’ from Spain. The presence of the Jesuits in the province of Huasco began first in Horcón Quemado (currently San Félix) with the presnce of Don Jerónimo Ramos de Torre, from the Carmen Valley. Don Jeronimo established himself in El Rosario, at few kilometres distance from Horcón Quemado, he gave provisions and protected many Spanish and produced Pajarete wine and spirits. This sector of the province has been called ‘the valley of the Spanish’ for a long time.
The Jesuits also established themselves in other sectors of the Huasco Region, for example, apart from Horcon Quemado, they installed themselves in El Maiten to the East of Vallenar and in the mining sector of La Jarilla, to the north.
SurVino:
The term ‘pajarete’ of this wine, no doubt links it to the Malaga Pajarete from Andalucia, Spain. The sun and maturity of the grapes are the primary resources in common. An interesting research theme would be the real relationship between these wines. Both are semisweet with a medium alcoholic content, 15-16º (although in Malaga there are wines with less than 15º alcohol content), but very probably the grape varieties and wine producing techniques are substantially different.
Chilean wine for share
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