Mariana Martinez (photo courtesy of Mariana Martinez)

For wine journalist and Planetavino editor Mariana Martinez, certain exquisite experiences in life are priceless.

Like savoring shellfish with Sauvignon Blanc by the seashore in her adopted country, Chile.

“There is not a culinary pleasure bigger than that. Just go to a fish market at the beach, buy your fresh seafood, take it home, cook it by yourself, prepare it as you please, and uncork Chilean wine and enjoy … And if you are in front of the beach, it’s just fantastic.”

Argentinean-born Martinez was raised in Uruguay, earned a Communications degree in Caracas, Venezuela, and worked as a model in Europe for one year, before settling in Chile, where she studied for a wine diploma at Santiago’s Andrés Bello University and then became a professional Sommelier.

Taking a simple wine class to guide tours in the Maule Valley inspired Martinez to learn about wine – a harmonious progression, given her prior interest in agronomy, photography and nature. A subsequent job as an assistant for a Chilean sommelier led to a position as webmaster for Planetavino, paving the way for a successful career communicating her passion for wine.

“It was this movement of life that you cannot see,” she reflects, “but it’s all very well planned … You don’t know what it means in the moment, but then … you see backwards and you see why things happened.”

In Martinez’s case, she sees clearly now that it was this movement of life that brought her to a natural paradise in Chile, where she happily enjoys every opportunity to immerse herself in beautiful landscapes, from the country’s northern deserts to southern glacial lakes:

“I love the sea, all the seacoast … I just love the nature. I love the north, San Pedro de Atacama. I love the south, the lakes, it’s so beautiful. La Cordillera, I love La Cordillera, it’s just amazing. All the dry farming – “secano” – from the south, everywhere you see, it’s just so unique.”

Continues Martinez, “I prefer to take my own pictures and I love to travel, so those were the things I liked to do, and life gave me a way to have all of them in my work. I wanted to work in the nature, I love plants, and that’s what I do now. I love to visit the vineyards, talk with the people, take pictures, learn about what they are doing.”

In addition to perpetually learning on the job, Martinez adores working as a wine educator and familiarizing her students with the intricacies of wine. As Chief of Education for Chilean wine superstore Mundo del Vino, she hosts classes for company employees and consumers, along with a variety of tastings and events.

Due to her Argentinean heritage, Martinez occasionally finds herself in the midst of the friendly rivalry between two prominent South American wine industries. Each year she organizes a blind tasting of Chilean and Argentinean wines with a friend from Argentina, selecting the Chilean wines for the tastings and always cheering for Chile.

“I just want Chile to win,” she enthuses. “I’ve been here in the industry for twelve years now, so I really want Chile to succeed!”

And Chile is well on the way to success, both in the industry and in the vineyards, according to Martinez.

As a sommelier, she is especially pleased about the increasing popularity of the country’s sparkling wines as an aperitif over the previously-favored sugar- and alcohol-laden pisco sour. She also hopes to see more restaurants offering by-the-glass wine pairing with each course at meals.

Furthermore, Martinez compares the evolution of Chilean winemaking to Europe’s longstanding viticulture, pointing out that the recent generations of Chile’s vintners were born and raised among the family vines, giving them a distinct passion for winemaking, innovation and quality that is evident in the bottle.

“I think that’s great because that’s what you see in Europe – 10 generations, 5 generations ahead,” she notes. “For [European winemakers] there is no other way to live. So they really have to protect the land. It’s something that they do for the next generation.

“When they plant, they plant for the next generation, not for them,” Martinez continues. “That’s something that we have to learn [in Chile], and I think that’s very interesting, that it’s happening, because it’s moving and it’s making people think different, take more care, and be more passionate at the same time.”

As an ardent nature-lover, Martinez commends the Chilean wine industry’s initiatives towards responsible agriculture and sustainability.

“The most delicate resource that Chile has is the nature,” she says.

And since nature produces Chile’s inimitable terroirs, the land is an especially precious resource for the country’s wineries.

“The nature gives the uniqueness to the wines,” urges Martinez. “When you really want wines to express place, you need time, you need passion … we have done a lot; we have progressed a lot in 30 years …

“Because we have done so much, [I know] we are going to do much more. We are just learning. We are in a progress, a work in progress, that’s why it’s so exciting – it’s moving, it’s alive, very alive, and you can say that it’s a little baby, it’s doing great things, but once it will [be an adult] and balanced, be prepared, because it’s going to be great. I think it’s fantastic!”

Like Martinez’s meaningful life path – which pulled her to a central position from which to observe and experience Chile’s growth in this exciting period of transition – the Chilean wine industry is building a history and a worldwide legacy that will one day be recorded, recognized and understood with a backward gaze.

Mariana Martinez is participating in this legacy by telling Chile’s story as it happens, through her ongoing work as a wine journalist with a singular voice and zealous appetite for her job.

In addition to communicating through Planetavino and other media outlets and tasting venues, Martinez plans to return to radio broadcasting next year with a new show about Chilean wine. She also hopes to produce a second edition of her popular wine dictionary, “El Vino de la A a la Z.”

Keep track of Martinez’s activities and work by following her on Twitter – @MyMentrecopas.

“My host family made a small amount of wine for their home, and this is what initially led me to the industry,” she recalls. “Being from a mountain town in the Sierra Nevadas of California, I had not been exposed to people living so closely to the source of their food before; our winters would not permit it. In Italy, I fell in love with the romance of it all. As I aged, I fell in love with the taste [of wine].”

Desmond’s fascination with wine evolved into a career, as she achieved a variety of prestigious academic honors, including earning a Diploma in Wine and Spirits from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, and attending the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Bra, Italy.

Jennifer Desmond, Wines of Chile New York Brand Ambassador (photo from jenniferdesmond.com)

Desmond specializes in event planning, and has worked with a variety of reputable wineries and wine producers to facilitate superior gastronomic experiences. Furthermore, as the Brand Ambassador for Wines of Chile in New York, Desmond now promotes Chilean wine with pleasure.

“I just recently started working with Chilean wines, and am honored to be able to represent them in New York,” she says. “My job is to spread the word about Chile’s greatness to accounts in the city.”

Desmond is incredibly passionate about spreading the word on Chile’s quality, and notes that “Chile has evolved tremendously over the past decade, and the wines are becoming very, very good.”

“Chilean winemakers are starting to harness the potential for Chilean wines,” she continues, “through better understanding of the climate and terroir. With time I believe that they will rival some of the greatest regions in the world.”

Throughout her professional activities, Desmond continuously encounters positive feedback about Chile’s wines.

“Many of our customers are just beginning to realize that Chile is producing first class wine,” she notes. “For so many years it was a region known for bulk production, which is an unfortunate hurdle we have to overcome.”

With Jennifer’s active and enthusiastic representation in New York, Chilean wines will continue to be exceptionally endorsed and distributed, but if you find yourself in NYC, Desmond recommends visiting Riverpark restaurant for a first-hand taste of Chilean wine along with a fantastic cuisine.

“Shisha, the chef and owner, is Chilean and he has an excellent selection of Chilean wines,” she raves. “Plus his food is sublime!”

Although she hopes to visit Chile for the first time next year, Desmond is utterly keen on Chile, Chilean wine, and her new position with Wines of Chile. “Chile has the world’s most perfect growing climate,” she emphasizes. “Period.”

This romantic relationship between the wine and the natural environment has been Desmond’s primary inspiration as a wine professional.

“It’s all about the connection to the soil for me,” Desmond says.  “It’s earthy and grounded to work with something you make from soil, which stirs me.”

“I grew up in the video arcade my mother owned,” explains Dexheimer. “And my grandmother owned a golf course, with pizza and go-carts, which gave me good tools to be a people person and do different things in the entertainment industry.”

Later, working in restaurants, Dexheimer quickly found that knowledge of wine engaged his guests and enticed them to tip well for his expertise. He climbed the industry ladder quickly, working in (and later managing) wine cellars, bars and restaurants from Nantucket to New York, and ravenously reading wine literature to learn the trade.

“The wine community is awesome!” he insists.

Working with such an awesome community inspired Dexheimer to pursue certification as a Master Sommelier, which required dedicated study and completion of a rigorous testing program.

“I took the [first level] exam in 2001,” recalls Dexheimer. “It was very different back then. It is still very difficult [today], but there was a smaller community [in 2001], and no online stuff.”

The greater challenge began with the advanced portion of the program. In 2003, Dexheimer passed the advanced exam after being given 25 minutes to taste six wines blindfolded and accurately identify the grape blends, regions of origin, climate conditions, quality levels, and vintages. This was followed by a service exam testing practical skills like decanting and food pairing, and a theory exam.

“It was pretty darn tough!” Dexheimer declares.

The final hurdle to becoming a Master was even more difficult, but Dexheimer passed the last test in 2007, earning the honor of becoming the 79th Master Sommelier in the United States.

Dexheimer is now involved in numerous professional activities, including his role as Wines of Chile Educator.  He delivers frequent seminars and travels to speaking and teaching engagements worldwide as an industry expert and a connoisseur of Chilean wine.

“There are infinite possibilities for [wine in] Chile,” Dexheimer urges, noting Chile’s “vast places to plant, with ongoing discovery of new places, and the fact that some vineyards aren’t even making wine yet.”

Dexheimer’s work as an educator supports Wines of Chile’s goal to promote third-tier wines in the 15-30 dollar range. “Those are the best wines now, varietal and New World styles,” he says. “Those wines are exciting!”

“People are really wowed once they taste Chile’s wines, so it’s important to get people tasting the wines,” continues Dexheimer.”They are blown away by one or two in every tasting.”

To ensure that Chile’s reputation for quality continues to spread with unrelenting momentum, Dexheimer is “hitting almost every part of the industry,” including forging professional relations with prominent wine makers, instructing terroir classes in six different US cities, forming a recent partnership with the Guild of Sommeliers, showcasing Chile’s “serious Pinot Noirs” and other promising varieties, and organizing Wines of Chile’s Blogger Tasting, held online with 50 bloggers and eight wine makers, including an online chat, twitter feed, and recipes for food pairing.

In his remaining time, Dexheimer also owns his own consultancy business, Juiceman Consulting.

Needless to say, he is a busy (but satisfied) Master Sommelier. However, Dexheimer still manages to relax and savor Chilean wine at his home.

“I like sushi with Sauvignon Blancs, tuna or hamachi” he says, “and Pinot Noir with burgers and lighter food. Sometimes I cook an amazing bolognaise with Carmenere, of course pairing it with the Carmenere.”

Dexheimer advises wine and food lovers that steakhouses in United States are “doing a great job of putting Chilean wines on lists; Cabernets, Carmeneres, Syrahs and blends go really well.” He also recommends “seafood with Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays from the coast with ceviches and seafood platters. And Latin food is great with Chilean wines.”

In the midst of such an exciting and mouthwatering career, Dexheimer is especially glad for opportunities to travel and make connections. “[The wine industry] is a great network of people from all walks of life, all different backgrounds and interests,” he says. “Getting into a room with chefs and sommeliers, you never know what books, music, films will be discussed, where they’ve traveled, what they went to school for.”

“This is an infinite learning experience,” he muses. “The more you know, the less you know, and the less you know you know. The journey never stops!”

Fred Dexheimer, Master Sommelier and Wines of Chile Educator (photo by Matt Wilson)

Basket of El País grapes

Varieties once thought extinct and old strains never truly developed are being given a new lease on life by a bold generation of Chilean viticulturalists.

With its Mediterranean climate and Spanish heritage, Chile is home to some of the oldest vines in the world and the oldest vineyards in the New World.  Once a colony at the farthest edges of an empire, Chile today harbors viticultural artifacts that have been lost and forgotten by many winemakers around the world.

Now, a new generation of visionary winemakers is bringing these long lost strains back to life, creating startlingly unique, complex and bold wines.

It all began in 1994 when Chilean winemakers rediscovered Carmenere, a grape believed to be the forebear of many of today’s established reds, but which was wiped off the face of the Old Continent after a Phylloxera epidemic in the 19th century.

The subsequent development of Carmenere in Chile has done more than give the country a signature wine; it has inspired a hunt for other forgotten strains in Chile’s vineyards and fostered the reimagination of strains that have traditionally been relegated to lesser quality production.

At the forefront of this enological treasure hunt has been a group of innovative winemakers in the Maule Valley, Chile’s oldest wine growing region.

José Manuel Ortega is the Spanish-born banker-turned-wine entrepreneur behind O.Fournier. After establishing vineyards in Spain and Argentina, the company looked to Chile to expand its range of unique, terroir-oriented wines.

“After many years searching the distinct regions of Chile, we are really enthusiastic about the Maule Valley,” Ortega told Wines of Chile.

Ortega explained that it was partly due to Maule’s soil and climate, noting that the area’s “sufficient rains and hot, dry summers with cold nights” drew O.Fournier to the valley.

But there was another factor that enticed the winemaker to overlook the nearby Colchagua Valley, the current darling of Chile’s wine regions.

“We also found a significant quantity of old vineyards containing a variety of different strains,” said Ortega. “Carignan has impressed us the most up to this point.”

Grown for centuries as a means to add color and taste to low-quality blends, the Carignan grape, as Maule Valley producers have recently discovered, transforms as it ages, acquiring a distinct and complex aroma.

“It’s a surprising and original variety,” Ortega said, “with some exotic aromas that tend to be very ageable in wine blends. We think it has the potential to be the queen of Chilean grapes, surpassing even Carmenere in quality.”

Aside from reviving old varieties, vineyards like O.Fournier are also experimenting with new techniques in wine growing.

“Another very interesting possibility [in the Maule Valley] is to graft onto old El País grapevines  more refined and recognized varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Carignan, among others. In O. Fournier we decided to graft an El País vineyard with these varieties,” said Ortega, “with excellent results.”

Meanwhile still other vineyards have different plans in store for their El País grape strain — known as Mission in other parts of the world — which were first brought to Chile by the conquistadores.

Miguel Torres, of the Miguel Torres Chile vineyard, speaks passionately about the history of the grape. “The País variety could be related to the Listán Prieto that is found in the Canary Islands,” Torres told Wines of Chile.

Torres explained how the grape, so thoroughly entwined with wine growing in the country, came to fall out of fashion.

“Until the arrival of Claudio Gay in 1810, the reign of País was indisputable,” he said. “Claudio Gay – a French expert agronomist – brought varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, considered to be more ‘noble’, and clearly began an unstoppable tendency of planting this French variety.”

“Still, País, without a doubt, constituted the Chilean red wine par excellence, which is mixed with Cabernet and at times with Carignan to improve the final color of the wine.”

Though País remains common in Chile, Torres said, with between 12,000 and 15,000 hectares planted, “the price of the variety was dropping inexorably as it was no longer used in wines denominated as ‘premium’ or consumed in varietal wines.”

But no longer – Torres has been at the forefront of a project that is making Chilean growers and world consumers rethink previous conceptions of the variety.

Aside from creating a truly Chilean wine, the project also aimed at improving the income of

small time producers.

“This variety is planted in general by a great number of lower-income Chilean families who lack the resources to invest in other varieties or to invest in their vineyards,” explained Torres. “These families have carried these vines, in some cases, for up to 200 years.”

In order to salvage the vine’s image and raise incomes for these working-class families, Torres and his partners decided to try a different approach with the País grape.

“We experimented for four years and our technical team, headed by Fernando Almeda, did extraordinary work. Basically we learned how to handle this variety as a sparkling [pink] wine.”

Local farmers grow and harvest the País grapes and sell them to the vineyard, receiving fair prices and, most importantly, restoring faith in the grape that Torres says is “undoubtedly the most Chilean (grape) we have.”

The Fair Trade certification for the project’s hallmark Santa Digna Estelado wine moreover “guarantees a higher price for the farmers and a portion of that price goes to social projects in the community.”

In 2011, Santa Digna Estelado won Wines of Chile’s best sparkling wine award.

But for Torres, the significance of the award goes beyond his vineyard, and even beyond the benefit to small time producers.

“For me, this is not only a project focused on quality and people, but also on the recovery of the history of Chilean viticulture,” he said.

The Maule Valley may be at the forefront of this forward looking generation of winemakers, but it is by no means the only region leading the charge.

As new vineyards spring up in desert oases in Atacama and at the foothills of volcanoes in Osorno, creating vibrant new identities, Chile’s historic valleys of Maipo, Colchagua and Curicó are also looking back to their roots and coming up with flavors that are as fresh and exciting as they are ancient.

Chile's Wine Ambassador Rebecca Chapa hard at work in San Francisco, California.

In this series of interviews with the major players in Chile’s centuries-old industry, Wines of Chile gets an inside look at the ins and outs of winemaking and sales, from the grape harvests in southern Chile to the wine list at New York’s hottest restaurants.

Wine grapes have been a staple of Chile’s valleys ever since the arrival of the Spaniards. Yet in recent decades, the nation’s wine industry has transformed from a young New World producer into a burgeoning source of luscious, award-winning varietals, emphasizing sustainability and premium wines and exporting to five continents around the globe.

Today we talk to Rebecca Chapa, Chile’s premier Wine Ambassador in the Bay Area, about the delicious diversity that Chilean wines have to offer the U.S. market.

In March 2011, Chapa teamed up with Wines of Chile with one goal in mind: to bring the best of Chilean wines to San Francisco’s bars, restaurants and retail stores. With a passion for good wine and a degree from Cornell University, Chapa embarked on a career in wine and food, soon becoming a Certified Wine Educator and Certified Sommelier, with a diploma from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust in London.

“Most consumers and sommeliers don’t realize that there is incredible diversity within Chile,” Chapa says. “The multitude of regions, climates [and] soil types ensure that there is a wealth of different styles of wine, something for every palate.”

As part of her job as “Wine Ambassador,” Chapa also works to expose people to the rich and wonderful world of Chilean cuisine and culture, adding another facet to enjoying a good Chilean wine.

“The best part of the job is when I find someone super excited about the wine they taste and see the smile on their face, having experienced something new or learning something about Chile they didn’t know,” Chapa says.

You work in California’s cosmopolitan Bay Area, steps away from one of the world’s best-known wine regions. What attracted to you working with Chilean wines?

I think it’s exciting working with these unique wines. Although we are surrounded by great wine throughout California, the wines of Chile are really unique. I find that it’s exciting to taste the same varieties grown in a different country and find that there really is a typicity to Chilean wines – they are completely unique from what is grown here in California and both have a reason to be on a wine list or on a shelf.

What do you think sets apart Chile’s wine region and wines from those in Napa Valley?

Chile has been doing some really exciting cool climate wines, some exciting blends and great whites. I would say the Chilean wines have a certain vibrancy while Napa wines can be a bit more dense. I have had fun doing some blind tastings with sommeliers and slipping a Napa wine in the mix — it’s unmistakable, not better or worse, just different.

You work with restaurant and bar owners to promote and inform them about Chilean wines. What is the most common misconception they have about Chilean wine?

Most people expect that Chilean wines because they are a good value can’t hold up to California wines in terms of quality. They also assume that Chilean wines are rich and fat, while the cool climate areas [like Chile’s Casablanca and San Antonio valleys] are really creating some exciting very vibrant high acid wines.

Say I live in the Bay Area. Where should I go for a good selection of Chilean wines, and a staff who can guide me to best choice for my tastes?

Epic Roasthouse has brought in a wide selection of Chilean wines, which is great. Weimax in the Peninsula has a great selection right now for a retailer.

The Bay Area and San Francisco specifically is known for its diversity in food and nightlife. What popular types of food in the Bay Area pair well with Chile’s finest?

Chilean wine can be truly diverse, so the food options are endless. The whites can be fantastic with oysters and shellfish. A favorite of mine is Carmenere with barbecue. We actually had a great dinner at a Brazilian Churrascaria – (the Carmenere) was fabulous with everything from beef to chicken hearts!

Jay Miller tasting Chilean wines for The Wine Advocate

It’s lunchtime and Jay Miller is halfway through his third and final day of tasting 550 Chilean wines. The man who has earned Robert Parker’s full confidence over the course of 30 years and a thousand tastings is relaxed as he picks at a bit of smoked salmon and confesses that yes, he likes to eat well, but often on these trips eager hosts ply him with enormous meals that leave him groggy and overfed. And he still has another hefty round of wines to work through in the afternoon.
Miller—or rather Dr. Miller—bucked a long career in clinical psychology for the allure of the wine world, and he is often asked if he ever regrets it. “It was the best thing I ever did,” he responds categorically. “I spent years telling my patients that if they didn’t like what they were doing, they should do something else. Finally it was time for me to take my own advice.”

Miller caught the wine bug in 1978 while still in college. He worked in a Maryland wine shop where Robert Parker was a customer. Parker, then an attorney, was just starting his now influential publication, The Wine Advocate, and would invite Miller to join him in his tastings. Today it is Miller’s voice-or rather nose and palate-that pronounce the Parker ratings for wines from Chile, Argentina, Australia, Spain, Oregon, Washington, and on occasion, vintage Ports. “Fortunately for me, these are the areas that make the kinds of wines that I like.” He’s clearly a contented man.

On Tasting Technique

What are you looking for as you taste and score wines?

I look for what’s good. Winemakers tend to look for flaws, and wine competitions favor clean, pristine wines rather than wines with personality. I’m looking for pleasure. I’m looking for the Wow factor, for something extraordinary. A 100-point wine is an experience, a Zen concept—words only diminish it—but when it happens, you know it.

Why don’t you taste blind?
It’s just not practical for the number of wines I taste per session. I taste by producer, and go through line by line, which is more efficient for making my notes.

When you taste wines, are you thinking about their place with food?
No, not really. Sometimes I get a clear idea of a good food to pair it with, but I’m not necessarily thinking about food when I’m tasting. I’m looking for pleasure in the wine itself.

The Wines

You’re winding up your marathon tastings in Chile, what conclusions are you coming to?
Cabernet Sauvignon is strong, with a wide range of wines and price points and good quality throughout. Chilean Cabernet owes more to Bordeaux than it does to California. Thankfully there are not as many fruit bombs here. And the icons deserve to be icons. They’re great and evolve beautifully. Take Don Melchor, for example, or Antiguas Reservas-I recently tasted Antiguas Reservas back to the 1968 vintage and they were splendid!

Top Chilean Sommelier Ricardo Grellet serves Jay Miller

There have been dramatic changes in Carménère in recent years, and when it’s good, it’s really good! The $8–$10 range is now much better and no longer green at all. On past trips I’ve given the highest scores to Terrunyo Carménère, and yes, I’m a fan of Clos Apalta.

Chile makes very good Syrah, and handles the different styles well, although commercially it’s difficult to sell in the US, where Cabernet is still the King. Sure, people know Shiraz, from Australia, but don’t understand that Syrah is the same thing.

Pinot Noir was a surprise for me when I came for the Wines of Chile Annual Awards in 2006, and I continue to be pleasantly surprised.

Chilean Malbec was also a nice surprise. It’s very different from Argentina’s Malbec, with more red fruit, more claret-like.

The Crisis

Chilean wine has long been known for its excellent value for money ratio. Now that the economic crisis is upon us, what effect do you see this having on Chilean wine?
Wine drinking has gone up since the crisis began. Although restaurant sales are down 30%, retail sales are up in volume. People are staying in and drinking at home. Retail sales are quite strong now in the USD $10–$20 range, and now, instead of buying 1 bottle, people are buying 2 or 3. This is an excellent opportunity for Chile and record sales are predicted. Chile is perfectly positioned for today’s economic situation.

Chile, land of diversity

Chile has a very broad range of wines and styles, and its entry level wines are solid, so it’s easy to get customers to try something new and to move up to a better wine. Countries such as Australia and Argentina have made the mistake of concentrating too much on one varietal at the expense of diversity. Australia’s cheap “critter wines” have hurt its credibility, and consumers are reluctant to invest in a more expensive bottle. In Argentina’s case, people associate it with Malbec and nothing else, so it has locked itself into a niche.

Do you visit wineries and meet with winemakers when you travel?
Yes. This time I will go to San Antonio, Bio Bio and Elqui. I want to see these new D.O.s where these new wines are coming from.

** Interview and photos by Margaret Snook for Wines of Chile, March 2009