Garage Wine Co. Chile » bragging rights

Barrel maker Magreñán of Spain sending two master coopers to help repair damaged barrels in Chile– I told you so!

derek@garagewineco.cl — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:50:19 +0000

Riding shotgun earlier today I overheard that Tonelería Magreñán (Spain) is sending two master coopers to help repair damaged barrels in Chile and I can’t help but say: “I told you so”. The spirit of the Chileans to bounce back is not only gaining ground, but crossing oceans to infect international wine equipment suppliers.

The winemaker commented afterward that Teresa Magreñán had been sending barrels to Chile for more than 20 years and she knew full well just how important wine is to the Chilean economy. Two coopers have been committed to travel about southern wine country working without charge– and without power with their traditional manual tools. For the record Garage Wine Co is interested if anyone reads this. Oak is expensive and this is a great initiative. I take my hat off to the local Magreñán rep Craig Thornbury who must have had something to do with this!

What chemistry

derek — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:35:46 +0000

What chemistry, we are often asked, transpires in the bosom of our barrels where the wines slumber for a year before bottling. In truth we cannot precisely say.

It is a matter of history of course that wine is better crafted in small lots with care and attention, but why then are there so few small wineries like our coveted Garage?

It is a matter of fact, over these many years, that dark inky musts go in to our barrels and deep brooding elixirs come out.

We might perhaps find the clue with the visitors who periodically stop in to explore the matter first-hand. ‘Witchcraft’ they insist, as they polish off their cups. ‘But sorcery is just undiscovered science, and we’d like to take a few bottles with us to ponder the matter further’.

Cata de los Andes / Andean Duel of the Tannins

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:31:49 +0000

Every year in a tasting that is called the Cata de Los Andes 12 top Chilean wines face off against 12 top notch Argentines. It is a professional blind tasting of thirty winemaker judges from each side– a duel of Andean tannins as it were. This year the wine makers of G.W.Co were invited and caused a bit of a stir…

Mendoza Argentina – historic capital of Argentine wine.

It is an arduous drive from Santiago for a long weekend, (but to have flown would have been carbon footprint press disaster) and with Mendoza beef on the Bar-B-Q it made it all that much easier. Thus we set out in cahoots with brethren from Nativa & Lurton Chile.

The tasting was fascinating with multiple varieties and and super software that tabulated in real time and published instantly the names of the highest and lowest scores so as to create polemic and comaraderie whilst the next wine was served up.

The biggest surprises: a Chilean Carignan, three Carmeneres with honours (90+) an Argentine Malbec blend with a top score and an Argentine S Blanc curve.

…and a special thanks goes out to whoever started the rumur that one of our wines was in the final 12!

Garage Wine would like to thank Mariana Martinez for the invite and a special thanks goes out to whoever started the rumor that one of our wines was in the final 12 selected because whilst it was not true it certainly made our weekend.

Muy wueno el Wain! New Wine Mag has great attitude

admin — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:22:24 +0000

We take off our hat to Alejandro Jimenez and the team at “Wain” the newly released wee-nay magay-zeenay. First issue is chock a block full of wines, industry anecdotes (Who’d have thought the Rolling Stones would finally break into wine only to release a Canadian Ice Wine?) ah, and good to eats too. What is notable [read gobstopping] is the mag’s tone, and lack of pretension. It is as fresh as Sauvignon from Limarí. At long last a much needed dose of Bonny Doon found it’s way to Chile! Heaven’s to Mergatroid! Take the blazers off folks, you wouldn’t want to stain those worsted cuffs!

Sad Note : be sure to check out “Wain” in print, because it’s web [no link intended ] is the same old uninspired flash®-wank our wine industry is famous for.

Sacamos el sombrero para Alejandro Jimenez y el equipo de “Wain” — la nueva revista de “weeneh” recien lanzada. El primer numero está lleno de vinos, datos y ricas cochinadas para comer. Lo que marca es su tono, notoriamente menos pretensióso– una frescura como si fuera de Limarí! Wow, una dosis de Bonny Doon llegó a Chile por fin! Sacan sus blazers para verlo por favor!

Nota : vale verlo en papel porque su web [sin link para salvarles el sufrimiento] es una paja en flash igualita a casi todas en nuestra querida industria como siempre.

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