Santiago – Chile

Wine, a Hill, and a Depressed Surfer

Carmenère vines at the Concha y Toro vineyard

Before our arrival in Chile’s capital city we had made a reservation at the Castillo Surfista Hostel, and we were pleasantly surprised on our arrival at a large, characterful house a 10-minute walk from the city centre. We were greeted by the owner, a tall, blond-haired Californian; clearly the surfer in the Surfista hostel. Only something was wrong. We had expected the convivial, mellow stereotype; all relaxed, affable greetings and enthusiasm. This surfer was introverted, softly spoken, with a feint air of defeat surrounding him.

Despite this, he was eminently helpful, and the hostel was clean, well run, and had a great atmosphere. On our first night there the guests all gathered for a barbecue. We prepared large slabs of marinated sirloin and pork, and as we were slowly roasting these over the coals I had a chance to chat to our host. I asked why he had chosen to set up a “Surfista” hostel so far from the sea, and in his answer I perhaps caught a glimpse of what had laid this surfers mood so low. “Its a good spot,” he said in his slow monotone, “all the surfers pass through here… on their way to the sea.” It was the sad, wistful quality to his voice as he said “…on their way to the sea.” that gave it away. He was pining for the waves, cast adrift on an urban island by a business plan, and unable to tear himself free and follow his hearts desire.

View over Santiago from Cerro San Cristóbal.

The following morning we climbed Cerro San Cristóbal, a hill in central – northern Santiago. It was a sweaty climb in the morning sun, but by then we were getting used to them. The summit offered panoramic views across Chile’s capital, spoilt only slightly by the semi-permanent grey-brown cloud of smog which hangs over the city.

In the afternoon, way of relaxation after our exploits that morning, we travelled a short distance out of Santiago to the Concha y Toro vineyard, where, among other brands, Casillero del Diablo in produced. We were joined by two fellow guests from our hostel, Mari and Martina, and two of Mari’s friends Rebecca and Guy. Our journey via the Santiago Metro was enlivened somewhat by a troop of buskers who joined our carriage and proceeded to belt out several South American classics on a combination of vocals, acoustic guitar, accordion, and trumpet.

Reaching our station bouyed by samba spirit we took a short cab ride to the vineyard, and began our tour. We took in the beautiful grounds to start with ,and were then lead to the vines themselves. We could see (and taste) a huge variety of grapes, which were merrily ripening in the Chilean sun, but we were guided toward one in particular; Carménère. After being wiped out by a virulent plague in europe the Carménère grape was thought to be extinct, however, almost by accident the grape survived in Chile, and for a long time was mistakenly thought to be Merlot.

Us with Mari, Martina, Rebecca, and Guy at the Concha Y Toro winebar.

After sampling some more grapes we were given our first opportunity to taste Concha Y Toro’s produce. We were given a chilled glass of white; Trio Reserva, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Blanc. After sloshing this back with, of course, the requisite pauses to nod sagely as we studied it’s colour, aroma, and floral notes, we continued into the cellars where large oak barrels slowly flavour Concha y Toro’s famous reds. We were even taken down into the depths where the “Devil’s Cellar” holds the most special bottles which are available for shareholders only. Once back at ground level we were poured another taster, this time a full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. Again, we pondered the wine’s subtleties and we gulped it down unceremoniously. The tour concluded, and the six of us purchased a great bottle of Carmenere from the adjoining wine bar and sat enjoying it in the afternoon sun.

Our last day in Santiago was spent exploring the city on foot, taking in the central square and several historic landmarks. Then, the morning after a disappointingly bland Indian take away, it was then time to board a bus and head for the port city of Valparaíso.