In our neck of the woods, vineyards are being pruned and readied to bear the crop that will be the 2024 vintage, which will be harvested in about 7 months. In Chile and other Southern Hemisphere countries, the 2024 harvest is happening now. It’s not late winter there, it’s late summer. So let’s celebrate the harvest in Chile with a bottle of Chilean wine. There are many wonderful choices at good values. A favorite of mine is the Vina Santa Rita Medalla Real Gold Medal Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery was started just outside of the country’s capital, Santiago, in the late 1800s. The wines have won all kinds of awards and accolades through the years, and this one is so named because, in 1987, at what’s called the Paris Wine Olympics, a 1984 vintage scored higher than 35 other Cabernet Sauvignons from around the world to come out on top. It put the quality of Chilean wines on the world wine map, where it has rightfully stayed. Now, 40 years later, the wine is still an outstanding Cab, with big dark fruit notes and elegant tannins and the classic hints of tobacco and licorice that distinguish a heady Cab. It’s 13.5% ABV, so it’s also very food friendly. If a comfort-food dinner of pot roast or stew or a simple steak are in your weekend plans, this is the bottle that will pair perfectly and help you feel the warmth of the Southern Hemisphere on a dreary March day.
