Wine Man of the Year

This man is Eduardo Chadwick, and was recently named Decanter Magazine’s Wine Man of the Year.  He is one of the reason’s Chilean wine has hit the world stage.  The reason I’m telling you this, is that we can get some of his magnificent wines here in Canada.  An Industrial Engineer by trade, and learning about wine from both his father and studying in Bordeaux, this pioneer of wine set out to prove that wines coming out of Chile were of the finest quality and feels the best is yet to come.  Let’s take a look at some of the wines Eduardo Chadwick is involved in.

Errazuriz is one of the labels he is involved in, and Errazuriz, back in the mid-1990’s,  was a joint venture between Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi.  Robert Mondavi was all about quality and so is Eduardo Chardwick.

Errazuriz has a full line of wines here in Canada, I counted 15 at my local wine store.  They range from the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon which is affordable for everyone at $16 a bottle…

To the award winning Don Maximiano which Mr. Chadwick has put up against some of the great French Bordeaux wines in the world.  He is a descendant of Don Maximiano, who founded the winery.  This beauty sells for $85 here in Canada, but he thinks it’s as good as a good French Bordeaux selling for triple the price.  Although this wine is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, there are other varietals involved.  15% Carmenere, 8% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc make up this fantastic Bordeaux style blend. The Errazuriz wines come from the Aconcagua Valley in Chile, just north of Santiago.  I love Errazuriz wines, I think they are great wines at great prices.

Another name associated with Eduardo Chadwick is Arboleda.  We have two of the Arboleda wines here locally, and one is the Carmenere with the other being the Cabernet Sauvignon.  These wines also come from the Aconcagua Valley and Eduardo Chadwick, along with Robert Mondavi, started Arboleda in 1999. The Carmenere is less than $22 here in Nova Scotia and is a great silky wine with balsamic notes and very well-balanced.   This vineyard was one of the  first wineries in Chile to be certified under Chile’s National Sustainability Code that guarantees environmentally friendly production, social responsibility towards the community and economic viability.

And for my wine of the week, although it’s not made by Eduardo Chadwick, Decanter Magazine did give this wine 96 points.

 

I think this is the first time I have seen a wine that has been given 96 Points, that costs less than $20.  It was a fantastic wine.  I just love Valpolicella Ripasso, because the wine from the Valpolicella grape is passed over the Amarone skins and the must and soaks up all that great intense Amarone flavor.  The grapes are also hand-picked, which is almost unheard of in a bottle of wine less than $20, and only the best are used.  This medium-bodied wine with hints of spice is a great accompaniment to just about anything you put on the dinner table.  I enjoyed it while barbecuing while listening to a few tunes.  Perfect!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Till next week, Cheers

Darlene