Glorious Wine!

Our first priority in Chile was to sample the wines.  Thankfully, there are quite a few wineries on the outskirts of Santiago that are easily accessible by public transport.  Our first stop was Cousino Macul Winery, where Alvaro, a personable young man studying to be a sommelier, showed us around.  

My favorite wine sample was actually the Rosé.  Did you know the Rosé here is made of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes but has the pink color because the grape skins are taken off earlier in the process?  It was quite smooth with a floral bouquet and hints of summer fruits.  I ended up buying five bottles of assorted wines, two of the Rosé.

Our good friend, Alvaro, told us a strip mall with places to eat was just a short hop, skip, and a jump from the winery, so we picked up our bags and began to walk.  The sun was blazing overhead as we traipsed along dirt paths at the side of a busy road.  Five bottles may seem light, but when you're in the middle of nowhere with rope handles cutting into your hands, they suddenly weigh a ton.  A couple miles later (maybe a little less), we finally stumbled upon the mall with very few choices in terms of eating.  I must say, though, that my BBQ chicken sandwich from Domino's Pizza hit the spot.  

We finally made it to Aquintania, a boutique winery with a beautiful backdrop of the Andes Mountains.  I enjoyed these wines quite a bit more than Cousino Macul, but the prices were a wee bit higher, so I settled for just four bottles.  

Can you say torture?  Carrying those pain-inducing bags all around the metro and back to Jessica's nearly killed our hands but boosted our camaraderie as we stopped every hundred yards to readjust the bags and crack jokes.