ZORZAL
A
dream come true – buy a little winery in Argentina and wine not?!
This
spring 32 guests from Western Canada and
Ontario participated in a Zorzal Shareholders Wine Tour of Chile and
Argentina. For many of them it was their
first visit to their winery nestled in the Uco Valley of Mendoza, Argentina. They escaped the cold March temperatures in
Canada for the warm harvest wind of South America.
The
tour started in Santiago de Chile. Everyone streamed in on their own time to
our lovely Plaza San Francisco Hotel in the downtown district. Some had visited Peru, others Patagonia and
some had opted for the wine tour of the Maipo Valley before coming together for
a cocktail reception at the hotel that evening. Yes, name tags were in order! Although we all had one common interest – our
Zorzal wine, many of us had never met before. The Zorzal group started in 2008
and recently new shareholders were welcomed to the Zorzal family, my sister and
I amongst the lucky ones.
Natascha
arranged a private bus to take us to Vina del Mar to dip our toes in the
Pacific Ocean and visit the colourful port of Valparaiso, the shipping point
for our Zorzal Wine. We had a small window of time to take a boat tour of the
harbour, but somehow the Chileanos just couldn’t get their act together to make
it happen.
Heading
back to Santiago we stopped at the House of Gruppo Belin where we were thrilled
to find a full slate of Zorzal Wines for sale. Our Canadian flag welcomed us as we enjoyed a
sparkling wine and an afternoon asado of roasted pig and an array of Chilean
dishes and wines. 
Our
private bus over the Andes was an adventure!
Once we navigated the 36 switchbacks through the Portillo Ski Resort we
all scattered like marbles at the base of Aconcagua, the highest mountain in
the Andes. The gods were with us as the
skies cleared to give us a perfect view of the massive glacier. Everyone enjoyed the chance to stretch the
legs. With all our paperwork in order we
nervously crossed the Argentine border and then the pressure was released as
the corks started popping. Included are
a couple of mountain photos just in case some of you missed the scenery!
Once
in Mendoza we nestled into our winery accommodations in Luyan de Cuyo and enjoyed
a gourmet dinner at the Terruno Restaurant of Club Tapiz.Marco
Toriano, a long time friend of Natascha and Corinne’s shared his passion for
Argentine wines and particularly wines from the Uco Valley. Now we know why are wines are so special as
this valley has its own particular microclimate. Marco came with us to the
Bodega Tapiz Winery where Carolina enchanted us with her knowledge of the
unique wines of Mendoza.
Soon we were off to the Mareina Winery where the
Bianco family shared the award winning Bonardas and Malbecs with complimenting
dishes from the kitchen. A tango couple provided some dramatic entertainment,
until Jane was invited to dance. It ended up to be a comedy when we watched the footage that her
best friend Marnie had taken of the spectacle.
Friday
was the day at our winery – at last! The
weather was not looking so good as storm clouds and rain followed us along the
Ruta 40 an hour south of Luyan de Cuyo.
But the Uco Valley has its own weather
pattern and we enjoyed the afternoon at the winery in full sunshine! We were
thrilled to meet the Michilini Brothers, our famous winemakers! They proudly showed off their innovative “
eggs” 10 of them in fact, before involving us in the de- stemming of the
harvested grapes. We were happy to have their families join us for the
afternoon asado on our property. A modest bodega, a few vines planted and lots
of work to be done, but it is ours and it was a thrilling visit. 
To
finish up the day some golfed (if you can call best ball golfing) at Tupungato
Winelands, some just sat around in the warm sun with a glass of wine in hand
and we eventually made our way to the Mendoza Park Hyatt Hotel for the night.
Our
final day in Mendoza was relaxing, some shopping, some museum visits and many
goodbyes. We finished up our excess wine
(if there is such a thing) at the farewell reception. The next day everyone
went their separate ways. A few couples
visited fabulous Iguazu Falls, others joined Natascha and I for a Tango
experience in Buenos Aires!
When
we were in a little wine shop in Buenos Aires most of the Zorzal wines were
available. We were told by the sommelier that
the Michelini Brothers were the best and most innovative winemakers in
Argentina and we are lucky to have them on our team!
The
do us proud – look at the Robert Parker scores!!!
2008 Zorzal Wines
Climax Malbec
89
2013 Zorzal Wines Eggo Blanc 91
2013 Zorzal Wines Eggo Filosofo Pinot Noir 93
2012 Zorzal Wines Eggo Tinto 94
2012 Zorzal Wines Field Blend 92
2012 Zorzal Wines Gran Terroir Malbec 89
2012 Zorzal Wines Gran Terroir Pinot Noir 92
2011 Zorzal Wines Piantao 91
2013 Zorzal Wines Terroir Unico Malbec 92
2012 Zorzal Wines Terroir Unico Pinot Noir 91
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