David Gonzalez is chief winemaker at Santa Alicia, the winery which picked up Best Chilean Wine Producer at the 2007 International Wine & Spirits Competition. This is the man behind undoubtedly some of the best Chilean wines to reach Irish shores, and we’re really happy to have him answer our questions. (Click here to view the range)

1. What is your favourite grape to work with and why?

I think that almost any grape can be transformed into good wine depending on the passion of the winemaker, but personally I like Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenérè when it comes to our range of reds. The first one is for me one of the most complete varieties to produce wine. You get flavours, aromas, structure, volume, a bit of everything if you now how to work with it. Carmenérè on the other hand represents a challenge to the skills of a winemaker looking for the right time to harvest and the right management in the cellar. Also this variety is becoming Chile’s own and that is also a challenge for the winemakers to get the best from this variety.

2. What is the highlight of making your own wine? What part of the process do you most enjoy?

To make wines that reflect the characteristics of the grape variety and terroir is important for me. I enjoy the process of making wine as a whole, especially the fermentation process when the wine starts to express itself properly. I love tasting the wines at each stage.

3. If you couldn’t make wine in Chile any more, where would you go?

I think I could enjoy making wine anywhere, each place represents a different challenge and with that in mind I have no preference for a country different than Chile.

4. You have an incredible medal collection at Santa Alicia. Is it difficult to maintain these standards?

For us, Medals are not an objective but a result. Keeping or increasing quality standards is a duty which we are truly committed to. Every day we try to improve the quality of our products and have better practices in our processes. It is a daily challenge but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a difficult one.

5. What makes Chile so special as a wine-producing country?

There are many factors that make of Chile a special country for producing wine. Its geography offers you a huge diversity of climates and soils, a long dry and warm season, the long coast with the influence of the Humbolt current and the Andes Mountains. All of them make Chile a paradise for wine growers and wine lovers.

Thanks to David Gonzalez and Santa Alicia.

Our range from Santa Alicia.

There’s a great amount of time, energy and expense that goes into Santa Alicia’s Gran Reserva range. The wines are subject to 12 months in French oak, with a further 12 months in bottle before release. It’s a nice step up from the already impressive Reserva range.

To view product page and for more details, click on Santa Alicia Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz have traditionally been the big red players in the global wine market. There are a number of reasons these varietals have gained such popularity, one factor being that they are all relatively easy to cultivate, another being that they simply produce excellent wines. But if you are the sort of person that likes to explore or have a break from the norm, it’s time to try Carmenère.

Widely grown in the Médoc in the 18th century, Carmenère produced exceptionally good wine but was abandoned due to susceptibility to coulure and the resulting low yields. In the 19th century, cuttings of Merlot were taken to Chile, however it was later found that the majority of these vines were in fact Carmenère (up to 90% in certain vineyards). They look so similar, and don’t taste miles apart either, but they ripen at different times. So a field of Merlot and Carmenère vines harvested at the same time often produced a bit of a monster wine.

The fascinating part of this story is that Chile only officially recognised Carmenère as recently as 1996, and it has only been able to label wines as Carmenère since 1998. In this time many Chilean winemakers have come to grips with managing this wonderful grape. Like Pinot Noir, it’s fussy. Between winter and harvest time, too much rain can play havoc with the final flavours, and on the flip-side, a site that is too hot can off set the balance with too much alcohol. But Chile has many sites that are perfectly suited, and it looks like what is a loss to France, is a gain for Chile.

A big, full-bodied wine, Carmenère makes powerful, spicy reds with low acidity, fairly high tannins and a velvety texture. Expect flavours of dark, sweet fruit (blackberry and plum) and perhaps green bell pepper and green bean when under-ripe.

Who knows, had it worked out in France, Carmenère could have been rolling of the tongue as easily as Merlot. Maybe some day it will. Just don’t believe that it’s only the noble grapes varieties that can produce stunning wine.

There’s no better place to start than with Santa Alicia’s Carmenère.

On Sunday I said goodbye to Bandon and hello to Ballincollig. Perhaps I still have a bit of the student in me, but to be a stones throw away from the beating heart of Cork City is a great experience.

With living away from my dearest brother (and, might I add, I’m deeply saddened by the fact that I will no longer be awoken by three screaming children at 6 in the morning), I’ve had to think about starting a wine collection for myself, instead of raiding his.

So here’s the collection of my personal everyday favourites that are helping to make the wine rack look a bit more healthy… for now anyway.

The three whites:

Palazzi Chardonnay: Pure and simple, this white from the Piemonte region of Italy is all about the varietal. There’s been no contact with oak and fermentation was carried out in stainless steel tanks. The kind of Chardonnay that would convert any non-Chardonnay drinker.

Sierra Grande Sauvignon Blanc: It’s organic, but that’s not the reason I’ve picked it. I love New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but I can’t afford to drink it everyday, so in this case Chile fills the role for a racy Sauvi to keep the NZ temptation at bay.

Domaine du Chateau d’Eau Viognier: Another organic white (honestly, I’m not usually this health conscious). Viognier just does it for me, and it’s a great alternative to any of the noble grape varieties. Elegant aromas of peach, apricot and flowers - although a natural match to pork, it’s stunning next to my once-a-week fish dish (there’s a great fishmonger in Bandon who I’ll keep going to).

The three reds:

Cuvee Jean Paul Rouge: The first I opened upon my arrival, and it coped well with a Guinness stew and my new house mates. I don’t think they were just being polite saying that they loved it as well. Simply good grape selection and great wine making.

Santa Alicia Reserve Malbec: This knocks the socks off any other Malbec at this price. Although I’m mad for the other reds in this range, the Malbec has something a little different. Naturally a little more vegetal (in a nice way) than the noble grape varieties, it’s had the treatment in the winery that you would expect of a €15 bottle.

Stickleback Red: Had to have the big Aussie in there somewhere. I love the almost milkshake-like consistency of warm climate Shiraz, which in this wine, is blended with Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. Ben Glaetzer is one of the world’s top winemakers and Stickleback is his entry level range. Worth decanting.

So if you have a perfect six, feel free to tweet me or leave a comment. Bet they’re not as nice as mine.

One of the jewels in our range, Santa Alicia has become a firm favourite with our loyal customers since we opened our doors in November of last year. And believe me, we couldn’t hide our excitement after learning we’d be stocking wine from Chilean Winery of the Year for 2007, as awarded by the International Wine and Spirit Competition. The first trophy was awarded for the Gran Reserva Merlot 2003 - named as best Chilean wine of the competition.

Santa Alicia vineyards are located in the Pirque region in the heart of Maipo Valley, where some of the best ‘terroir’ for Chilean wines is found. These vineyards are irrigated by a very small amount of pure, crystal water coming from the melting snow of the Andes Mountains, which helps in achieving a high concentration of fruit. Winemaker, David Gonzalez, has been at the winery since 1997. David’s philosophy of winemaking is not only based on good vine stock, but also on the knowledge given by enology.

Two years later, Santa Alicia continues to churn out an astonishingly superior range at low cost, allowing us to price very keenly. The wines have continued to gain notoriety, the Reserva Merlot picking up a Gold Medal at the Ottawa Wine and Food Show in Canada, and the Reserva Chardonnay (pictured) landing Gold at Vinales do’r Paris and Mundus Vini in Germany. Both were labelled ‘Best Buy’ by Wine Enthusiast.

It’s no surprise that these two keep ending up as wine of choice at weddings across the country since we introduced them to Ireland. The Santa Alicia fan base is young, but it’s growing… and growing fast.

For many winemakers the process of oak aging is as important as, say, choosing where to grow the grapes or when to harvest them. The complexity of flavours that can be derived from oak can help transform a wine into a different animal all together, and as well as adding a broader range of aromas and flavours, it will also have an affect on colour and tannin levels.

Oak is porous, so when a wine is ageing there are chemical changes that take place that wouldn’t happen in stainless steel tanks. The contact with the air helps tannins to soften and oak flavours to slowly leech into the wine. The influence oak will have on the wine depends on several factors:

Origin of oak: French oak is traditionally viewed as being the best to use, and typically carries a price tag to match. While they are Europe’s most important source of oak, the United States is the biggest commercial grower of oak in the Americas. French oak will result in quite subtle flavours in comparison to American oak, which is generally more powerful, adding sweet vanilla-like overtones.

Size of container: The larger the barrel, the less wine will be in contact with the surface area of the barrel itself.

Age of container: New oak will impart more flavour into the wine. For top wines an oak barrel may only be used once or twice before being used for mid-range productions.

Time in container: The more time spent in oak, the more flavours the wine will take on. It may need less time in new oak because it will impart stronger flavours quickly.

The judgement of the winemaker is paramount in all of the above. He or she must decide where to source their oak, the size of the barrels or barriques, how many times they will use them, and the amount of time required to strike the perfect balance and achieve the style of desired.

Obviously, the number of times the barrels are used, the larger they are and their origin, will have a considerable effect on production costs, but often the best wines are oak aged in quality oak and in small quantities. Cheaper wines can be made by stirring in oak chips in some countries, and really cheap, mass-produced wines can have essence of oak added.

You may find with some inexpensive wines that the oak isn’t that well integrated, and can taste unpleasant. This is particularly true of whites, the danger being of course that one might say they don’t like oaky wines. If you are one of these people, don’t give up, just pick your wines properly. Seek advice if required, or do a little reading around.

Oak used smartly doesn’t mean you have to pay silly money. A number of wines available under the €10 mark in your local supermarket will have oak flavours added, but our Santa Alicia Chardonnay is the perfect example of oak done well and honestly.

One of the things I love about Irish winters is the justification to close the curtains at 5pm, build a roaring open fire, open a big bottle of red wine, and tuck into some winter comfort food. As the Italian’s developed cuisine around an abundance of sunshine, us Paddies were sticking to Irish stew and spuds to keep ourselves warm from the inside.

This recipe was given to my Mum about 25 years ago by dear friends in Carlow, hence the name that’s stuck to it ever since and been passed onto countless other friends and relatives. It’s a tasty, savoury side-dish for main meat dishes such as roasts and casseroles, but equally - on the those cold winter nights in-front of the fire - it’s makes a deliciously comforting meal all on its own.

For 4/6:

• 2 lb potatoes (waxy work better than floury)
• 1½ oz butter or marg
• 1½ oz flour
• ¾ pint milk
• ½ tsp thyme
• ½ tsp basil
• ½ tsp marjoram
• Good pinch ground nutmeg
• 3 oz grated cheese (mature cheddar’s great or Gruyere if you’re a bit posher!)
• Seasoning

Preparation:

• Peel and slice the spuds to about ½ inch/1cm thick.
• Put in a saucepan, cover with cold water and add salt, then boil and simmer until tender not mushy.
• For the sauce, melt the butter/marg in a saucepan, add the flour and stir together, then slowly add the milk over a low heat.
• Add the herbs, nutmeg and seasoning as soon as you’ve the milk in, and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Simmer until nice and thick.
• Now grease a shallow dish with a little more butter or marg and layer in the potato slices. Pour over the sauce and sprinkle the cheese on top.
• Now bake for 30-35 mins at 180 deg C, or until you see the sauce bubbling under a crispy top.

This is simple food so no need to get too wound up on the choice of wine. Try a good value Cabernet Sauvignon blend like the Heartland Stickleback Red or the Compass Navigator’s Reserve from Santa Alicia, but equally if you prefer white, try a fuller bodied Chardonnay like the Heartland Stickleback White blend, or the Santa Alicia Reserve Chardonnay.

Set to take Bandon, Cork and Ireland by storm, the Curious party had been meticulously planned to perfection. The heat lamps were set, the food was plated and the wine was waiting to be opened.

Half an hour before our first guests arrived we were plunged into darkness. Panic set in. Should we get our hands on candles, shine the car headlights through the shop front window or cancel all together? No. No way was this epic occasion going to be scrapped. Thank goodness it was only a blown fuse.

With the curtain being raised and the lights back on, the wine began to flow, and didn’t stop until the early hours. The wines opened received great feedback, and surprise that they were all under a tenner.

"Under a tenner? Even better!"

In the red corner, the Farnese Montepulciano was adored for its light body and drink ability, while the chocolatey Long Neck Merlot and fruity Last Stand Shiraz warmed the bellies of the frigid.

A few arrived with a stigma for Chardonnay, but were quickly converted by Santa Alicia’s Reserve Chardonnay, with its astonishing clean mineral and tropical flavours. A number of guests left at the end of the night with cases of Sierra Grande’s Sauvignon Blanc under arm, while Paarl Heights smooth Chenin Blanc held the South African flag high and proud.

A few sore heads the next day, but it was another opportunity for Curious Wines to let her hair down and have a bit of fun. Like we do everyday.

We would like to say a big thank-you to all who attended on the night, and to Andy, Donal and Edel of Honest Food for their superb contribution. Our great wine was well matched by their great canapés.