New World Wines — Old World Craftsmanship

Our March program takes us south to Chile and Argentina to explore the wines of this unique region. Casa Lapostolle in the Rapel Valley, 100 miles south of Santiago, benefits from the winemaking experience of Michel Rolland, of Pomerol’s Château Le Bon-Pasteur, and Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle, of Grand Marnier fame. They joined with the Rabat family of Chile in 1994 to create Lapostolle. We will be tasting their luscious Chardonnay and the reserve class Cuvée Alexandre Merlot.

At Matetic winery, located in the Rosario Valley 120 kilometers from Santiago, Rodrigo Soto makes wines with perfect equilibrium, hence the name, EQ. He employs winemaking experience on three continents to craft his outstanding wines. In January his EQ Syrah won a “Best of the Best” award from a judging panel of British journalists. We will start our tasting with his EQ Sauvignon Blanc and finish with his award-winning Syrah.

Rounding out our Chilean wines, is a De Martino Legado Carmenère. Once an important Bordeaux grape, Carmenère is now the signature wine of Chile, where it grows with great success producing rich, full-bodied wines with superb structure.

Crossing over the mountains to Argentina, we find the Torrontes grape, unfamiliar to many here in the States. It is a hybrid created long ago from two grapes, Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica. The most widely planted white grape in Argentina, it has aromas very similar to Viognier. We will be tasting the Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes paired with their Rosé of Malbec. Winemaker Susana Balbo brings experience in Australia, California, France, Italy and South Africe to her craft.

No visit to Argentina would be complete without tasting wine from the quintessential Argentine red grape, Malbec. We will be sampling a Malbec from Catena, a winery with roots deep in the Italian Marche, but now firmly committed to placing Argentine wines among the best in the world. Catena produces super-premium wines from some of the oldest vineyards in Argentina, some over 60 years old.

Come to our March program and see why so many wineries believe that this region is the best place to be making world-class wines today. Bandoleone has developed a tantalizing menu of food bites to pair with our selection of Chilean and Argentine wines.

Viva Nuevo Latino Cuisine

Fremont is not only the self-proclaimed “center of the universe,” it is also home to Bandoleone, a pan-Latin restaurant that has received “Top Latin American Food” honors in a Zagat survey.

Owner Danielle Philippa has always had a passion for fine dining and good wines. After falling in love with Latin cuisine while traveling in Central and South America, she returned to the States and opened Bandoleone in 1995, with a menu influenced by Latin cuisine from around the globe. When she is not catering or running one of her restaurants (she also owns Tango, downtown) Danielle can be found singing in the alt-country band, Ruby Dee and the Snake Handlers.

Providing the culinary vision in the kitchen is chef Christopher Hartfield. After previous experience at such restaurants as Six Degrees, Roy’s at the Westin and Serafina, he now crafts the tasty works of rustic art that guests have come to love at Bandoleone.

Speaking of Chile and Argentina

Bob Bentley, founder and former president of the Olympic Peninsula Enological Society, will be our able guide when we explore the wines of Chile and Argentina on March 8. A member of and certified by the Society of Wine Educators, Bob has traveled extensively, tasting and evaluating wines throughout the world, including Chile and Argentina.

Bob is currently featured on the South American wine marketing Web site, www.andeswines.cl, where he discusses a program he developed entitled, “New Trends in South American Wine.” Last October Bob led a tasting on this theme for one of our own small events, which sold out quickly and was a huge success. At our March program, we will all have a chance to taste some great wines from Chile and Argentina, paired with fantastic Latin-fueled food bites, in the company of a wonderful speaker who is deeply knowledegable in and passionate about the wines of this region.

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