WHO AM I

 At 22 years old, I visited South America for the first time. I just wanted to improve my Spanish, but in Chili I found a life's mission when I came into contact with the traditional peasant culture and gastronomy of Chili.

I visited the oldest vineyards I had ever seen (up to 300 years old). Non-irrigated, beautiful terroirs planted with native varieties. Franc de pied vineyards that have never been touched by phylloxera. Un-trained bush-vines on complex soils composed of red iron clay, quartz, schist, granite and marble. But where were the wines that come from these vineyards? The restaurant where I worked only sold wines made of recently planted French varieties released by cooperatives, they had nothing to do with what I had seen. I was surprised that the gastronomic culture was a world apart from the ancient rural traditions and so began my quest to bring the wines of these rustic vineyards to more dinner tables.