The restaurant turned out to be one of our favorites from our stay in Vina in 2006. The restaurant, Delicias del Mar, specializes in fish – of course. The owner is also a Marilyn Monroe fanatic! There are pictures, figurines, and all sorts of Marilyn memorabilia. The crab lasagna was also EXCELLENT! Chile has some of the best king crab in the world. Having tried both Alaskan and Chilean, I would have to vote for Chile – sorry Governor Pallin!!!
View from the Bedroom
After a great lunch, we drove to our “condo home” for the next week. When we saw our “digs,” I think our jaws all dropped to the floor. This is the nicest rental we have ever had from Vacation Rentals by Owner - http://www.vrbo.com/. The unit is on the 19th floor with stunning views of the city, ocean, and coastline. There are four bedrooms and three and a half baths. The kitchen is modern and large compared to others we have had, complete with dishwasher, washer/dryer, microwave, convection oven, and a large refrigerator/freezer. Talk about being spoiled. The condo is also within easy walking distance of many restaurants – and Bravissimo – the best gelateria this side of Italy!
A few days after arriving, we got an email from Jennifer Wilson, our Travel Agent extraordinaire at Sunshine Travel in Palm Desert, telling us that Holland America had upgraded all of us to Deluxe Verandah Suites on the Navigation Deck. They must have known that after our condo in Vina del Mar that a Deluxe Suite was required!!!
On Day 1 in Vina, we got a late start and only headed out in time for our main meal in the early afternoon. We went to an Austrian restaurant – Austriaco – yes Austrian in Vina del Mar! Chile has some local cuisine traditions but their food seems to be more a mixture of cooking styles from around the world. There are immigrants from all parts of Europe. The chef of the restaurant greeted us in excellent English and he checked on us frequently. We had a fabulous meal – the best wienerschnitzel I have had since being an exchange student in Austria in 1964. Antje and Georg gave it high marks for authenticity – high praise from German born Americans!!
Day 2 was a trip to Estancia El Cuadro – a vineyard in the Casablanca Valley a short distance from Vina. We were picked up by our guide Juanita from Genercia Cultourachile – based in Valparaiso. This is a tour company specializing in cultural tourism. Juanita is a pediatrician who works part of the week in her practice and the rest of the week with her tour company. She was a very interesting woman and more than willing to discuss anything that interested us. Juanita discussed the times of the Pinochet government candidly.
On Day 1 in Vina, we got a late start and only headed out in time for our main meal in the early afternoon. We went to an Austrian restaurant – Austriaco – yes Austrian in Vina del Mar! Chile has some local cuisine traditions but their food seems to be more a mixture of cooking styles from around the world. There are immigrants from all parts of Europe. The chef of the restaurant greeted us in excellent English and he checked on us frequently. We had a fabulous meal – the best wienerschnitzel I have had since being an exchange student in Austria in 1964. Antje and Georg gave it high marks for authenticity – high praise from German born Americans!!
Day 2 was a trip to Estancia El Cuadro – a vineyard in the Casablanca Valley a short distance from Vina. We were picked up by our guide Juanita from Genercia Cultourachile – based in Valparaiso. This is a tour company specializing in cultural tourism. Juanita is a pediatrician who works part of the week in her practice and the rest of the week with her tour company. She was a very interesting woman and more than willing to discuss anything that interested us. Juanita discussed the times of the Pinochet government candidly.
The New Grape Picker
El Cuadro is a recently developed facility that primarily caters to tourists – the vineyard has many varieties but they specialize in Chardonnay, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon and blends.
The Carmenere grape has an interesting story. It was thought that the grape was lost to wine history - due to the phlox plague in France (and in much of the rest of the world) in the 19th century. Later it was discovered that the Carmenere grape had been combined with the Merlot grape in Chile. Chile is isolated from other areas – it has the Andes to the east, the driest desert on earth to the north, and the glaciers of Patagonia to the south. As a result, their agricultural areas have been immune to these world- wide agricultural diseases. They were eventually able to separate the Carmenere vine from the Merlot and to make this unique wine. The Chileans are good wine salesmen – they are proud of the fact that their vines are “pure” and not grafted onto other stock so that the root that goes down in the soil is the “real thing!”
We started our tour with a wagon ride around the property with a great guide. Josefina not only had a great personality and a great command of English, but she shared with us an obvious love for wine. She really knew her topic!
After the ride, we went into a large room with huge oak vats to sample the wines. Another employee – Andres – guided us through the process with exacting instructions on how to look at the color, smell the bouquet, and taste the wine – letting it swirl in the mouth so all the taste buds can enjoy the taste! The next stop was the wine museum that had led us through dioramas of the wine making process in the early days of Chile. We then went onto a lovely patio where we sampled pisco sours – the national drink of Chile (actually it originated in Peru). Pisco is a distilled grape product that is “fiery.” It is combined with sugar, lemon or lime juice, and a small amount of whipped egg white. Elisabeth had a Chardonnay Sour, a modern version of the traditional drink. We were serenaded by a Chilean musical group which was similar to a Mexican mariachi band. A Chilean “rodeo” was next. They demonstrated the horse skills of the huaso – the Chilean cowboy – their version of the Argentine gaucho.
After the ride, we went into a large room with huge oak vats to sample the wines. Another employee – Andres – guided us through the process with exacting instructions on how to look at the color, smell the bouquet, and taste the wine – letting it swirl in the mouth so all the taste buds can enjoy the taste! The next stop was the wine museum that had led us through dioramas of the wine making process in the early days of Chile. We then went onto a lovely patio where we sampled pisco sours – the national drink of Chile (actually it originated in Peru). Pisco is a distilled grape product that is “fiery.” It is combined with sugar, lemon or lime juice, and a small amount of whipped egg white. Elisabeth had a Chardonnay Sour, a modern version of the traditional drink. We were serenaded by a Chilean musical group which was similar to a Mexican mariachi band. A Chilean “rodeo” was next. They demonstrated the horse skills of the huaso – the Chilean cowboy – their version of the Argentine gaucho.
Next came empanadas on the patio and then lunch in the dining room. The food was excellent – especially a desert of peaches, dried peaches, and barley. I know – it sounds strange but I assure you it was delicious! Our day at El Cuadro was wonderful, the weather was warm and dry, the wine excellent, and our hosts personable and welcoming.
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