“La Vinocracia”, the Chilean bar with wines made by women that highlights the work of winemakers

“La Vinocracia” has a bar, tables and chairs, like any bar in Santiago de Chile and the world, but it has a list of 1,111 wines, which was the merit of the World Guinness 2016 record. It also presents a novelty: the section of wines made by women. Whether from several or a single strain, the labels are the creation of Chilean winemakers. On this occasion, the house takes the opportunity to recommend another category of wine to Provecho and a pairing of the Forestal Wines blend accompanied by a beef fillet with potatoes and mushrooms.

A year before winning the award for having the longest line of wine bottles in the world, the sommelier and owner of the premises, Hugo Córdova, began the concept of “La Vinocracia” as a place to hang out with friends or family, and learn about wines in the tastings. Like some bars on Irarrázaval Avenue, one of the most popular avenues for nightlife in the Chilean capital, the bar has a wine shop, which can be blends or own strains.

The assembly is the union of grape varieties that complement each other in structure and thus form a single wine, a label. For example, the blending process can be made up of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Pinot Noir and 30% Cabernet Franc, which can be defined by three adjectives: power, elegance and rusticity. Although the taste of the grapes can vary depending on the winemaker who creates them, the commitment to blending is interesting in countries like Italy and Chile, where there is a consolidated wine culture.

“In my bar, we always work with the concept of giving value to things that have always been hidden. And one of these is the work of women, who have never had their rightful place. We want to rescue the talent of winemakers”, says Hugo Córdova to Provecho de El Comercio.

For her part, the winemaker and owner of Viña Encierra, María Ignacia Eyzaguirre, who comes from a family of manufacturers of this drink and had her first steps in the vineyards, highlights the sensitivity of the female senses to recognize the aromas, the qualities, possibilities and capabilities of the vines in the field, so that this leads to the preparation of a good wine.

“Women are a contribution to national viticulture and oenology in Chile and the world,” says Eyzaguirre. “As a woman, one has many challenges, of confronting the people who work, imposing the vision, but, at the same time, women have been gaining ground. (…) A prepared woman can make a wine, but the most important thing is the quality of the grape, something that my story taught me. The terroir in the wine is too important. So, one must have the perception and know how to taste the grape, pick the optimum moment of ripeness, but with a good grape you will always win. She has to be planted in a suitable place,” she adds.

HOUSE RECOMMENDATION:

“La Vinocracia” recommends for a first visit a wine blend of cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot in higher percentages, Forestal Wines. The label is born from a process of making grapes that come from the Colchagua Valley in the O’Higgins region. The base of this wine calls for meat, so the house suggests it with a beef fillet from southern Chile accompanied by natural potatoes from the country and mushrooms with a special green sauce as a complement.

Prices:

– Forest Wines: 17 dollars

– Beef steak with potatoes: 12 dollars