Mary Graham in Chile , wine during the independence time

Chilean wine always has been very good. How do I know it ? Well, some famous travelers came to Chile in the past and wrote, between others things, that Chilean wine was good. For example, Mary Graham wrote  in her book Journal of a residence in Chile, during the year 1822 and a voyage from Chile to Brazil  in 1823 - “ it is a rich, strong, and sweetish white wine,capable, with good management, of great improvement, and infinitely preferable to any of the Cape wines, except Constantia, that I ever drank.”  

Well maybe it wasn’t the best one but she said with good management of great improvement, and this happened from 1850 when the government of Chile put more money to improve the industry and some Chilean aristocratic people brought the first French vines to Chile for producing wine. Well, actually , the first person who  brought french vines was a French man called Nourrichet in 1845 but Ochagavia was the first Chilean in 1850 and he brought technicians too, what was so important to the wine industry.

 Back to  Mary Graham, she  lived in a transcendental time of Chilean history post independence and took place for Carrera family, she caught  that passionate spirit of this family and wrote-“Don Jose Miguel Carrera was only 35 years of age. His person was remarkably handsome, and his countenance beautiful and prepossessing. I have heard that his eyes seemed even to possess a power of fascination over those he addressed”.  When I read these words I almost fall in love with Jose Miguel Carrera and I asked to myself what wine could catch his spirit, I guess  a very good wine from Maipo alto a blend that has Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of petit verdot. Mm maybe, must be an elegant but passionate, with some black pepper , he used to go to the chinganas with Manuel Rodriguez, and those places were for dancing and having a good good time with friends and women.