Harvest is an exciting time to visit wine country because it marks the end of the growing season and the beginnings of the winemaking process. Unfortunately, here in the States, wine country is in the middle of the winter season with wild mustard growing between row upon row of dormant vines. Vineyard managers and winemakers anxiously await budbreak which is the first appearance on the vines of the shoots that grow to bear grapes and look forward to a new growing season.

On the other hand, countries such as Chile, which are located south of the equator in the Southern Hemisphere, are preparing for their harvest which takes place between March and May each year. Many towns throughout the country host harvest festivals that are tradition-filled, some of which begin in the early summer months and culminate at harvest with carnival like celebrations.

Chile is the largest grower of the Carmenère varietal in the world. The Carmenère grape produces a wine that is deep crimson in color, and generally is fruit forward with some spiciness to it and tannins that are softer in comparison to the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal. Lapostolle’s 2010 Casa Carmenère is produced using grapes that are sourced from the Rapel Valley, a top-quality growing region for this varietal. This wine complements a roasted pork loin that has been rubbed with a mixture of fresh garlic and rosemary that has been ground into a paste. The gentle tannins of this wine makes for a pleasant finish.

Lapostolle’s 2011 Casa Sauvignon Blanc is also produced with grapes from the Rapel Valley. The Sauvignon Blanc is blended with a small amount of Semillon which enhanc

es the aromas and complexity of the finished product. This wine should pair nicely with roasted fresh mahi mahi that has been covered with a mix of mayonnaise, onion, garlic and green peppers. Both of these wines retail for around $12.00 a bottle.

Although Casa Lapostolle main office is located in Chile’s capital city Santiago, they are French owned by the proprietors of Grand Marnier. Lapostolle produces more than 200,000 annually, which in addition to the Sauvignon Blanc and Carmenère, also includes the Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah varietals.

Even though we are in the middle of winter, it is easy to join the Chilean harvest celebration all you have to do is pick of a bottle of two of your favorite varietal and have a toast to the end of the harvest that is taking place on the other side of the equator.

Jim Rawe, a family attorney in Bradenton, is an avid collector of fine wines. He can be reached at jimrawe@gmail.com.