Escape travel section, Australia – Sep 11, 2011
Everyone told Maria Luz she was mad to try growing grapes in Chile’s San Antonio Valley.
The valley is just 4km from the coast and every morning gets smothered in a cold sea fog. They said the grapes would never ripen. Or they’d be killed off by the frosts. And what about the humidity?
She ignored all the advice and planted her first grapes in 2000. They did ripen, eventually, taking two months longer than everywhere else, and they had to use heaters and fans to combat the frost and humidity.
But in 2003, Casa Marin winery had its first vintage and Luz became Chile’s first female vineyard owner and winemaker.
Read the rest of this story here.
Rob McFarland 