Wine First

>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

>> No, take me home >> VGAN Chocolate.

Norwegian flavor.

Available in Walmart stores.

>> I'm Liora, and I'm a sommelier.

>> And I'm Maya, and I'm also a sommelier.

>> And I'm Yolanda.

My expertise is food.

>> In every episode, we are going to travel to beautiful wine regions, selecting three wines that define each area.

>> And present them to local chefs who will be challenged to prepare amazing dishes for those wines instead of the other way around.

>> Will the chefs succeed in making dishes that match the wines?

>> It all remains to be seen as we put wine first.

>> We are in the golden valley here in Chile.

>> At VIK in the Millahue Valley.

>> And this area has a unique terroir and great climate for producing wine.

>> I'm really excited to see all the things we can discover here.

Shall we?

>> Me, too.

Yes.

>> Yolanda and I are going to find wines that reflect the area and challenge Chef Pablo to cook dishes that complement each wine.

Will he succeed?

VIK Vineyard was born amidst the foothills of the Andes Mountains within the Millahue Valley, named Lugar de Oro, or "Golden Place" by the native Mapuche people.

The vineyard is located on over 4,300 hectares of Chilean nature with a unique biodiversity.

It all started with the vision and ambition of entrepreneurs Alex and Carrie Vik.

>> Skol.

>> Thank you so much.

>> Cheers.

So nice to have you.

>> You have to tell us about this place.

It looks beautiful.

What was the inspiration for this place?

>> Love.

>> Love.

[ Laughter ] >> Really, the inspiration was, in the 1990s, we were part of a wine group, and then we would go on these wine trips.

And, of course, all day long we were hearing about terroir, terroir, terroir.

So we started talking more and more about terroir.

And so we put together this team of enologists, geologists, climatologists, and agronomists, really, to search South America for the perfect terroir.

So we said, "Okay.

Let's do it."

>> And what made you think that you wanted to do a hotel, as well?

>> We had the location, and then when we decided it was time to build the winery, we decided, "Okay.

Let's do a hotel, a retreat here, as well."

>> What was the inspiration behind this specific architecture?

>> I think the inspiration was the location, first of all.

We wanted the building to be in the nature with 360-degree views of this amazing place.

So we knew that it had to be glass, floor-to-ceiling glass.

And then, we had to decide about the roof.

And with the Frank Gehry, Richard Serra concepts, we decided that it needed to be sculptural.

>> I can't wait to get inside and see the interior of all of this.

>> Salud!

>> Salud.

>> On a tour of the rooms in the hotel, we are introduced to high-end interior design and art.

>> Ooh!

[ Laughter ] Ahh!

>> Each room is designed by the Vik couple themselves and has a theme transporting us from one unique experience to the next.

Impossible to pick a favorite... >> Look at that couch!

>> ...we end up in the main living room, decorated with art pieces in all shapes and sizes.

And on a special bottle, the image of the goddess of the VIK Winery, La Piu Belle.

>> Wow.

>> We loved it so much, but we never thought of it as something for a label.

But then we said, "That is just so beautiful."

We had to make it into a label.

>> Obviously, the artist made a beautiful bottle, but let's see what the winemaker made inside of it.

Let's see if they link.

>> Gracias.

>> Yeah, Liora, what do you think of the nose?

>> There is obviously loads of dark, luscious fruit here.

Fresh fruit.

The oak doesn't seem very pronounced on this wine.

I'm guessing they didn't use new oak here?

>> I don't think so.

>> Using new oak barrels when you make a wine actually gives flavor from the oak barrel to the wine.

And here it's not really pronounced.

I think it's a pretty easy decision.

This is lovely.

So we have one.

One down.

>> Yeah.

>> Salud!

>> Salud.

[ Speaking Spanish ] >> To find the perfect local ingredient to match the first wine, Yolanda decides to investigate the area.

And to help her cover some land, she is joined by Florcita.

>> Florcita has these beautiful blue eyes.

[ Smooches ] Beautiful.

Hola!

A team of cherry pickers.

Interesting.

Hola, chicos.

>> Hola.

[ Speaking Spanish ] I'm gonna have them pick some.

Pairing cherries with a red wine from around here would be a natural thing to do.

But they can be a bit tricky because if they are too sweet, they might make wine taste a little bit extra bitter or tart.

Yes?

And if the intensity of the flavor of the dish with the cherries is too much, they might overpower the fruitiness of the wine.

So I'm going to choose this and challenge the chef to see what he brings on the table.

[ Clicks tongue ] Mmm-mmm-mmm.

>> After a hard day's work, it's time to return to the luxury of the hotel for a wine spa.

>> Wow.

I didn't know that you were going to swim in wine.

>> It's lovely, isn't it?

Swimming in wine.

Swimming, basically.

But just bathing in wine should be really good for your skin.

>> I'm pretty sure we are going to look even younger when we end this day.

>> Well, at least we are going to age like any amazing wine, right?

>> Oh, yes.

Cheers to that.

>> Cheers to that.

[ Glasses clink ] >> To choose the second wine, Maya joins us for a day because Alex has prepared a competitive challenge for us, requiring two sommeliers to participate.

Hmm.

Curious.

But, first, a tour of the winery where sustainability is key.

>> I never seen a building like this before.

>> We wanted the building to be exceptionally architecturally beautiful as well as sustainable.

And so we started with the water plaza, and you see the water runs across this plaza, which actually creates air-conditioning for the barrel room below it.

The roof is a special kind of fabric that is a bubble.

So it allows the natural light to come through, but it doesn't allow the heat to come through.

So the heat gets captured above, but the light comes through.

>> We harvest at night because that's the perfect temperature for the grapes, so they maintain their structural integrity.

When Barry and I were working to design the winery, one of the things we wanted is also reflect our ambitions for the wine.

So lightness, clean, transparent.

Bring the vineyard into the winery.

Have it a vibrant, complex beauty.

And some of those characteristics is what we're looking for in our wines.

And I know you're going to be tasting our wines soon.

>> Yes, I am.

>> And I really hope that you'll see and taste some of those things that you're seeing here in the wine itself.

>> So, Yolanda, I hear you're looking for ingredients that are typical of this area?

>> Yes, something very traditional that I can present the chef with.

>> So, we're gonna go see my friends here.

>> Hello, ladies!

>> We are going to try to grab one of the chickens, and I'll show you their main characteristics.

>> Ai.

Oy!

[ Laughing ] Seorita, seorita, seorita.

Ai, ey!

Oh, bella.

I also hear that they put really tasty eggs?

>> Yes.

>> Happy chicken, tasty eggs.

Should we go and pick some eggs?

>> Yes.

>> Muchas gracias, seorita.

Ciao, ciao!

[ Laughs ] >> Back at the winery, winemaker Cristian is about to show me the wine cellar.

This is unexpected.

You've got amphoras.

It's like a whole forest of amphoras, this.

Amphoras were used thousands and thousands of years ago before they had bottles to put their wines in.

So this is not a new invention, but it's really cool that you're using it now.

>> The amphoras helps for one process in the wine, which is the micro-oxygenation.

The pores let the oxygen goes in.

When you have this micro oxygen going in, it helps the tannins to get together, and then the wine, it's a little bit more round and soft.

Each amphora, it's an individual, so the wine inside will be different from the other one.

>> Wine aged in amphora doesn't get any flavor from the wine barrel.

>> Yes.

>> A wine barrel gets -- gives lots of flavor, and we're gonna talk about that, too.

>> Ai, look at the color.

So, these ones, the green ones, are from the Colloncas.

>> Right.

>> What my grandma told me was always to check the color of the egg yolk because farm eggs always have a very bright yellow towards orange, yes?

So, let's see the color of the egg yolk.

>> Let's check.

>> Yes!

You see?

It's bright, bright yellow.

I love this!

This means that there is a lot of flavor.

It doesn't get more authentic than this, so I'm definitely taking this ingredient to the chef.

>> Cristian takes me to his laboratory, where he's planning his innovative barrel project called Barroir.

>> Here you have the concept barroir -- barrel and terroir.

It's to bring nature to the wine.

That's the concept.

This oak here comes from our trees, but we are not cutting trees because we are sustainable.

So we are rescuing all the trees that the nature already makes them fall down.

They are already dead, but they have 120 years of history to tell us.

We cut in little pieces and we light the fire with this oak.

So then when we toast the new oak coming from France, we toast it with our own oak.

So in that way, the personality of the oak is also from us.

>> Toasting a barrel gives it flavor and that flavor is being transported from the barrel into the wine.

>> The flame is like dancing, and it's beautiful.

>> Enough talk about science and wood.

It's time for the mysterious challenge Alex has in store for us.

Maya and I are going to blind taste 10 top wines from all over the world and rank the very best wine of the bunch.

Some of the wines are made here at VIK, so Alex is taking a risk here.

Will they get a high ranking?

>> Let the games begin.

Blind tasting wines can be very intense.

You have to think about all your senses.

What do you see?

What do you smell?

What do you taste?

The good thing about wine is that every single grape variety is different.

Someone who works with wine, you know what the topicities are, and that's what you're trying to find when you're blind tasting a wine.

We're done, and Cristian hands over the ranking of the blind tasting.

Starting down the list.

>> Let's unveil.

Unico.

Vega Sicilia's Unico.

>> Wow!

>> Angelus, from France.

>> Oh.

>> Solaia.

>> These are not only tasty but exclusive wines.

Wow!

>> Lafite Rothschild, 1996.

>> That is my cup of tea.

>> It's down to the three top wines.

>> VIK, 2018.

>> '18?

>> Yes.

>> Wow.

>> Holland Estate in Napa Valley.

>> And now for the top one.

>> It's Milla Cala, 2018.

>> Wow!

>> I think the tasting speaks for itself.

That's the wine we're choosing.

It's very New World, it's juicy, it's... >> Lot of dark fruit.

We have the tannins, which is balanced, so it's going to be very nice to to show this to the chef.

>> Wow!

No one will believe us, but that was actually not planned.

The top wine and the right choice from this area, and we both agree.

I think we deserve a nice evening with some nice Chilean traditions.

>> Salud.

>> Salud!

>> Liora, I wanted to show you my paradise and also take you a little bit away from the cellar.

Have you seen these exotic plants all around?

>> I don't know.

They look very spiky.

>> Yes, they are actually artichokes.

>> This is artichoke?

>> Yes!

And look at the color.

Artichokes are actually one of the most tricky vegetables in the whole culinary world to pair with wine.

They are full of umami flavors.

On top of that, they have cynarin.

This is a substance that, for a short while, makes your mouth become a little bit crazy, and whatever you drink, it will taste sweet.

So even the driest wine will start tasting sweet.

So imagine if you are a dry wine lover -- oof!

-- that's a no-go.

Do you think it's a challenge enough?

>> I think it's a -- it's -- I think it's a big challenge.

>> Well, I'm going to take this beauty to the chef.

>> To fully understand Cristian's barrel and amphora projects, I have to get to know the terroir a bit better and have a look at the grapes.

>> Okay.

So, now we are in the middle of the vineyard, in the middle of our property on a hill with this amazing wind.

>> I can see that there's a lot of branches here.

There's pretty much growth.

Is this a great year for wine?

>> It is a great year.

Has been very healthy.

No freeze during the spring.

We will have to have a green harvest.

>> A green harvest is very special.

It's basically about removing some of the bunches so that the nutrition that goes through the vine can reach the bunches that are left and make them even better.

Let's taste the fruits of your kingdom.

>> Okay, let's go.

>> In the Cachapoal wine region, and in the Millahue Valley where we are, the area is mostly known for its red wines and it's of course known for its carmenere, which has become the national grape variety of Chile.

But there's also room for other red varietals, many of them typically Bordeaux varietals like cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, some merlot.

There's also some syrah here.

Basically, a mecca for red wine.

>> Our beautiful VIK wine.

It's a blend.

But this is the best way to taste this breeze from the Ocean Pacific.

>> I like the complexity.

There's more than one flavor.

And then you feel one flavor and then you feel another flavor, and then, first, there's, like, these black, dark fruits.

And then after that it comes the spices.

And after that come the wooden notes.

Mmm.

Just continues.

To me, this wine, with all these layers, all these different flavors...

I don't know.

I think -- I think this must be the wine that we bring to the chef.

Do you agree?

>> Yes, I agree.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> A great way to end the day is to get a taste of the glamorous part of a winemaker's life.

How about a gala dinner to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the founding of VIK Winery?

We deserve it, don't we?

After a great party night, I join Gaston for a late lunch.

Thank you for inviting me for lunch outside.

The Zen garden.

It's all about red wine here, isn't it?

>> Not at all.

We have a ros wine.

A beautiful ros wine.

>> Ros.

Exciting.

>> I'm sure it will pair perfectly with this tandoori chicken.

>> Okay.

>> It's a blend of three red varietals.

>> Okay.

>> So it's cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and syrah.

>> Oh, I like all of those.

>> Cheers.

Mmm.

>> White meat is perfect with ros wine.

>> But the light tandoori spices, as well, were an excellent fit.

>> Thank you.

All this colorful and beautiful vegetables are from our culinary garden, from our orchard.

>> Oh, that's so nice.

I think, actually, Yolanda is roaming the orchard right now.

Yolanda joins Virginia in the orchard to taste something you otherwise would just glance at.

>> Wow!

Sweet.

Well, obviously, the bees like it a lot.

[ Both laugh ] Wow.

All of this is edible?

>> Yes, all of it is edible.

Some you can eat raw, others you need to process.

>> I cannot choose just one.

There are so many amazing different flavors.

I'm going to take the coriander flower.

You know, extremely strong.

So innocent and punch-in-the-face flavor.

And the fennel flowers, because, likewise, they're very strong but in a very different range of flavors.

And, also, they have quite a sweetness in them.

If they put too much of this, it's going to be very, very tricky with the wine.

So, ladies, I'm gonna take you to the chef.

>> Good choice.

>> Well, since Yolanda is choosing more ingredients, I better catch up with the wine.

So, tell me, why ros wine?

Why did you decide to make that here?

>> The idea was to have a ros that could go well pairing food... >> Mm-hmm.

>> ...but also at the swimming pool, for example.

We wanted to have something people could have on a daily basis.

So we thought that, since we didn't want to make any white wine, we thought the ros was the right approach for that.

>> Well, my idea of a ros is that there should be something in the glass at least.

[ Both laugh ] >> What a great point.

>> You know what?

I normally never do this.

Our concept is three wines, three ingredients for our chef.

But you know what?

I'm going to choose a fourth one for this one.

>> Really?

>> Yes!

>> Wow.

I feel honored about it.

Music to my ears.

>> Oh, very good.

But I'm curious as to see what he would make for this.

>> I'm sure he will surprise us again.

>> Very nice.

Thank you.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you.

No, thank you.

No, thank you.

>> Thanks me.

>> Thanks you.

Yeah, thank you.

[ Both laugh ] The day has come.

It's time for the tasting ceremony, where Chef Pablo has the task to match four chosen ingredients with our four chosen wines.

Will he succeed?

>> Chef.

Da da, da da Look what I brought you.

>> Wow.

>> La Piu Belle Ros.

I chose two very intense, beautiful flavored flowers.

I'm not so sure how this intensely flowers are going to work with that very subtle wine.

>> For the ros wine, Pablo decides to create a vegetarian dish with produce from the vegetable garden at the winery.

>> I'll let you work.

>> He starts off with cream of mushroom soup, adds parsley, pangrattato, baby carrots, couchette, asparagus stock, cauliflower, broccoli, and onions with lemon juice and olive oil, and, of course, the edible flowers on top, and finally creates a vegetable ceviche.

Will it match the wine?

>> Gorgeous.

Look at that.

>> Seems the presentation is a hit, but what about the tastes?

Will Gaston miss his meat with the wine?

Remains to be seen.

>> And now Milla Cala, 2018.

And the ingredient I chose was the Mapuche hen egg.

Very traditional from this area, right?

>> What would be the worst ingredient to pair with this wine for you?

>> Fat.

I don't like fat on meat, so that I wouldn't like.

>> So no ribeye?

>> Yes, no ribeye.

>> The fat seems to be avoided as Pablo grills lettuce.

He uses truffled cream of potato soup as a base for the dish, adds the grilled lettuce, then adds a poached egg from the famous Mapuche hen, and grates the plum of an egg on top.

He sprinkles fried quinoa over it all.

Will the many varied tastes harmonize with the red wine?

>> The whole dish is incredible aroma.

It really does.

>> So the aromas are nice.

That's a good sign.

Let's see whether or not the unique Mapuche eggs combine with wine.

>> And now this one.

VIK.

It's a 2013.

So, I chose artichoke.

Very mischievous.

It's one of the most difficult ingredients in the whole cuisine world.

>> Yeah.

>> Right?

>> Artichoke is very, very difficult.

>> I have faith in you.

>> To handle the artichoke, or the wine killer, Pablo combines it with grilled short ribs.

He braises them in red wine.

He has fried the wine killers, or artichokes, in oil.

They are thinly sliced and have spent some time in water and lemon juice.

He adds a ginger and carrot puree.

Will it do the trick?

Will he conquer the killer of wine in his dish?

>> Honestly, it's like a painting.

The composition, the colors, the -- the -- Everything is done as if it were a piece of art.

>> A piece of art, no less.

Let's see if the meal will impress Cristian's taste buds, as well.

>> And now La Piu Belle.

Beautiful.

Beautiful girl, right?

>> Yeah.

I chose the cherries.

And I know they can be quite tricky because there is a lot of sweetness.

I will let you do your magic, and we will see you later.

>> Surprise.

>> Let's see the verdict.

>> Last but not least, a lavish dessert to celebrate the goddess of VIK, La Piu Belle.

Will the sweet taste go well with the red wine, or will it be a flop?

The presentation looks great, but what about the combination?

Will the cherries be too sweet and make the wine bitter?

>> Oh.

>> I think it was very bold of Pablo to choose something that has already bitterness plus sweetness.

>> Bold, indeed.

Will it be a cherry-licious experience?

All the meals are finished, and it's time for the moment of truth.

>> Cheers.

>> Skol.

>> Cheers to red wine for dessert.

>> Hola, Pablo.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you for a very interesting meal.

Let's talk about the first dish, the vegetable dish and your ros wine.

What do you think, Gaston?

>> Initially, I was a bit skeptical.

I wouldn't have thought that you were going to bring the whole orchard into the plate.

[ Laughter ] But...

I mean, I felt something really interesting.

At the very beginning, when I tasted that flower, it was such an explosion of flavors that I wouldn't have thought that it was going to match with the wine.

But it did.

That was at the very beginning.

But then, the rest of the dish, it was magnificent.

>> Thank you.

>> Gaston was satisfied.

Now, what about Alex?

>> So, I think the Milla Cala usually goes well with almost anything.

I just enjoyed the egg and then the grated dried egg with the salt.

That was such an interesting touch.

And then with the -- with the salad.

I'm trying to think of how I should criticize you, but I can't come up with anything.

>> That's "egg-cellent" news.

It's time to find out whether the artichoke killed the wine.

>> At the beginning, when I heard about artichoke, I was, you know, like, "Wow.

What will happen?"

But once we -- we -- we have the food here, first, it was kind of a painting, you know?

Like, beautiful colors.

And we were talking about this like -- like, almost a trunk of the vine.

So in that way, first connection, a trunk of the vine.

And then it became a big, big, big story full of flavor.

And I was so excited, you know, like, Pablo, it was amazing.

You made something really good for the wine, you know?

It was kind of all my senses on the plate.

Congratulations.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you.

>> It's time for the last dish.

Will it be a sweet success or a bitter tragedy?

>> Normally, we don't drink the red wine at dessert.

The La Piu Belle being such a round, voluptuous wine, there is a cherry flavor in the wine, but paired with the cherries and the chocolate, I just thought it was fantastic.

I absolutely enjoyed every single last morsel of that dessert.

>> Thank you so much, Pablo.

This was an excellent meal and a lot of amazing pairings.

Thank you.

>> You did a great job, Pablo.

To you.

Congratulations.

>> Thank you.

>> Cheers.

[ Glasses clinking ] >> Cheers.

>> Our mission is complete, and so is our visit to magical VIK in the Millahue Valley in beautiful Chile, a land of many wines and many tastes.

>> For more inspiration, visit us at winefirsttv.com.

>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

>> No, take me home >> VGAN Chocolate.

Norwegian flavor.

Available in Walmart stores.