Win the trip of a lifetime
Win a trip of a lifetime by inventing a recipe to match Caminate wine.
One lucky reader will win a trip for two to Chile, including four nights' accommodation at the Four Points hotel, Santiago, or equivalent four-star accommodation, in our Gracia, de Chile competition.
The Corpora Vineyards & Winery is a 106-year-old company and Gracia, de Chile had its first harvest in 1993. Its range of wines includes a Sauvignon Blanc; a silver medal Challenge du Vin Bordeaux-winning Chardonnay; a Cabernet Sauvignon Pasajero, which has won many awards, including a gold medal Concours Mondial de Bruxelles; and a Merlot Murmullo, awarded a silver medal at the Japan International Challenge.
This competition invites Caterer readers to send in a recipe to complement Caminante - a full-bodied, top quality Bordeaux-style red wine.
All recipes will be discussed by our panel of judges and two finalists will be invited to cook their recipes at Ransome's Dock restaurant, London. The recipes will be tasted with Caminante by the judges, who will decide the winner.
The final will take place on Thursday 12 September. Deadline for entries is Thursday 29 August.
First prize: Economy flights for two with Lan Chile or British Airways to Santiago, with four nights' accommodation including breakfast at the Four Points hotel, Santiago, or equivalent four-star accommodation.
Second prize: A case of the entire Gracia range (24 bottles), including six bottles of Caminante, plus dinner for two at Ransome's Dock restaurant, London, to the value of £100.
Three runners-up prizes: Dinner for two at Ransome's Dock restaurant, London, to the value of £100.
Travel, accommodation and ingredient expenses will be provided for the two finalists, and Caminante's winemaker, Antoine Toublanc, will attend the final as a member of the judging panel. Please send your entries to: Lisa Jenkins, Gracia, de Chile Competition, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS, or e-mail lisa.jenkins@rbi.co.uk.
The producer
Gracia, de Chile is a relative newcomer to the world of winemaking, but this has not held it back in any way. Its wines are making great strides the world over, not least in the UK, and it prides itself on combining the best of tradition with the benefits of modernity, while retaining that all-important essence of Chile. Its first vineyards were planted in 1989, and in 1996 it built the winery, installing the latest kit. In 1999, the winery doubled in size, increasing the number of stainless steel tanks and cellar space. Viña Gracia now has vinification capacity of eight million litres, and plenty of wood - 2,000 French oak barrels at the last count.
The wines
Viña Gracia makes 20 different wines, ranging from a Sauvignon Blanc made from Central Valley grapes to a Reserva Merlot made from Maipo-based San Alfonso Estate grapes. It also makes a range of wines from grapes grown in Chile's most southerly wine region, Bio-Bio, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Viña Gracia's top wine, though, is the recently launched Caminante, which means traveller in Spanish. The wine, a Bordeaux-style Reserva 1998, was made by Gracia's winemaker Antoine Toublanc from grapes grown on its low-yield Colunquén Estate in the snow-capped mountain-fringed Aconcagua Valley, Chile's most northerly wine region. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère, the wine is aged in medium-toast French barrels made from Tronçais oak. What does it taste like? Cedar, tobacco and coffee give way to concentrated ripe cassis, blackberry and black cherry fruits, with a touch of vanilla and a dash of pepper on the finish. The wine will be available in the UK from this month at £19.99 (retail). Contact Freixenet (DWS) on 01344 758500 for details, or visit www.gracia.cl
Rules of entry
1. All entries must be received by Thursday 29 August 2002.
2. Winners will be notified by telephone and in writing, and their names will appear in the 19 September issue of Caterer & Hotelkeeper.
3. Only one entry per reader.
4. Employees of Reed Business Information, Marketforce, Hogg Robinson and their trading agents are not eligible for entry.
5. No purchase necessary.
6. There will be no cash alternative.
7. All entries must be sent to: Lisa Jenkins, Gracia, de Chile Competition, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS.
8. The prize must be taken by the end of 2003, subject to availability.
9. Prizewinners are responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the restaurant.
