A taste of the heart of Chile

It's been a little over 6 weeks since we left from Miami and we are now in the port city of La Serena, Chile. Its location is slightly more than halfway up the coast of Chile. As was the case with the previous two ports, the coastal town has a minimal flat shoreline and housing stacked along the hilly, coast.

Our excursion took us inward toward the heart of Chile, to the Elqui Valley which is renowned for its production of pisco, a type of brandy, and is also a significant wine region. It is the birthplace of Gabriela Mistral, a celebrated Chilean poet and Nobel literature Prize winner. She is one of five prize winners in South America. The photos memorilize her in her home village, facing the sun and seated on a park bench. (I thought she looked a little like a librarian). The region is also known for its esoteric and extraterrestrial phenomena, as well as its vibrant artistic and bohemian community.

The exceptionally clear skies make the Elqui Valley an ideal location for stargazing and astronomical research. It is home to professional astronomical observatories, and is popular for stargazing experiences. [wish we were staying in port overnight]. Observatories in the valley are built to take advantage of the south of the equator location and allow for the unique observation of two galaxies beyond the South Pole.

The Elqui Valley, although suffering from a major drought, was nevertheless, a scene of natural beauty, nestled between the Andes mountains and surrounded with the natural beauty of the vineyards. It’s the central hub for the production of the country’s renowned pisco. We toured Capel, one of the largest distilleries in the area. The tour showcased the entire process of producing Capel Pisco. It begins with the delivery of grapes in February and March. As you can see the grapes, which are considered some of the sweetest grapes available, are nearing the culmination of the growing season.

After determining the quantity of sugar, machines remove the grapes from the branches, which are then ground and used as fertilizer in the vineyards. The grapes are left to clarify in large iron tanks for several hours, after which the liquid is kept in concrete tanks for a couple of weeks to ferment.

DIstilling the liquid produces an alcohol of 85%. It comes in three layers, known as the head, the heart and the tail. The head contains methanol, which is dangerous to consume so it is discarded. The heart is the best and subsequently kept in oak barrels, varying from five months to two years, until a perfect pisco has been obtained. The end product has a alcohol percentage of 35 to 40%, as is determined by a strange but effective piece of machinery.

Our tour included everything from where trucks deliver the grapes, to the production and ended with a sampling of a pisco drink made of the Muscat grape as well as a visit to the store. It was fascinating to gain some insight into the process of making this national drink which, as many of our friend know, is one of our favorites!