MOVI – A Different Winemaking Angle in Chile
Any readers of our blog will notice we are only posting on Chile recently. Not only is there plenty to say about the vast amounts of wine and wineries in Chile but the fact is we are still “stuck” in Chile due to Covid. We will be here for some time yet and may yet end up living here full-time. We still have very limited travel freedom at the time of writing but we are visiting new wineries when we can, and the MOVI visits described below show the direction we are going.
Our tours focus more on the experience. More important than the wine being drunk it is about meeting people and having interesting and rewarding interactions. The larger wineries where you cannot meet the owners or winemakers are still rewarding, but for other reasons; expensive infrastructure, prestige, impressive facilities and high-quality wine. But visits that will always live long in the memory are those where you have toured and sipped with decision-makers, owners, winemakers and agronomists. This is where the members of MOVI really deliver.
The members of The Independent Winemakers Movement are a fascinating bunch, extremely enthusiastic and with interesting backstories to share. In the words of the organization itself “MOVI – The Independent Winemakers Movement is a modern perspective of Chile. It is a complementary and contributing counterculture that contrasts with the outdated notion that Chilean wine lacks personality”. I couldn’t have put it better, the wine, winemakers and owners we have encountered so far certainly deliver on that statement.
Over time we will be visiting all of the members of MOVI, or at least that is the plan. The 6 wineries in the group that we have visited so far have offered some of the warmest and most stimulating experiences in our 4 years of doing this and we are convinced that our clients will love them as we have. I am not going to expand too much on the details of each member of MOVI and the experiences at each place as that should really be experienced first hand but will stress that the intimate nature of a visit to such a place is priceless, although we will, in fact, put a price on it :).
With the owner, winemaker and brand embassador at Villard
Time spent with owners and winemakers, who are often the same person, is time very well spent. Walking among their vines and listening to passionate stories of how they started and the obstacles they had to overcome make our own work lives seem rather straightforward by comparison. I am always impressed by the level of effort and commitment to their wines, and sipping a glass or two with them at their wineries is one of the greatest pleasures a wine lover can experience. We visit lots of well-polished wineries where advanced group experiences such as blending your own wines, aroma rooms and incredible cellar visits are very enjoyable. But at the human scale, there is nothing better than standing chatting with the individuals responsible for our favourite liquid.
There are a number of photos here that show some of our interactions with members of the MOVI group, and as I mentioned we will eventually get round to them all. When tourism returns to Chile we will be able to show clients some of these places and create lasting memories of a paradise for wine lovers.
