[WINEMAKER SPOTLIGHT] Viña Mayu

Photo: Leslee Miller

You could say that Viña Mayu's destiny was written in the stars. 

Mauro Olivier grew up working in vineyards during summer breaks from school. So when the time came to start his own winery, he decided to make the most of the clear, arid conditions in Chile's Elqui Valley. In this desert valley, the days are hot and dry and the nights are fresh and cool. It is known for its crystal clear atmosphere, perfect for viewing the stars and the majesty of the solar system at night. The valley actually holds the worlds' majority of observatories.  In fact, the Elqui Valley is considered an International Dark Sky Sanctuary. So, in 2005, Olivier staked a winery in this magical region, calling it Mayu, the Incan word for "river of stars" (the Milky Way!).

Olivier tapped his cousin, Italian-born Giorgio Flessati (pictured above), to be Mayu's winemaker, and the two set out to make unique and delicious wines that take advantage of the Elqui Valley's extreme nature.  With over 320 days of sunshine...

[WINEMAKER SPOTLIGHT] Peterson Winery

Photo: boxerbrand.com

What gets winegrower Fred Peterson out of bed in the morning? “For me, the motivation is that every day is so different in the wine business,” he says. And it’s true. Fred Peterson and his son, winemaker Jamie, never set out to make the same wine twice at Peterson Winery in Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County.

Fred and Jamie thrive on the fact that each day, each year, is a new adventure in the vineyard. They consider it their job to harness whatever is naturally occuring at any given time and put in a bottle for you to enjoy.

This gentle way of winemaking is what the Petersons call Zero Manipulation. This philosophy emphasizes traditional winemaking practices in order to maximize each wine’s naturally occurring flavors and textures. As their website states, “Fred and Jamie celebrate vintage differences and don’t tweak or homogenize the wine to obtain consistency of flavors, a common practice in mass-market wineries.”

Fred says that this delicate balance all starts in the vineyard,...