Chef Gustavo Moreno accepted our challenge: bring the day’s catch together on one plate with three wines from Viña Los Vascos, our Chilean vineyard. The result? Three unexpected pairings that cast our Cromas Syrah, Le Dix de Los Vascos and Chagual Sauvignon Blanc in a new light.
Gustavo Moreno is a longstanding friend of Viña Los Vascos. Back in 2019, together with a handful of other chefs gathered to celebrate the vineyard’s thirtieth anniversary, he took us foraging for samphire along the coast of Pichilemu, the iconic Pacific village he calls home.
Pichilemu, with its rocky tooth jutting out of the ocean some fifty metres from shore, and its deep, regular swells drawing surfers from all over the world.
Chef and surfer, in that order, or the other way round, depending on the day, Gustavo knows how to make the most of everything the place has to offer. Here he opened Mareal, a restaurant where the tide dictates the day’s menu.
For Viña Los Vascos, Gustavo agreed to work with both the day’s catch and our wines. Two constraints. Three surprising pairings.
Cromas Syrah 2022 and crab fettuccine
The first gamble: red wine with crab.
The shellfish brings its delicate texture and gentle salinity, provided you don’t over-season it, Gustavo insists. Around it, roasted garlic, with its caramelised, toasted notes, picks up the ripe fruit and spice of the Syrah. Parmesan brings the umami and richness needed to soften the tannins. And a final touch of lemon purée wakes up the palate.
The result is a crab with enough armour of its own, its saline flesh supported by generous flavours, to stand up to our Syrah.
The Cromas should be served slightly chilled, at around 15°C, to preserve its freshness and fruit against the richness of the dish.
Le Dix de Los Vascos 2021 and grilled albacore tuna, cashew purée and roasted beetroot
Here, the grill builds a bridge between the sea and our earthy Cabernet.
Albacore tuna, firmer and richer than a delicate white fish, takes on smoky, charred notes over the heat. Rather than being overwhelmed by the power of the wine, it meets the structure and oak of Le Dix on equal terms.
The keystone of the pairing is brown butter. Its toasted flavour echoes the wine’s ageing, while its richness softens the perception of the tannins. Cashew purée takes those roasted notes deeper; roasted beetroot brings an earthy sweetness that brings out the wine’s fruit; and toasted almonds carry that charred thread right across the plate.
A drizzle of olive oil and a little red onion finish everything with a touch of freshness, keeping richness from tipping into heaviness.
It is a generous pairing, but nothing like the arm wrestle Cabernet pairings can sometimes become, with two powerful flavours threatening to cancel each other out. Here, instead, the elegance of the grilled tuna reveals the full spectrum of aromas in our Le Dix.
Chagual Sauvignon Blanc 2024 and corvina ceviche
The delicate flesh of the corvina calls for a taut, vibrant wine, and Chagual answers with bright acidity. Lime and apple cider vinegar find a natural echo in the wine, while the creamy richness of avocado could easily overwhelm something lighter. Here, the Sauvignon’s acidity cuts straight through.
Roasted sweet potato brings sweetness, while sriracha and ginger find something to temper their heat in the wine’s aromatic freshness.
Red onion and chives finish the pairing on a green, vegetal note that extends the Sauvignon’s herbaceous character.
Freshness, acidity, creaminess, sweetness, heat: Pichilemu on a plate. We’ll have another.
Perhaps it had to be a chef well versed in the art of taming waves, with the particular balancing act that comes naturally to a surfer, to dare pair the ocean with something other than white wine.
We’re very glad he did.
A fishing trip off the coast of South Devon, a haul of scallops, and two bottles of William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru to wash them down.
Explore the hidden orchards and gardens behind the vines.
A journey across three vineyards where fig trees, rose bushes, chaguals and quinces extend the work of the vine, reveal the rhythms of the seasons and strengthen the vitality of the soil.
The inner thoughts of two winemakers from opposite ends of the world.
What does a winemaker’s day really look like? The journals of Jeanne at Château L’Évangile in Pomerol and Joaquín at Viña Los Vascos in Chile reveal two contrasting yet connected lives. This is the story of two different hemispheres and one shared passion.
Assemblage
In our cellars, we blend grape varieties; in our Journal, we blend ideas. This time, it's a rather airy lexicon. The winds make the weather fair or foul. But do they also make the wines? Here's an overview of those that blow over our vineyards, from the tramontane to the typhoon.