My guest this week is Tim Edwards, owner and entrepreneur of St. Stephen vineyards.
In 1994, Edwards and his Chilean wife Claudia spent a year traveling 9,000 miles by Jeep from the United States to Chile, where they finally settled. They purchased land in the Colchagua Valley and founded St. Stephen Vineyards, dedicated to making quality wines made with organic grapes, to help advance efforts to protect the planet.
“We realized early on that the key to our success was to create a really great wine. Many of the best wines in the world come from Chile. The Colchagua Valley was named the ‘World’s Best Wine Region’ by Wine Enthusiast magazine. One of our wines has been rated at 90 points, and the other two are pending evaluation,” says Edwards.
A “cause marketing” organization, St. Stephen donates a significant portion of the profits for each bottle sold to helping environmental causes in the United States and Chile.
For more information about St. Stephen and to order wine, visit the company’s website at www.StStephen.cl for product and company updates follow on Facebook and twitter!
St. Stephen produces three hand-crafted organic wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménere and Malbec.
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
We will be tasting all three of Tim’s Wines during the show!
2016 Am Malbec Reserva
Curicó Valley, Chile
Am means ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ in the Mapuche language. This is a lush Malbec from the Curicó Valley characterized by deep, purple red color with inky-blue hues; Ripe blackberry, plum, mocca and violet aromas combine with soft, juicy, dark plum, cherry flavors with hints of toffee, good acidity and a pleasant long finish.
2017 Oda al vino Carménere Reserva
Colchagua Valley, Chile
From the Pablo Neruda poem ‘Ode to Wine’ – This wine has a beautiful deep red violet color. It is a complex wine whose aromas of red fruits blend harmoniously with soft notes of spices, sour fruits and oak. The flavors reflect the character and terroir of Carménère: the refreshing influence of the Andes mountain range in winter, minimum rainfall during the growing season and hot summers. Tannins firm and pleasant offer an excellent balance of acidity, body and volume.
Oda al Vino Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva
Colchagua Valley, Chile
Also from the poem ‘Ode to Wine’ – A smooth and sophisticated wine. A beautiful intense purplish red color. A nose that reflects a higher percentage of ripe fruit and spices can be felt shortly after pouring, intensifying as the wine breathes. In its mouth, the velvety flavor of Cabernet opens to complement its impressive bouquet. Firm and pleasant tannins provide a medium body and a light volume.