Viña Indómita, y Pablo Neruda

Today began with a visit to Viña Indómita, a vineyard and winery here in Chile. It was also the company that my group and I researched before the trip. We were greeted by an amazing view of the vineyard, and so we first took some time to take pictures.

Then we met a representative from the company, who explained to us the processes involved in wine production. I knew a little bit about how wine is made from my visit to Napa a few years ago, but definitely learned a lot more during this visit. I especially thought it fascinating how much work is involved in protecting the vineyard during the winter. In front of the winery were roses, which we were told are there because roses are very fragile flowers, so they will be the first to be damaged when the weather gets cold. This lets the wine makers know that they must take precautionary measures to protect the vines. I also learned that Chilean law allows only one wine harvest per year. This is to ensure that the wine produced maintains its high standard.

We then entered the cellar to see where the wine is actually stored. The higher quality wines are stored in French Oak barrels, while the less complex wines are stored in large metal containers. I never knew that the humidity was so important in wine production as well. The floor of the cellar had rocks on the bottom so that when the humidity needs to be increased, they can just add water. I think that there is definitely room for industrial engineering in wine production. The science involved seems quite exact, and an industrial engineer could be useful in data analysis to determine potential flaws in the production, or any areas in which the process could be improved. 

After tasting some excellent wine and stopping for a few souvenirs, we headed to Isla Negra, and the house of the poet Pablo Neruda. We enjoyed a long, delicious lunch of oysters, soup, and tiramisu by the ocean. Then we took a tour of Pablo Neruda’s house. I had done a bit of research on Pablo Neruda, but didn’t realize what a truly fascinating person he must have been until this tour. Since he was in love with the sea, his house was designed to resemble a ship on the inside. Also an avid collector, he had a large collection of butterflies, maps, shells, and much more. I wish we had been able to take pictures inside.

We finished Pablo Neruda’s house by relaxing and taking pictures by the water. Though this past week has been amazing, I think we were all feeling like we needed some down-time, and the beach was the perfect place to do it.

Then we headed to our final dance class, part 2 of salsa. This time we learned a bit of the cha-cha, and some more complicated salsa. It was definitely a workout, but hilarious and enjoyable as always. I can’t wait for this weekend when we have more free time. First stop tomorrow is trying some of the local pastry shops. Buenas Noches!