Eager to see some vineyards in Chile, we headed inland from Valparaiso to Casablanca, and visited Emiliana, known for its organic vineyards. Upon our arrival, we booked a one hour tasting tour, and learned many fascinating facts about this lovely vineyard. For one, Emiliana takes great measures to avoid the use of agrochemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, etc. Secondly, they adhere strongly to three basic principles of biodynamics developed by Rudulf Steiner, an Austrian-Hungarian philosopher. To anyone who doesn't know his name, we strongly recommend a google search. Lastly, and the quality that impressed us the most, is their strong commitment to their workers. For example, they founded a gardening program which allows for all of their employees to have a piece of land where they can grow their own vegetables. In addition, they supply the means for employees to have their own "micro-companies" such as in the production of olive oil, honey, wool, etc, to serve as an additional source of income during the seasons when there is no work to do in the vineyard. It was incredibly impressive to see, and made us respect them all the more. Not just for the quality of their wine, but for their relentless commitment to social and environmental issues. Of course, after the tour, we ended up purchasing six bottles of wine, which to a backpacker may seem ludicrous, but to us normal. Luckily, good karma followed us, and we were picked up by a group of young Chileans who offered us a ride back to Valparaiso. Thank you Chile, for your wine, your people and your love.
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