A Little Spot Of Wine In Cuenca, Ecuador

Mr. & Mrs. Wine Guy

The fetching Mrs. Wine Guy and I recently returned from a two month stay in Ecuador.  Ecuador is a beautiful, diverse and delightful country.  It, however, is sometimes a challenge to find a proper venue to enjoy a nice glass of wine.  Fortunately, The Wine Guy is persistant in his persuit and we now have a few regular venues in both Quito and Cuenca that we will enjoy upon our return.   (Ecuador is now our chosen target for retirement living....Grapevine readers wanting to learn more about that venture in our life may want to visit www.togetherontheroadoflife.blogspot.com).

One relaxing venue for us was the Brujas (Witches) Cafe and Bar located along the Rio Tomebamba just adjacent to the historico centro in Ecuador's third largest city, Cuenca.  The high bluff known as the El Barranco insulates the noise of the bustling centro, allowing the rippling water of Rio Tomebamba to provide a backgound of soothing sound in a very scenic setting.  A platform alongside the pathway that accesses the Brujas overlooks the gurling waters and greenbelt and provides a wonderfully staged venue to enjoy appetizers and a glass of wine. We did so on a perfectly beautiful Ecuadorian afternoon and were delighted that we had somewhat impusively decided to try this spot.

It didn't hurt at all that the by the glass or carafe house wine is a little better than the typical Ecuadorian norm.  The house wine here is Concha y Toro and they uniquely will let you choose the varietal.  (Sometimes your house wine choices are simply blanco (white) or tinto (red).  I've often gotten a simple perplexed shrug when I've inquired of a waiter as to whether the house vino tinto is a cabernet, merlot or carmenere  (typically, in Ecuador, it is probably 1 of these 3). I guess it depends on the inventory or perhaps what is open and viable in the back?

In any case, the service and accommodation at Brujas was a step above that.  The fetching Mrs. Wine Guy and I shared appetizer plates of cheese quesadillas and cooked mushrooms along with glasses of Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon.  Perched under shady umbrellas to help protect us from the high UV count (Cuenca's elevation above 8,000 ft makes for intense sunshine) and with a refreshing breeze wafting across the cool waters, we enjoyed a leisurely sojurn and a delightful afternoon.   This will become a regular spot in Cuenca for us to enjoy wine as it's meant to be enjoyed.








We hope you have the opportunity some day to enjoy a glass along the Rio Tomebamba, as well.  Salute!


Update note:   this blog was originally published in August of 2011.  Unfortunately, the Brujas location along the Tomebamba closed in 2012.   While there are other spots to enjoy a glass of wine, we will miss the opportunity to sit in this riverside setting, sipping and watching the world go by!

Dos Hemisferios Wine Update

Being in Ecuador for two months, my last blog dealt with an Ecuadorian winery named Dos Hemisferios. A reader requested that I follow up on more of their wines after I had the opportunity to sample them. The Wine Guy actually hasn't had the opportunity to try their flagship red called Paradoj nor their 100% Chardonnay called Enigma (more on the reasons why in a moment). What I have found, however, is that the winery is also producing a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend they have labeled Del Morro. This reserva blend is aged in French oak for 6 months and then receives an additional 6 months aging in the bottle before release. The sample I found was a vintage 2008 so there has been some additional shelf/warehouse ageing as well. Although quite drinkable for a near zero latitude wine retailing under $9, I suspect this wine did not benefit from the extra time it spent in the bottle after it left the winery and before it reached my table. That have been due to handling but it may also indicate a little weaker product. It wasn't bad, it was just simply a little bit of letdown after my previous experience with their red blend Bruma. I'll look forward to trying another bottle if I can locate an additional source. It will be interesting to see if the disappointment was due to the handling of the wine before or after its release from the winery.

That might take a little while. Those of you who are here in Ecuador with me are probably aware that the Ministry of Health put a short moratorium on retail liquor sales across the country. It seems some bootleg methyl alcohol has made its way into some branded liquors in Ecuador and has resulted in more than a score of deaths and hospitalizations. Although It appears all of these were a result of hard liquor ingestion, the ban covers all retail establishments and all alcoholic beverages, including beer and wine.

It looks as though the fetching Mrs Wine Guy and I will be heading to one of our favorite cafes for some extra Mochachino fixes over the next few days. Think of us as you enjoy your next glass of wine but never fear, I will get to enjoy some additional wines soon. Salute!

A Unique Ecuadorian Producer

Dos Hemeferios Vineyards got its start in 1999, but its first planting of grapes for wine production didn't occur until 2002. This Ecuadorian producer is not located in Ecuador's mountainous regions as you might expect but rather in the low rolling lands of the Santa Elena Pennisula. A mere 2 degrees south of the equator insures a warm, humid climate but the expected heat is moderated by near constant breezes. Situated near San Miguel del Morro, about 34 miles southwest of Guayquil, the vineyards are nearly equidistant from the broad Gulf of Guayquil and the Pacific Ocean. The water influence allows for wine grape production that in fact yields two harvests per year. It wasn't until 2006 that this vineyard produced its first (and still its flagship) wine, Paradoja, a 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec blend that's aged for 18 months prior to bottling then an additional six months in the bottle. Bruma, A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah followed in 2007. the vinieyard followed with a white mwine named Enigma, from 100% Chardonnay and by 2009 all three wines were being distributed in Ecuador.

The Bruma is the only one of the three that has been sampled by The Wine Guy, but based on that experience, I'm looking forward to experiencing the other two offerings from this truly unique vineyard. The fetching Mrs. Wine Guy also thoroughly enjoyed her first sampling and has requested we do it again! With her endorsement, it looks as though an Ecuadorian wine will be regularly found in The Wine Guy's inventory.