Name a good white wine from Chile. Stumped? I’m not surprised. While the media — myself included – – poured attention and praise on the country’s reds over the last decade, the whites have gone relatively unnoticed. Overwhelmingly they are made from either sauvignon blanc, with 12,159 hectares planted, or chardonnay, with 13,082 hectares, along with a few thousand hectares of semillon, viognier, riesling and gewurztraminer. Sauvignon blanc is, after cabernet sauvignon, Chile’s second-biggest varietal, with sales of $9,140,725 this year, an 8.6 percent increase from last year. Quality wines from these white varietals appeared only very recently. Previous land restrictions from the socialist government and the isolation of the vineyards in the western mountains encouraged high-volume mediocrity, mostly from more »
Read moreFAIRHILLS CHILE ASSIST NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL
Fairhills Chile is still a very young initiative started in Curicó during the end of 2008. The project is still very much in a growing phase with regards to social projects and gaining more business for its Fairtrade producers in Chile. Considering the age of the initiative it is interesting to note how much “good” work Fairhills Chile has done on a social front with regards to its producers, its beneficiaries and rural communities. Fairhills as a global initiative has always set its sights on assisting where it believes the most basic needs occurs and none more important is education. After assisting La Higuerilla Primary school to rebuild its Grade R section after the devastating earthquake of February 2010, it more »
Read moreAn earthquake with a 8,8 magnitude reading on the Richter scale plunged many areas into ruins at its epicenter near Concepción City, and the surrounding areas, claiming the lives of more than 300 victims in the early hours of February 27th 2010. The natural disaster tore down buildings, left roads inaccessible, collapsed bridges and triggered eight meter high waves in the Pacific Ocean which destroyed many small coastal fishing villages. The devastation left families from poorer areas where building and construction work was not strong enough to resist this terrible phenomenon, homeless. In Sagrada Familia a rural school called La Higuerilla which provides schooling to more than 40 kids, was left in disarray after the earthquake destroyed the pre-primary more »
Read moreLas Ilusiones School – Curicó, Chile
The Las Ilusiones School, located in Curicó, Chile was founded in March of 1993 to address the needs of scholars who have special needs and are mentally challenged. The aim of the school is to educate, rehabilitate and integrate children and young people, with such needs and challenges into society as working individuals. To achieve this aim, the school counts heavily on its headmistress Mrs. María Cecilia Basualto, a qualified special educator, and a competent staff of professionals amongst others a special educator, physical education instructor, cooking instructor, technical assistants, psychologist, social workers, kinesiologist and neurologist. Originally the school opened its doors to only 30 pupils but quickly grew in leaps and bounds. Currently it boasts a head count of more »
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