Dos semanas en Quilpue out in the country was the best experience so far for three simple reasons one- surrounded by so much wisdom, two-breathing fresh nature air, and three-eating and drinking organic food! I had a great time with the Ramsay-Raab family they took me in as their daughter but I like to say I am their granddaughter. For two weeks I was given the opportunity to learn about the wine industry and practice speaking Chilean Spanish, politics, engineering and other helpful lingo. Mr. Raab has quite a story his family originated in France and has many siblings in various fields two of which are engineers. His wife Margie, the sweetest little lady I have met, stays home and knits but loves company and talking about her life too her family originated in Scotland. Margie's sister Jessie lives right around the corner with her husband Gaston and they too were very friendly, they are more technologically savi so they have a computer and I was able to use it once in a while to skype which to them is the best invention ever. Maria a family friend lives close to them as well and was very kind.
Since it is winter here I was not able to see the process of wine but did get to see the process of organic light beer. First thing was actually cooking the beer which consisted of corn and other things that took an entire day. (did not take pictures that day I was working hard trust me) After the cooking we had to let the beer fermenting for a week. You might be asking what did you do in the mean time...good question I helped disinfect all the bottles and then cleaned them along with putting labels on the dark beer which was already done. That surely did not take all week so I was able to explore the vineyards along with the city of Quilpue which was exciting, watched several soccer games and also took a surprising trip to the hospital but for nothing major and it was not for me. Once the beer was ready we had to pump it into the bodega to get ready to bottle it up. The process of bottling the beer was fast moving we did it in no time. Jose was in charge of the beer flow and making sure I had bottles, I was in charged of filling the bottles with the beer and then setting them for Ana who sealed them and gave them to Patricio the agronomo who would check them to see if they were okay dipped them in water and place it in a bin.
I will return to Quilpue before departing to America to say my ciao's and breath the fresh air again!
Ciao,
Jessica
PS I have not become an alcoholic I hardly even drink, a glass of wine a day is good for you and organic beer is better too, that is what my grandpa here in Chile said...
I love this quote the translation is not as funny " If you came to Chile and didn't drink wine then why the hell did you come"
The view of Quilpue from the top of the hills where I was living.
Can you see Lider it is their version of Walmart.
The Andes, this was a beautiful warm day.
The snow on top of the Andes...skiing anyone?
One last picture of the ciudad...fresh air!
The process of the beer begins...disinfecting the bottles.
I was getting the work done...the bodega was an ice chest but I could handle it.
My favorite part, filling up the bottles with cerveza!
Ana and Jose trying to get one last bottle.
Apurate Jessi!...that is what they could yell at me when bottles where not being filled.
Waiting on the last bottle...
Sealing the bottle with a cap, it required a lot of leg power...I was too short!
Some of the finished bottles...
Waiting for the Metro to head home!
Heading home on the Metro...
