Vinnez – February 2010
Welcome to Vinnez
Welcome to the first issue of our monthly newsletter, Vinnez, from Chaiken Vineyards. Each month your will receive information about our vineyard and winery, reflecting the cyclical nature of growing grapes and making wine. In addition, we will offer short educational pieces on wine subjects, stories about our adventures throughout the wine world, and announcements about current wine releases.
Vinnez will also link you to interesting content on wine, food, and travel appearing both at the Chaiken Vineyards website and other sources throughout the world. So, welcome to Vinnez and we hope you enjoy all that we provide on the world of wine.
Sincerely,
Barry P. Chaiken, Proprietor
Chaiken Vineyards
info@chaikenvineyards.com
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Origin of Chaiken Vineyards
Private Vineyard Estates and Vines of Mendoza
Two recidivist American entrepreneurs have started the biggest and most interesting wine venture in Mendoza. Dave Garrett describes himself as an “Internet guy” who happened to land in Argentina because his girlfriend at the time had a passion for the tango. While in Buenos Aires with little to do, he took an introductory course called Wines in English, which taught him the basics about those of Argentina.
A good friend of fifteen years and business associate in the United States was Michael Evans, who long wandered amid the worlds of technology, presidential politics, and non profits. Garrett suggested that Evans fly to Argentina and spend some time with him. He arrived speaking no Spanish and with plans for staying three weeks. Evans now speaks fluent Spanish and is still there.
While sitting around Buenos Aires, the two friends tossed around business ideas. Dave had seen an ad in a paper for an 80-acre property in Mendoza for $80,000, a price that got his attention. Land prices were then still inexpensive in dollars after the 2002 devaluation of the Argentine currency. So in early December 2004, the two friends traveled to Mendoza. The teacher of Dave’s wine course told them to look up her friend Pablo Gimenez whose family owned a winery. Garrett, Evans, and Gimenez spent two days together, visiting ten wineries that opened their doors and their wines to the two gringos in a way they would never have done without the Argentine.
