In Search of Flavor

In the show:

-The origins and history of astrology in history and present day

- How astrology's decline during the Inquisition and revival during the Renaissance led to its divide from astronomy.

-How to use astrology as a tool on your life journey through knowing your sign–and even for those in your life like friends, family, and colleagues.

Timestamps for each sign:

- 19:48 Aries (March 21st to April 19th)

- 24:26 Taurus (April 20th to May 20th)

- 26:25 Gemini (May 21st to June 20th)

- 28:08 Cancer (June 21st to July 22nd)

- 30:56 Leo (July 23rd to August 22nd)

- 33:38 Virgo (August 23rd to September 22nd)

- 36:39 Libra (September 23rd to October 22nd)

- 39:49 Scorpio (October 23rd to November 21st)

- 44:37 Sagittarius (November 22nd to December 21st)

- 48:17 Capricorn (December 22nd to January 19th)

- 51:18 Aquarius (January 20th to February 18th)

- 57:47 Pisces (February 19th to March 20th)

- 1:01:47 Importance of Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs in Birth Charts

- A discussion of how to navigate Mercury Retrograde–what it is, isn’t and how to work with the snafus and backwards energy 3x per year

-A short round-up of one of the best places to stargaze in the world–the Atacama Desert! Liz shares a few tips for planning a trip and traveling.

Resources:

Instagram: @tarotbytashi

Website: www.tarotbytashi.com

In this episode we cover:

-The wine revolution in Chile and how Rodrigo started exploring the wine in Burgundy, France

-His definition of terroir and how that relates to growing grapes and winemaking

-The journey and a 10-year search to identify the perfect site to plant his vineyard in the rainy south of Chile–a place where nobody had planted vines before.

-Understanding the climatic conditions in the south and their impact on wine production, and how ultimately these translate into Trapi’s unique wines

-Why Trapi’s wines are vegan, sustainable, and have incredibly low sulfates

-His future plans in the US market and the legacy he hopes to leave the Chilean wine industry

Resources:

Instagram: @trapidelbueno

Order Trapi's wines

Nestled at the feet of the towering Andes Mountains with more than 320 days of sunshine each year, Mendoza is a region defined by wine, much the way Bordeaux or Napa is. After all, it’s the world’s fourth largest wine producing region. Mendoza, however, is more than vineyards and wine cellars. It’s a place that feels like a last frontier where the Andes and the intensity of the sun is woven into every expression. With over 150,000 hectares of vineyards and hundreds of wineries, tucked away in the heart of Pedriel in the Lujan de Cuyo district is Cavas Wine Lodge, a Relais & Chateaux property founded by Cecilia Diaz Chuit and her husband Martin Rigal in 2005. The first luxury ‘wine lodge’ in Mendoza, Cavas came to life through their relentless vision, passion, and persistence. Their presence and personal touch as owners, too, is the secret sauce that makes this property so magical–and sustainable in time. Maybe you have stayed in Cavas, or perhaps it’s on your list to check out, in this interview, Cecilia will take you behind the scenes of Cavas--it's a bit like visiting a hotelier friend in Mendoza. Grab your 'vinito' and let’s go.

In this episode we talk about:

• How Cecilia’s upbringing lead her into travel and a career as a hotelier and entrepreneur
• Mendoza in the early 2000s and how it has grown up as a wine region
• How she and her husband found Cavas stunning location (vineyards! Andes! Minimalist architecture!) and why Argentine wine country geographically looks so different than other wine regions
• What the secret is to really running a successful hotel
• Anecdotes on life in Mendoza, Argentinian culture and love for the “asado”

Resources:

Instagram: @cavaswinelodge

Website: www.cavaswinelodge.com

With Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, rain forests, jungles, great valleys and rivers flowing from the Andes Mountains, desert, and fog forests, Colombia is a country with deep regionality and distinct food, culture and customs. As the country exports more and more talent in music, innovation, art, design, fashion, and now food, today we are going to introduce you to a brilliant tastemaker, chef, and food stylist, Mariana Velásquezz, a native of Bogotá. She’s spent the past two decades residing in New York and cooking in restaurant kitchens, food styling, and writing/collaborating on cookbooks and published her own cookbook called Colombiana, which she says brings it all full circle. Mariana shares why Colombia's culinary philosophy means ‘more is more’ and the inherent joy and generosity present in its cuisine, and culture, which anyone traveling to the region will immediately savor.

In this episode we talk about:

• Mariana’s childhood memories of her grandmothers and the strong women in her family who modeled for her how to ‘dress’ a table.
• How she followed her passion in food abroad, honed her skills and eventually meshed her love of aesthetics into food styling.
• The diversity of Colombian cuisine, understanding its pillars, and how to make Colombian cuisine translatable at home.
• Her cookbook creation journey, the challenge faced when the pandemic hit, and how she pivoted.
• The stories behind the recipes and why she featured whole menus evocative of different regions of the country with hosting tips, suggestions for setting the scene, and playlists.
• Just to whet your appetite: here are a few examples of delicious dishes from Colombiana: empanadas (need we say more)... Cuchuco de Papaya y Camarón Tostado (Spicy Papaya and Charred Shrimp Gazpacho); Lomito de Cerdo al Tamarindo y Menta (Tamarind Pork Tenderloin with Mint).

Resources:

Instagram: MarianaVelasquezV

Website: www.marianavelasquez.com

Casa Velasquez HostingWare: https://www.casavelasquez.co/

• If you are considering traveling to Chile in 2022, it’s a great time to start planning as the country has the most complete and aggressive vaccination in South America (over 85% of the adult population is fully vaccinated and there is now zero cases in Patagonia!). Contact us to plan your trip
• In Episode 22, we talk a little about the possible forecast for travel in South America in 2022, although the pandemic is always a moving target Listen here.

If you missed Episode 22 on travel in South America, we highly recommend it. Listen here.

Explore our destinations in South America

Contact us to plan your trip

In this episode we talk about:

• Rodrigo’s background and why a summer job in a restaurant was the beginning of his curiosity about wine.
• The uncanny timing of an unwanted thesis on organic agriculture opened the door to lifelong learning and working with biodynamic agriculture.
• A glimpse into the world of wine in Chile in the early 2000s, and then mid-2010s, as he worked with trailblazers Matetic Vineyards and Veramonte.
• His fascination, and love affair, with California, brought him to LA, then Mendocino, Sonoma, and finally landed him in Napa.
• The importance and influence of key biodynamic mentors in his life like Alvaro Espinoza and Alan York shaped his path.
• His knack for coming into wine projects and transforming them, with biodynamic viticulture, to finer wines.
• Chile & California’s geographical similarities from coastline to weather, and even soil. Culture is another story, though.

Resources:

Matetic Vineyards (Chile)

Benzinger Winery (Napa)

Veramonte Winery (Chile)

Quintessa Winery (Napa)

Follow Rodrigo on Instagram

In this episode:

• The current situation as of early July 2021 in South America and a country-by-country “reading” of how we think it will evolve into 1Q 2022 and beyond
• Our philosophy on how we work with our clients and advise them on planning travel in this new era--just like you work with a financial or legal advisor.
• The metrics we use to evaluate how safe a destination can be and how to approach planning any trip using them
• Why Chile is your safest travel destination for holiday travel and in early 2022
• Our suggestions for being an early entry traveler to the region from travel style to specific destinations
• Why now is the time to plan the bucket list destinations and holiday travel for 2022 (pent up demand is real)
• And much more!

Resources:

We are proud to be recommended by Condenast Traveler as a top Travel Advisor in 2020 and 2021. You can read our review and more about our approach here.

Explore our destinations in South America

Contact us to discuss your trip

Revisit these episodes to spur wanderlust in:

-Chile & Uruguay: From vineyards to beaches

-The Peruvian Amazonian

-Ecuador: The Galapagos, of course!

-Argentina: Mendoza for wine lovers

In this episode we talk about:

• Laura’s family background and growing up in an Italo-Argentine winemaking family.
• What led her to become a medical doctor and when she felt called to join the family business.
• How her father, Nicolas Catena, saw the potential for Malbec as one of the great wines of the world.
• The story behind Catena Zapata and how it conquered one consumer, one wine shop one by one.
• The scientific, and cultural basis for terroir, how it applies to Malbec and clonal material, and why Laura founded the Catena Wine Institute.
• Her own project, Luca Wines, was an effort to preserve the small grape grower traditions in Argentina and how that has evolved.
• Sharing her love for her country through writing and books published on Argentina and wine culture.

Resources:

Luca Wines

Laura’s Instagram account

Catena Wines

Vino Argentino

Gold in the Vineyard

Catena Institute of Wine

Malbec Terroir Study

In this episode:

• The definition of terroir and its limitations
• What products are considered terroir products and why
• How artisanality and quality are the backbones of terroir
• Why the human touch and families are also part of the equation
• What we all bring to the table in our terroir experience
• A mash-up of four of our favorite episodes from Season One that bring this point home

Resources:

Episode #1 with Santiago Achaval of Matervini Wine

Episode #2 with Jake Standerfer of Coffee Culture Roasters

Episode #13 with Guiliana Furci of Fungi Foundation

Episode #15with Mark Gerrits of Obolo Chocolate