Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Day 7: Making memories (and wine!) at Montgras Estate

We started the day with the anticipation of our last stop of the day - wine tasting at Montgras Estates! Alas we had a few stops before getting to the winery. 

Our first stop was with a visit with a small vegetable and fruit producer. Luis Carrasco Saldana is a forward-thinking farmer who took the initiative three years ago to further educate himself and a small group of fellow farmers on upgrading their irrigation systems.  With a well only four meters deep he irrigates his cherries, onions, melons and beans for the local market. His advice to us was to do everything with love.  

With irrigation on our minds our next stop was with Graciela who oversees all of the water systems in the area.  In the past six years, due to climate change, Chile has lost 30% of its rain and the river water is down 40%.  The biggest challenge is trying to get the government to acknowledge the need for dams and policy and to act on getting those dams constructed. This would allow water to be distributed more efficiently and recharge aquifers used by wells in the regions.  

Our lunch was enjoyed overlooking a vineyard at Vino Bello on their outdoor terrace complete with horse and wagon. This offered several photo opportunities with the vineyard in the background and a warm breeze blowing around us.  We enjoyed some wine, the vista and great conversation. 

Little did we know that on our final stop of the day we would become Montgras Estates newest winemakers upon our arrival! Gonzalos Silva guided us on our adventure in harvesting and making wine.   He gave us a bucket and some shears and we each got to experience picking our bucket of grapes. Then came the fun part - we took off our shoes and rolled up our pants and savoured the adventure of crushing grapes and watching the juice fill our buckets. To feel the grapes squeeze between our toes and the sweet juice bursting out was a therapeutic experience.  We cleaned up and proceeded with our tour of how they make wine with today's technology. White wine is cool fermented with only the juice and red is warm fermented with the whole grape skin seeds and all.  

Gonzalos instructed us in the proper wine tasting technique to first smell then swirl and smell again and finally taste by swirling in our mouths before swallowing. As Gonzalos says, “a good wine is the one you like the taste of" – so find the one you like and enjoy.   

We returned to Rancagua to enjoy our final night in Chile! Tomorrow we depart for Argentina.

-Class 15

 

Views: 273

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

The 13-Year Lag: Why Today’s Wheat Breeding Success Depends on Yesterday’s Investment

Wheat varieties are performing better than ever, but a “slow drip” of budget cuts means the next generation of innovation is at a critical crossroads. Wheat varieties that deliver high yields, exceptional quality and strong disease packages are available in abundant choice to Manitoba farmers. This choice and performance are thanks to an often-overlooked wheat breeding innovation system. “Wheat is one of my favourite crops to grow; it can withstand whatever the year throws at it,” says Jocelyn Velestuk, chair of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC). “In past decades that hasn’t always been the case.” There’s lots of variables driving the success of wheat in Western Canada, but Velestuk is adamant that the foundation of that success is our wheat breeding programs. “We can’t take that system for granted and right now, it’s at risk,” she says. While the varieties available today are excellent, the process of plant breeding means those successes are built on efforts made over 1

Rotimi Aluko, professor, University of Manitoba

Rotimi Aluko is a professor at the University of Manitoba (UM) in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, as well as director of the Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research. Originally from Nigeria, he completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in biochemistry there before earning a PhD in food science at the University of Guelph. He moved to Winnipeg in 2001, where he lives with his wife. Their two children are grown; one lives in Winnipeg and the other is in Alberta. Where did you work before UM? I’ve been here for 25 years, but before UM I worked as a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Saskatoon. What got you interested in becoming a professor? From my undergraduate days I was fascinated by my professors, how they taught, carried themselves and were respected in society. I worked as a scientist with AAFC after my PhD, but I was always on the lookout for a professorial position. It had been a longtime goal, so when t

Canadian Cattle Association Statement on Revised Regulatory Approach to the Livestock Traceability Regulations

The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is pleased by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) announcement that new movement reporting requirements for cattle will not be moving forward while changes for other species will proceed. CCA remains committed to our support for livestock traceability as a core pillar of disease preparedness, market access and confidence in Canadian beef. CCA and provincial member organizations are in the final stages of convening a Task Force to work for producers on a risk-based, industry-led approach to disease preparedness and emergency management and will be making an announcement soon, pending finalization of the Task Force members.

Waterton Biosphere Region seeking input on predator losses

The Waterton Biosphere Region is seeking input from livestock producers who have experienced losses to bears, wolves or cougars between 2021 and 2025. Information collected through the survey will be used to help inform discussions around Alberta’s predator compensation program.  Producers are asked to provide up to five years of data on livestock inventories, overall death losses and predator-related losses. Personal information will remain confidential and will not be shared externally.  The survey is currently open to producers located within the Waterton Biosphere Region and will remain open until the end of June.  The survey is available online:  Producer Data – Predator Losses  Paper copies can also be obtained through local municipal district offices.  Understanding the biosphere region The Waterton Biosphere Region is a biosphere region located in southwestern Alberta. According to the organization, biosphere reserves are traditionally organized into three zones, known a

Wild boar eradication efforts continue across Alberta

Province reports nearly 600 animals removed since 2018 Alberta’s Wild Boar Control Program says efforts to eradicate invasive wild boar from the province are continuing to advance, with nearly 600 animals removed since 2018. In an update shared through the Alberta Invasive Species Council (AISC), the province reported that 595 wild boar have been removed through trapping efforts since the program began, including 108 animals in 2025 and nine more so far in 2026. Tracking progress toward eradication Wild boar are considered one of the most destructive invasive species affecting agriculture in North America due to their ability to damage crops, pasture, fencing, water systems and native ecosystems. They can also pose disease risks to livestock and wildlife populations. “The Wild Boar Control Program is taking some big steps towards eradicating wild boar in Alberta with the support of all our amazing partners,” wrote Hannah McKenzie, Wild Boar Specialist with the Alberta government,

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service