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: 268

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

Reducing On-Farm Pesticide Drift

Pesticide drift is a costly challenge for large farms. During National Pesticide Safety Education Month, here are key strategies—based on current EPA and Extension guidance—to keep applications on target.

US Ag Groups Join Forces to Call for Trade Pact Renewal

A new coalition of U.S. farm and agricultural organizations is ramping up pressure on Washington to ensure the renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, or CUSMA as it is known in Canada) as the pact approaches its mandatory 2026 review. More than 40 farm and agri-food groups have launched the Agricultural Coalition for USMCA, highlighting the trade deal’s role as a key economic driver for American agriculture and warning that uncertainty around its future could disrupt farm planning and investment. The coalition on Thursday unveiled a new website and announced an aggressive advertising campaign in Washington aimed at reinforcing the agreement’s benefits to lawmakers and the administration. “USMCA is one of President (Donald) Trump’s signature achievements and one that has significantly propelled the ag economy,” said coalition spokesperson Bryan Goodman. While acknowledging that targeted improvements may be needed, Goodman said the group’s core message is tha

US Farm Income Forecast Lower for 2026

U.S. net farm income is projected to edge lower in 2026, with the USDA estimating inflation-adjusted net farm income will fall by $4.1 billion to $153.6 billion – setting up another challenging year for American producers. In nominal terms, American net farm income is estimated at $153.4 billion, down about $1.2 billion, or 0.7%, from 2025, said the USDA’s first farm income forecast for 2026 on Thursday. Net cash farm income, which measures cash flow, is expected to rise 3% to $158.5 billion, though inflation erodes much of that gain. Although still well down from 2022 when farm income peaked at $210 billion, both net farm income and net cash farm income for 2026 would remain above their long-term averages when adjusted for inflation. Total farm cash receipts are forecast to drop $14.2 billion, or 2.7%, to $514.7 billion in 2026. Crop receipts are projected to increase modestly in nominal terms, rising $2.8 billion to $240.8 billion, though they are expected to decline slightly o

New cereals seed treatment from Syngenta

Equento Cereals has six active ingredients including a new Group 30 insecticide

40 U.S. Ag Groups Unite to Launch Coalition Urging Renewal of USMCA

Over 40 U.S. farm and ag organizations have formed a new coalition advocating for the renewal of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA).

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service