I arrived back from Chile exhausted but thrilled by the progress being made. In particular the leading companies are taking the chilly coast seriously. This is where the wind blows relentlessly and you can find yourself shivering in high summer. This is where the land has lain idle for generations, quietly waiting for people with imagination and money to say – now’s the time.

A fellow blogger in the United States has thoroughly enjoyed my celebration of Virginia Wine in the new Oz Clarke Pocket Wine Guide 2011. Dave McIntyre is a freelance wine and food writer and wine columnist for The Washington Post, below is an extract of his post, but you can read the whole thing on his blog Dave McIntyre's WineLine