High definition.  This expression best portrays two South American countries rich in culture, agriculture and panoramic scenery.  This past March I had the fortunate opportunity to travel through the wine countries of Chile and Argentina with Jeremy Shaw from Iberian Wine Tours, Jessica Bell from Halo Vino and Karen Bell from Bavette La Boucherie.  Seven days, 14 restaurants and wineries and over 100 glasses of wine certainly taught me a lot about the regions and the people.  Their wine industry is steeped in history and as a result some incredible vintages are being produced by wineries large and small.  These producers have adopted a variety of techniques such as traditional methods of harvesting by hand and oak barrel aging to more experimental craftsmanship utilizing biodynamic farming and 100 year old clay barrels called amphoras.  The culinary scene is on the brink of explodng into something remarkable and with such a diverse range of climates between the two countries, one can find anything to please their culinary palate from the finest beef, freshest sea food and the most flavorful produce regardless of where you are.  Each establishment we visited put their best foot forward for our small group of 12 by opening their finest wines and cooking up some of the most indulgent, inspiring meals I have had the pleasure of slipping my fork into.  I hope these photos not only tell an extraodinary story through the lens of my camera but may inspire you to consider booking a trip yourself.  #noregrets.

Photography by Laurel Ziemienski

The softly rolling Andes Mountains were the gentle giants present at our first stop of the week. Altair's winery tour and lunch under the canopy pictured here was an incredible start to the trip.

Lunch at Altair included Bordeaux style red wines, numerous tapas and an entree of filet mignon, fingerling potatoes and squash, grilled outdoors right in front of us.

Working for our wine on day 2 while hiking up to our panoramic tasting room at Polkura, a small wine producer just outside of Marchihue, Chile

The best tasting room in the world at Polkura.  Incredible wines, white tablecloth, crystal wine glasses and a view of the valley for miles.  Life didn't get any better than this!

Grapes ripe for picking at Casa Lapostolle

Oak barrels at Lapostolle

Preparing for harvest at Lapostolle.

Lapostolle was to begin harvesting their grapes the following day.  These tables were awaiting employees to sort the grapes by hand.

Employees hand sorting grapes at De Martino

At De Martinos we were given the task of blending our own wine, everyone is hard at work!

100 + year old clay wine barrels called amphoras.  De Martino is experimenting with this ancient, artisan wine making technique.

A fantastic lunch of quinoa crusted chicken skewers, roasted vegetables, Conger eel and of course plenty of wine concluded our tour and wine making at De Martino.

Chef is grilling up an incredible Chilean BBQ at our stunning hotel, the Casa Real, part of the Santa Rita winery.

Evenings at the Casa Real hotel ended with a game (or several) of pool.  On a slanted table.  With snooker balls.  Cursed by the portraits of former family members looking down on us.  While drinking pisco sours.  A recipe for disaster (or pure entertainment) if you ask me!  Here the lovely Jessica Bell is focused on overcoming all odds stacked against her.

Our group taking a pit stop during a tour at Concha Y Toro to taste more wine.

The wine tasting at Concha Y Toro, home of the popular wine Casillero del Diablo (The Devil's Locker) was accompanied by Chilean cheese and charcuterie.

After a short hop over the Andes into Argentina, our first stop was an incredible multi coursed Argentine asado lunch with wine pairings at Zuccardi in Maipu.

Our group, preparing for the parade of meats that was about to promenade past us at Zuccardi.

Our group rallied for another day of eating and drinking at Andeluna Cellars where we had the opportunity to cook our own lunch, under the direction of the Executive Chef. Followed by a tour with stunning views of the white capped Andes and one of the best meals of the trip.

Caroline taking direction from the sous chef at Andeluna Cellars.

An aperitivo of roasted fingerling potatoes to hold us over until lunch at Andeluna Cellars.

A weary but proud group, excited to taste the fruits of our labor at Andeluna Cellars.

The perfect end to an inspiring trip.  A stunning sunset over the Andes Mountains at Cheval de Andes, LVMH's South American flagship winery located in the prestigious Las Compuertas district of Argentina.  We enjoyed a light hearted 6 course dinner while tasting a variety of vintages from various decades.

Barrel tasting wines not available for sale at Catena Zapata, credited with putting Argentine wines on the map.