Wines of Chile Wine Bar War at The Moore Building

Photography by Richard Alvarez on June 18th, 2015 in Lifestyle

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Miami, FL – June 18, 2015 – The epic Wines of Chile Wine Bar War at The Moore Building yielded one winning team, but the true victor was the restaurant, wine and tourism trade in Miami – who turned out in record numbers. Wines of Chile, the Guild of Sommeliers, LATAM Airlines Group and Turismo Chile partnered for their second annual Wine Bar War, challenging four teams with four sommeliers each (16 in total), representing the greater Miami area’s top sommeliers, to design and build a Chilean-inspired wine bar in one day for the chance to win a once in a lifetime trip to Chile in Premium Business class on LAN Airlines. The one-of-a-kind competition required sommeliers to build a bar using 32 of Chile’s finest wines, including at least 4 LAN Premium Business wines, and find design inspiration from one of four tourism destination within Chile, The North, The Central Valley, The Lakes and Volcanoes region and Patagonia. The final result was four Chilean inspired pop-up wine bars, showcasing Chile’s unique and beautiful country. Bars were evaluated on wine selection and knowledge, service/hospitality, originality of concept and execution by a panel of accomplished judges.

The event hosted over 500 VIP trade guests and consumers who were asked also asked to vote. Both attendees and the judges’ panel designated Brian Grandison’s “Natural Roots Bar” as the winner, but ‘El Huaso’ was close behind as the runner up. Each pop-up bar featured at least one wine from LAN and TAM Airlines’ 2015 Premium Business Class wine list, and the LAN Premium Business wine poured at “Natural Roots Bar’ was Viña Maipo Protegido Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009. Brian Grandison’s team was awarded a once-in-a-lifetime, all-expense paid trip to Chile, courtesy of LAN Airlines, part of LATAM Airlines Group, ProChile, Wines of Chile, and Turismo Chile – the Tourism Board for Chile. The champions will revel in their victory while enjoying the culinary culture and wineries of Chile in the country’s most picturesque destinations.

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