# San Francisco Passageiro Escondido (2023)

- **Producer:** Garage Wine Co.
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** San Francisco, Negramole
- **Region:** Maule Valley, Chile
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €22
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, plum, lavender, mint, smoke, forest floor

## About this wine

Garage Wine Co. was founded in Maule, Chile, by Pilar Miranda, Derek Mossman Knapp, and Dr. Alvaro Peña. The name Passageiro Escondido, meaning Hidden Passenger, refers to Tinta Negra Mole cuttings that were accidentally mixed into shipments of País vines arriving from Portugal in the 1500s. For centuries, these old vines grew uncataloged among dry-farmed bush vines in the Secano Interior. Garage Wine Co. identified and isolated these ancient vines to produce a rare single-varietal bottling.

## Interesting facts

- The Negramole vines arrived accidentally from Portugal 400 years ago as hidden passengers mixed into shipments of País vines.
- Only 1,744 bottles of the 2023 vintage were produced globally.
- Every bottle is hand silk-screened with earth-friendly inks and sealed with wax repurposed from recycled crayons.

## Food pairing

The high punchy acidity and fine-grained, light-to-medium tannins of this wine make it highly versatile with food. It acts as a palate cleanser against fatty meats like duck and pork, while its red berry and herbal nuances match beautifully with earthy mushroom dishes and roasted game.

## Wine making process

Grapes are hand-harvested from ancient dry-farmed bush vines planted on deeply weathered granitic soils in Sauzal and Puico. Fermentation takes place outdoors using indigenous yeasts in open-top upcycled vessels with manual punch-downs. The wine is aged in neutral oak barrels to preserve vibrant fruit aromatics before being bottled unfiltered. The estate practices extensive upcycling, using recycled glass bottles hand silk-screened with eco-friendly inks and sealed with repurposed crayon wax.