Laurence Réal and Pablo Bastias hail from opposite corners of the world but have come together to fashion some of the most exciting ciders, wines and blends thereof we have ever tasted from the Southern Hemisphere. A native of the Basque country in France, Laurence wound her way to the Colchagua Valley in Chile and, subsequently, into Pablo’s orchards. Alai Cider was soon born, out of “passion and professional recklessness.” Its many iterations of apples, pears, quince dovetail with Laurence’s winemaking project L’Entremetteuse, which highlights the mystique of indigenous Chilean varieties in the aptly named Jardin Secret.

Chile, though occupying only a small sliver of South America’s longitude, is a jigsaw puzzle of microclimates. The Colchagua Valley, where Laurence and Pablo call home, is often regarded as some of the most fertile land, not just in Chile but throughout the world. Row upon row of lush vines, co-planted amongst lush vegetation, sit in the shadow of the Andes, painting stunning visuals reminiscent of areas like Piedmont or even Gredos.

The beauty and potential of this place were a siren song for Laurence when she arrived here in 1994 to work as an assistant winemaker at a well-known Bordeaux-style winery in the region. Eventually rising to head winemaker, Laurence developed an urge for creativity—a desire to experiment and reinvent what it meant to be a winemaker here. Because of an exclusive contract, Laurence and Pablo couldn’t make wine for themselves, so they began making their own ciders in house. Unwilling to bend to the demands of new ownership when the winery changed hands, she knew it was time to spread her wings.

Since 2013, Laurence and Pablo have lived in a fantasy land: 50-year old apple orchards, lined with majestic quince trees; vines up to 135-years old, untouched by phylloxera, monuments to the deep and rich winemaking history of this place. The resulting ciders and wines are both an homage to their past and a vision for the future. Alai Cider honors Laurence’s Basque heritage in the context of the bounty that Chile has to offer, while L’Entremetteuse harken back to Bordeaux-style wines while integrating more playful riffs on what natural Chilean ferments have the capacity to be. Taken as a whole, these are creations crafted with years of expertise and love, firm in their individuality, and honest in their place in history.

ALAI CIDER :: L’ENTREMETTEUSE

Country: Chile

Region: O’Higgins

Sub-region or Appellation: Valle de Cachapoal, Valle de Colchagua

Winemakers: Laurence Réal and Pablo Bastias

Viticulture: Biodynamic

Terroir: Granitic/clay soils

Size: 2.5 hectare

Website: www.alaicider.com
Instagram:

ALAI :: Lo Que Sea

Natural cider made from apples grown in old orchards in Machalí, at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Lo Que Sea is blend a spontaneously fermented apples, pears, quince and grapes.
Vintage: 2021
Varieties: Apples, Pears, Moscatel, and Pais
Style: Sparkling Wine
ABV: 8.6%
Region: Colchagua/Cachapoal Valley
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Vines: ~50 year-old orchards, 100+ year-old pais
Soils: stony ground for the orchard and Granitic clay soils for the vines
Elevation: 150 meters
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Co-fermentation with the skin grapes. Punch down and vertical pressing. Natural fermentation in tank, at cold temperature in refrigerated container. Bottled during the end of the fermentation at low density during April, based in the Petillant Naturel.
Aging: In bottle
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added

ALAI :: Le Petit Poire

Spontaneously fermented cider made from pears grown in the Valley of Cachapoal.

Vintage: 2018
Varieties: 95% Peckham Pears and 5% quince
Style: Sparkling Wine
ABV: 8.4%
Region: Cachapoal Valley
Viticulture: Organic
Soils: Stony ground
Elevation: 150 meters
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification:. Vertical hydraulic press Slow native fermentation in old French oak and aging in the same barrels for 6 months. Methode Champenoise. Aged in the bottle for 6 months over lees before disgorging and release
Aging: in barrels for 6 months, then bottled
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added 

ALAI :: Cahuin

Spontaneously fermented cider made from apples grown in the Valley of Cachapoal, macerated on the skins of grapes grown in the Valley of Colchagua.

Vintage: 2018
Varieties: Royal Gala & Marmelo apples, Semillon and Viognier grapes
Style: Sparkling Wine
ABV: 10%
Region: Colchagua Valley, Cachapoal Valley
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Vines: between 15 and 60 years (Semillon)
Soils: Stony ground for the orchard and Granitic clay soils for the vines
Elevation: 150 meters
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Co-fermented with white grapes with gentle pigeage.  Vertical hydraulic pressing.
Aging: Elevage in old french barrels for 6 months
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added

ALAI :: La Reserva

Spontaneously fermented cider made from apples grown in the Valley of Cachapoal.

Vintage: 2018
Varieties: Apples Royal Gala, Scarlette, quince
Style: Sparkling Wine
ABV: 7%
Region:  Cachapoal Valley slopes and gentle hillsides from the Andean side of the country, Strong cooling influence from the Andes Cordillera
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Orchards: 50+ years
Soils: Granite
Elevation: 450 meters
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Slow native fermentation in old French oak barrels for 6 months. Methode Champenoise. Aged in the bottle for 7 months over lees before disgorging and release.
Aging: Seven months in old barrels before second fermentation and bottling.
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added 

ALAI :: The Pome King

Spontaneously fermented cider made from quince grow from the Valley of Cachapoal.

Vintage: 2021
Varieties: Quince
Style: Sparkling Wine
ABV: 7%
Region: Cachapoal Valley
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Orchards: 50+ years
Soils: Stony ground
Elevation: 150 meters
Yeasts: Indigenous 
Vinification: Quinces are washed before the crushing. Pulp macerations to improve flavors and yields. Very slow pressing to obtain a very concentrated and clean quince juice. Slow fermentation in Stainless steel tanks. Bottled at low density during the winter.
Aging: Stainless steel/in bottle
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added 

L’ENTREMETTEUSE :: Jardin Secret

44% Syrah, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9% Carménère. For winemaker Laurence Real, a terroir- driven, hands-off approach is the key to success.

Vintage: 2018/2019
Varieties: 44% Syrah, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9% Carménère
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 14.5%
Region: Colchagua Valley
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Vines: between 15 and 60 years (Carmenere)
Soils: Granitic clay soils
Elevation: 200 meters
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Traditional maceration and fermentation
Aging: Barrels
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: at bottling