One of the wonderful perks of this profession, aside from tasting a lot of great wine, is meeting a good deal of wonderful people, including winemakers, importers, wine shop owners and ambassadors. Ambassadors? Well, when you’re based in D.C., sometimes politics and wine make strange bedfellows. But on closer examination, it’s not so strange.

Today’s embassy personnel no longer are devoted just to the art of diplomacy. They are also advocates for their country’s cultural, economic and agricultural resources. And when it comes to Chile, no one is more passionate about his country’s agricultural diversity than Chilean Ambassador Mariano Fernández. Since his arrival in Washington last July, Ambassador Fernández has hosted several events at his residence that have showcased the various agricultural products of his country. Luckily for me, that bounty included wine.