I first visited Altaïr – named after the brightest star in the firmament – in December 2005 while 'on holiday' in Chile and Argentina (actually non-stop winery visits) just before I started working full time for Jancis. My recent trip to Chile to judge in the Fifth Wines of Chile Awards offered a great opportunity to escape the London winter for a few days after the judging was over. This time it really was a break, including a brief but jaw-dropping visit to the Atacama desert (above right) in the far north of the country and a few days' relaxing...