Argentina's north-western wine-producing region has historically been overshadowed bv the more famous Mend oza. But its industry is growing dramatically - bringing new life and tourism to one of South America's most stunning destinations
Words.sorreL MoseLey-WiLLi.ams ) Photognaphy.Mark Luscombe-Whyte
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unlight streams between the ginkgo biloba trees in 20 de Febrero square, where an artisan S sells handwoven straw simbol place mats from her bicycle. Around the corner^ Los Toneles ("The Casl
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"Wine has really helped Cafayate a lot," Colomd says VirginiaMarfn, chef at La Rosa, the Amaicha restaurant at Patios de cafayate, Bodega Angastaco Tacuil El Esteco's hotel. Her menus have been designed to reflect what her birthplace - Gualf in and the region as a whole - has to offer. "The idea is to showcase Cafayate," she says of her ice cream, made with blood oranges from the hotel's orchard, and ingredients used to flavour her stylish regional cuisine. "Cumin, for example, Animanii is grown and dried in nearby San Carlos,
known for its spices, while our bread Yacochuva,'J f]' baskets are handmade from slmbol straw Cafayate in the village of Animan6." Her food and vision is part of a wider Tolomb6n ambition set out by Bodega El Esteco, which pioneered wine tourism to the region back in 2000 by building Patios de Cafayate. Its stunning colonial Previous page lrom top, This page. clockwise Caf ayete's otherworldly mansion, overlooking the red-hued from top left, landscape; shopplng for La Ruta delVino; rolling artisanal products in Cumbres Calchaquies mountains, is out a barrel at El Porvenir Cafayate and Cachi de Cafayate; a gateway at filled with details that shine a light on El Esteco ds Cafayate Salta's local culture. Alpaca silver key rings in the form ofbunched grapes were crafted by a decade ago to bring together disparate silversmith Jorge Barraco, while soap bodegas ofthe Calchaquies Valleys and dishes are made from mud. Textiles come give the region a wine-focused identity. from Seciant6s, a viilage on the Camino Starting in the capital, Salta, it makes for de los Artesanos ('Artisans'Way") whose a wine-derful road trip. An ideal circuit weavers are respected for their red-and- is Salta- Cafayate-Colom6-Cachi, a drive black sheep's wool ponchos that are a that takes in the legendary Ruta 40 must for any self-respecting Argentinian mountain road and weaves through the - even the current pope has one. Quebrada de las Conchas, whose vibrant Nursing a glass as the lowering sun red rock formations date back to the casts a pink sheen across the mountains, Cretaceous period. it's easy to fall for the region's bottled First stop out of Cafayate is family- charms. Ei Esteco is one ofthe stops on La owned El Porvenir de Cafayate, where Ruta del Vino, the wine route pioneered every care has been taken to nurture the >
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The Salta region has been producing wine I t . . ,f I since the Spanish 'f a ib''' .{ 'L' r I conquistadors arrived. with i s-- growing areas lar6ely gathered around Cafayate. I Tolomb6n, Colom6 and Cachi. i --z' r\ - .- I *J" ' .tri J *)..* a , The terroir's l geography of high-altitude vineyards close to the equator is exposed to temperatures of up to 37"C by day but much lower at night, giving high- acidity, complexity and depth to its atypical wines. j Although Malbec, Argentina's most planted red, dominates here as in Mendoza, local vintages are spicier than those found further south. Cabernet Sauvignon's bell pepper notes are notable, while Tannat is often !€.1.r. floral.
vI Torront6s is Argentina's most famous white - a cr.oss between "Wine has helped Mission and Muscat of Alexandria grapes. Smooth Cafayate a lot" and peachy, it's popular and very drinkable.
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tourist experience. Visitors can opt for a package that includes a three-vintage tasting in the 19th century bodega, followed by a beautiful vineyard lunch at its stunning El Retiro estate, where cook Carmen Dias prepares beef empanadas and an asado for an authentic taste of north-west Argentina. Tourist tastes have been catered for, even in the actual making of the wines, which have become better balanced and with lower alcohol content to make them more palatable for the casual tourist. "Our wines used to be very intense and rather traditional," says winemaker Paco Puga. "But we've learned to produce wines that are fruitier, fresher and have improved acidity and balance." Some 14km south ofCafayate at Estancia Los Cardones, a distinctive- looking winery that opened in 2OL7 near foothills, complementing the excursion Tolombdn, local French-teacher-turned- with a bottle of refreshing Tukma sommelier Raquel Humano recalls how Torrontds and local cheese. "Visitors tourism here has changed in two years. love sharing a picnic and a glass ofwine "When Estancia Los Cardones opened, with the L6pez family at their mountain- I received just 20 visitors a month. But side farm," he says. "It works both ways, today, at least three groups book in daily as this trek generates employment for to sample wine, to buy cases or for lunch, the local community." and many stop by out of curiosity." Driving 130km may never feel as Also south of Cafayate, another lengthy as it does between Cafayate enterprise links the community with and Colom6, but the bumpy three-hour wine lovers - and horses. Baltasar Pu16 ride is rewarded with otherworldly of Tolomb6n Aventuras y Experiencias Quebrada de las Flechas rock formations works as a registrar in the morning, that feel transplanted from the Moon. but after lunch he indulges his equine The destination is pretty special, too: passion, taking visitors on easy three- an enormous 74,00o-hectare estate, hour outings into the Sierras del Caj6n Colom6, has produced wine since 1831, >
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Not only is it the oldest bodega in As stafftend to come from Colom6's Argentina (the original adobe building hamlet, the Hess's ambitious proiect has stands flrm though it's no longer in use), had a big impact on the local community, it also makes the region's highest-altitude according to hotel manager Connie wines - its Malbec grapes are sourced Bearzi. "It generated employment from the Altura Miixima vineyard, which from the offset, from road creation to clocks in at 3,111masl. Swiss visionaries construction and staffing - the winery Donald and Ursula Hess purchased the andvineyards, hotel and museum," she vast estate in 2001, opening a luxury says. Further opportunities will soon lodge two years later and the James arise when Co1om6's Cafayate-based Turrell Museum in 2009. The latter is sister winery Amalaya opens a visitor's a real iewel in north-west Argentina s centre later this year. crown, a collection of the American The area continues to invest in the artist's spectacular light installations, future. El Esteco installed 21st-century which attracts art lovers from around the wine dispensers in May, and will open a globe, some of whom are surprised to flnd small museum later this year. Colom6's a world-class winery next door. even more remote neighbour Bodega >
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Stay Casa de la Bodega Live out your fantasy of owning a vineyard with a night at El Porvenir de Cafayate's stunning colonial farmhouse. Stylish rural decor and family heirlooms give the estate property that personal touch. elporvenirdecafayate.com
Eat La Rosa Regional dishes made with contemporary flair are paired with vineyard vistas at La Rosa. Start with llama carpaccio followed by kid goat ragout, all washed down with a spicy Cabernet Franc. patiosdecafayate.com
Tacuil opened a visitor's centre in With year-round sunshine, vintages Above, Checking the vines at Juiy, allowing for regular tastings of its f.rom 42wineries to sample and the Bodega Colom6 Do terroir-driven oak-free wines, while small knowledge that local communities Museo de la y winemaking projects such as Burbuias continue to flourish with every sip and Vid el Vino lnside a former de Altura and Cola de Zorro have started empanada you enioy, it seems there are bodega in Cafayate, marking terroir. ever more reasons for oenophiles to add learn how altitude, "We are deflnitely growing, but at our the chilled-out Calchaquies Valieys to geography and own pace," says Estancia Los Cardones' their bucket lists. hesscollection.com, year-round sun Raquel Humano. "Our passlon for wine estancialoscardone6,com come together to help create Salia's is greater than ever, and it shows as we No rw egian to S alta m B ue no s Jlies fro special terroir. bodegas are always looking to attract Aires. Boolcflights, a hotel and d rental museodelavidyelvino. wine lovers in different ways." cdr at Norwegian.com gov.ar
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