After we'd gotten off out high horses we took a morning bus to Cafayate, one of Argentina's wine regions and one that is not too well known.. At least we hadn't heard of it beforehand, but that might be because we do not really drink that much white wine and this region specialises in it. The vineyards here doesn't seem to export much either, which might also be a reason to why we hadn't heard about it. The ride to Cafayate from Salta via Quebrada de Cafayate was spectacular in itself, and apparently the route we didn't take there is equally stunning. The village is quite sleepy has a lot of character, nice sights and a nice central square where most of the artisanistas hang out seeking shade during the day. But as you might have guessed we were mainly there for the wine.
Eager to find out more about them we set out to visit as many as possible in the two days we had. Of course the first being a Sunday (and a very hot one, only llamas, cactuses and vines seemed to like the conditions) there were only two open. And after we'd taken our siesta the first one (Bodega Nanni) would not let us sample their wines, since we had missed the last tour of the day. We tried to tell them we could do withou the tour and offered to pay the A$5 for the samples, but to no success. Instead we went across the street to El Transito, where they did let us sample the fruits of their labor, and as a reward we promptly bought a bottle.
We'd also caught word of the local ice cream makers, famed for their wine-sorbets, and thought that after a long hard hot day, this was just the cure for us. So armed with a bucket containing white and red sorbet and of course some chocolate as well (everyone knows red wine and chocolate go well together) we went to the shaded park and indulged for a while. It was awesome, particularly the red, wonder how difficult it would be to make that at home??The next day we returned , bright and early, to Nanni for a second attempt, but were refused again because at 9:30, we were too early. Sampling wine seems tricky in this country. Instead we wandered further on in the blistering heat and targeted a different cluster of bodegas. The first one, Vasija Secreta let us in to sample and visit their museum, though their wines were a bit average and nothing to write home about. So with our spirits r
aised a little we headed further on, only to be told that at the next one we'd have to wait about an hour to catch the next tour and then on to the samples. That seems to be the way they operate here. You need to take the guided tour of the vineyard where they tell you (in Spanish) how wonderful their wine is and how special their production method is. Only after that, when you are full of awe for the wine you can be allowed to sample it with the correct level of reverence. Now we are no wine making experts, but we have seen the insides of a fair few wineries on our trip, and since we can't really take in all the guides are saying (the accent in Argentina is particularly strong) we really just want to sample the wines, thankyouverymuch. A fact that seems lost or ignored by most guardians of wineries here.
So with a little resigntion we returned to the centre of town and the shaded park for a few hours waiting for the bus out of Cafayate, with only two wineries under our belts. A little failure. Though we did make up for it a little by returning a third time to Bodega Nanni, and were rewarded with a private tour in English. And it turned out these were the best wines we'd tried and they were a fully organic vineyard who seemed to have slightly unusual production methods, involving egg-whites...It was now nearing the time where we had to call it a day, so with few bottles under our arms we left, got our bags and got ready for the 15 hour bus ride to Cordoba. There we'll meet up with Celeste again, our friend from Peru and Bolivia, and apparently its even warmer there. But we hear they have cinemas with air-conditioning and movies in English there...
