South America is one of the most exciting places in the world to discover wine. Argentina and Chile have been pleasing palates the world over for decades, with Uruguay now hot on their heels. But Peru?
When most of us think of Peru as a vacation destination, we picture ourselves marveling at Machu Picchu’s majesty, or indulging our quirkiest epicurean whims in Lima, one of the great food capitals of the world. All of this may—or may not—involve a few Pisco sours.
But visiting Peru to explore wine country? Not on anyone’s itinerary. Finally, that’s changing—about 500 years late.
Despite its newbie wine region status, Peru is the birthplace of wine in South America, with viticultural roots dating back to 1539, when the first vines were planted by Spanish conquistadores. Just 25 years later, there were about 130,965 acres of grapes under vine for both wine and Pisco, primarily in the present day regions of Ica and Moquegua, but also across Lima, Arequipa and Tacna.
The wine that emerged was consumed at first in Peru, and then well beyond, eventually reaching Spain itself. The quality was so high, winemakers in Rioja put pressure on the Crown to suppress premium-focused viticulture there. Spain’s King Philipp II banned new plantings in 1595, and heavily restricted exports of Peruvian wine to Spain and the powerful country’s many other colonies.
Faced with certain collapse, vintners turned away from artisanal winemaking and began distilling their fermented grapes into what became a defining national spirit: Pisco.
By the mid-1700s fine wine culture had all but disappeared in Peru, replaced by industrial-style plonk production and Pisco. Until a few decades ago, when vintners looked around, saw what their grape-fermenting compatriots in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay were doing, and began getting serious about winemaking again.
Today, thanks to investments in outside consultants and winemakers from Bordeaux and Mendoza, a growing cohort of wineries in Peru are reviving the country’s ancient reputation for having some of the best terroir this side of the Atlantic.
Best Times To Visit Peru
Harvest time is generally the most exciting time to visit wine country, and Peru is no exception. What makes Peru stand apart though, is its still (relatively) under-the-radar status.
For visitors, that means all of the fun of harvest season, without the crowds and chaos that have come to define harvest in many popular regions.
Because Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere, harvest begins in March. Visitors can expect warm, dry weather, and interactive vineyard and winery tours with an inside look at the process of crushing, fermenting, and aging grapes for wine, and distilling grapes for Pisco. Harvest season concludes in May.
There’s nothing like harvest season in wine country (even the air smells like bright, fermenting grapes!), but if you’re seeking a more tranquil experience, head to Peru between June and August, for excellent weather, but plenty of room on your itinerary for non-wine activities like sand boarding, dune buggy excursions, and explorations of the coast and the Paracas National Reserve.
Getting to Wine Country in Peru
Fly into Lima, and ideally, spend at least one night and day exploring the city’s vibrant culinary scene. If your time is limited, head straight to wine country.
The Ica Valley is by far the most amenable to relaxed wine tourism, with a multitude of estates and resorts designed to welcome international visitors—often with a range of additional luxury amenities, from pools to high-end restaurants.
Ica is about 4.5 hours by luxury bus or private transfer, via the Pan-American Highway. Bus tickets via reliable companies like Cruz del Sur and Peru Bus are usually around $20. If you want a more streamlined, curated experience, reach out to a private company, who can escort you from airport to hotel, and then to wine country and back. Search for options on Daytrip. Door-to-door service with a professional, English speaking driver starts around $230.
Wine Regions in Peru
The premium action is centered in the Ica Valley in Southern Peru.
Currently, about half of Peru’s quality-focused vineyards are perched in this desert region, which sits at between 400 and 650 meters above sea level. The wine growing and production here is modern, with a palpable influence from France. The region is located about 190 miles south of Lima.
Moquegua is the other key region in Peru as the country’s oldest wine-producer center, and its most traditionally minded. Ancient fermentation and aging methods in large clay vessels known as tinajas dominate production there. Moquegua is also in Southern Peru, about 685 miles from Lima.
Peruvian Wine Terroir
Perus’s vineyards are planted in a narrow strip of desert valley between the Pacific Ocean and Andes Mountains. In the Ica Valley, the sun shines for more than 300 days of the year, and it rains less than 0.4 inches annually. The vines are irrigated by meltwater from the Andes mountains, which also frame the stunning desert oasis, and create some of the most dramatic vineyard vistas in the world.
The warm days and cool nights make for excellent grape ripening over a long growing season, and the dry conditions mean there is little to no disease pressure. Breezes from the Pacific Ocean moderate temperatures and lock in complexity and bright flavors. The Valley’s soils consist primarily of alluvial sands, gravel, and river-deposited sediment.
These conditions lead to fully ripened fruit with soft tannins, complexity, rich textures, and bright flavors. And the easy growing conditions mean less chemical intervention in the vines—which almost always leads to better results in the glass!
Top Wine Grapes of Peru
There are eight grape varieties officially authorized for Pisco distillation by the Pisco D.O. In recent years, many producers are incorporating these varieties into fine winemaking.
Meanwhile, vintners who are eager to embrace Peru’s history of premium wine, are also cultivating international varieties that thrive there.
White Wine Grapes
- Italia, aka Muscat of Alexandria (Pisco, wine)
- Albilla (Pisco, wine)
- Moscatel (Pisco, wine)
- Torentel Peruano (Pisco, wine)
- Sauvignon Blanc (wine)
- Chardonnay (wine)
- Chenin Blanc (wine)
- Riesling (wine)
RED Wine Grapes
- Quebranta (Pisco, wine)
- Negra Criolla, aka Listán Prieto (Pisco, wine)
- Mollar (Pisco, wine)
- Cabernet Sauvignon (wine)
- Malbec (wine)
- Tannat (wine)
- Syrah (wine)
Unique Peruvian Wine Experiences
Wine experiences in Peru are inherently distinct, both because of the unusual desert oasis setting, and the fact that many wineries also often craft artisanal Pisco, and frequently from the same grapes.
While Pisco has long been associated with cocktails like Pisco Sours, Pisco Punch and El Capitán, the artisanal, small-batch approach many vintners are now taking with Pisco makes many of them well worth savoring on their own.
Essential Peruvian Wineries in the Ica Valley
Visitors will find Peru’s past and present at Viña Tacama. Now a national symbol of Peruvian wine culture, Viña Tacama features the first official vineyard planted not just in Peru, but in all of South America. Originally home to Jesuit missionaries who planted European vitis vinifera, Tacama now encompasses 494 acres of international and indigenous vines planted for both fine wine and Pisco production.
The estate offers guided tours of the colonial era estate’s winery and production buildings, which were opened in the early 1800s. Tacama was one of the first wineries in Peru to embrace modernity. In the early 1920’s, the Oleachea family, who purchased Tacama in 1889, began introducing modern technology, and in the 1960s, they hired French wine consultants who worked to completely modernize the operation and farming. In the decades since, Tacama has led the effort to rediscover Peru’s fine wine roots, while also celebrating modern expressions.
In addition to tours covering the history of the Hacienda, with highly curated food, wine and pisco pairings, visitors can explore on their own, and either set up private horseback rides around the estate, or just pop in and try wines and Pisco at the well-regarded on-site restaurant.
At Intipalka, visitors can discover Peru’s present and future. While the Queirolo family has wine and Pisco roots in the Ica Valley dating back to the late 1800s, Santiago Queirolo began to get serious about getting Peruvian wine back on the world stage after visiting wineries around the world, and realizing just how much potential Peru had—and how far behind it had become.
In 2008, he and his brothers Jorge and Francisco launched Intipalka as a super premium offshoot of Viñas Queirolo, their historic brand.
Like Tacama, the Queirolo’s tapped French consultants and famed Argentinian vintner Luis Gómez, whose work has garnered the brand attention and accolades from serious wine critics, and a place on top wine lists in major cities around the world. Intipalka is at the forefront of Peru’s wine revolution, and visitors will be able to experience what has become ground zero for modern wine tourism in Peru.
There are hundreds of acres of vineyards to explore, guided tastings, sunset tours, multi-course wine and Pisco pairings, and if you’re staying at the on-site resort, access to a plethora of other activities.
Comprehensive tours at both wineries are reasonably priced, and even the most hands-on can generally be found for less than $100.
Where To Stay
Hotel Viñas Queirolo is hands-down the best hotel-resort in the Valley, with multiple pools, a jacuzzi, an adults-only cold plunge, an excellent gym, two restaurants with authentic Peruvian wine and cuisine, a tennis court, fire pits, bicycles to borrow, an antique car museum, and a playground for kids. Am I forgetting anything? Probably, but you get the point.
The hotel was opened by the Queirolo family after they launched Intipalka, and discovered there was an appetite for experiencing Peruvian wine and culture, but also realizing there was a distinct dearth of luxury hotels in the Ica Valley.
The hotel resembles a sprawling, country lodge more than a sleek hotel, with a range of rooms and suites to choose from, some clearly designed for families, and others catering to couples and singles.
All of the rooms are spacious, many offer balconies, and all have large tile bathrooms with rain showers and fabulously fluffy bathrobes.
Prices shift seasonally, with many including add-on tours and other package items, but are generally less than $200 a night (often much less), with resort activities and generous buffet breakfast included.
BEYOND THE VINES
Peru is renowned for its heritage. Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is the country’s cultural calling card, but because it’s approximately 570 miles from the Ica Valley, it merits another journey.
Instead, focus on the Ica Valley, one of most enchanting desert landscapes in the world, where towering sand dunes and the roaring Pacific Ocean meet.
Day Trips: Peruvian Wine Country
Paracas National Reserve: The 827,803-acre Reserve is home to South America’s only red beach, and one of only a handful in the world. It is home to 200 types of birds, dozens of marine species, and La Mina beach, a legendary stretch of turquoise waters and dramatic rock formations.
It is possible to explore the Reserve on mini buggies, four-wheelers, on foot or bike. A range of organized tours are available.
Nazca Lines: The Nazca Lines, or groups of geoglyphs, are an enduring mystery. They resemble large, complex line drawings of plants and animals (including a spider, flowers, a hummingbird, and a killer whale) etched onto the Earth’s surface, and they sprawl across 190 square miles.
The Lines were created 2,000+ years ago, and can be explored on foot. It’s best to plan for a long day: it’s about two hours from the city of Ica, so plan on scheduling a tour and driver. Many also include dune buggy rides and visits to the Maria Reiche Museum.
Ballestas Islands: This small group of rocky islands off the Paracas Coast. Ballestas Islands serves as a mini eco-tour of many of Peru’s marine and bird species, with sea lions, guano birds, and Humboldt penguins waddling charmingly around.
Tour options, most including boat rides, abound.
Peru’s Ica Valley offers a treasure trove of discoveries for wine, nature, and all-around fun lovers. The world hasn’t gotten the memo—yet. Go now while the crowds are still thin, and the prices are refreshingly un-inflated.
Kathleen Willcox writes about wine, travel and culture from her home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. She is keenly interested in sustainability issues, and the business of making ethical drinks and food. Her work appears regularly in Wine Searcher, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Industry Advisor and many other publications.