It is home to the highest-altitude vineyards in the world.
It is the Salta Province of Argentina, high in the Andes Mountains northwest of Buenos Aires.
Pioneering vintners have been growing grapes in vineyards more than 9,000 feet above sea level for several years now. Some of those bottlings have been featured by the wine clubs of Vinesse, particularly The World of Wine club.
Growers and winemakers believe that the relative closeness to the sun helps grapes ripen more fully, and may even alter them physiologically. The jury remains out on why high-altitude wines are good, but there’s no question that the public has accepted the wines with open arms.
Later this year, Caspar Eugster of Altura Maxima plans to plant vines even farther up the mountain – specifically, at the 10,206-foot level.
At present, wine tourism in the region is limited because of its remoteness. Most visitors end up staying in the small town of Cafayete, then head out – and up – in four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Nobody can predict the future of high-altitude winegrowing, but more and more vintners believe that the sky’s the limit.
