Discover Peru: what do I order from the sommelier?

The whole of Latin America is well known for producing quality wines. Today, Perú Excepción, a tailor-made travel agency in Lima, takes us to Peru, discovering not the Inca vestiges but the treasures of the vineyards of the Ica region, where the country's wineries are concentrated.

The Pisco sour: an essential of your Peruvian aperitifs

If there's one drink you can't miss in Peru it's Pisco! It is with this alcohol that we prepare the national cocktail: the Pisco sour. It is enough to add lime juice, egg white and cane sugar, all poured over crushed ice. Pisco is mainly produced in the region of Ica, in the south of the country, and until the harvest there is no difference between the grapes destined for wine production and Pisco.
However, after fermentation, which lasts about fifteen days, the collected juice is distilled in large copper pots topped with stills. Various levels of cooling then make it possible to recover by condensation the precious liquid which will give Pisco. As for wine, there are several kinds of Piscos, made from various grape varieties. Pisco Puro Quebranta for example is obtained exclusively from the Quebranta grape variety, while Pisco Acholada is the result of a blend of grape varieties.

Vino Borgoña: Peruvians' favourite wine

Produced by the Tabernero estate, the 3rd largest producer in the country, Vino Borgoña represents 85% of the country's production! You will therefore inevitably see it appear on the wine list during your stay. It is made from grapes from the Chincha Valley. It has fruity notes of mango and pineapple and in the mouth it has a very sweet, almost candy-like taste. Maybe that is why it is the favorite wine of the Peruvians.
The same bodega is at the origin of a Blanco de Blancos vintage, perfect to accompany a ceviche, THE gastronomic specialty of Peru. A wedding that is worth the detour!

Tacama : a little bit of France in Peru

It is interesting to taste the wines of this bodega which mixes French grape varieties, technology and know-how with the characteristics of the Peruvian soil and climate. The Tacama bodega is the oldest in the country, it has existed since 1540, and for a century it has surrounded itself with the best French oenologists such as Frédéric Thibaut, Emile Peynaud and Alain Carbonneau. The Selección Especial is particularly successful, both in single grape varieties such as Malbec, Carmenère or Alicante Bouschet and in the Petit Verdot-Tanat alliance. The latter is a well-balanced wine of character, with an intense aroma of cherry, blackberry and spices. A marvel for the palate!

The best wine of Peru by Jorge Queirolo

Cuvée Intipalka N°1: just the name alone makes you want to order it; and if you are told in addition that it is considered one of the best wines of Peru, you can't miss it! It is the masterpiece of Jorge Queirolo, owner of the Bodega Santiago Queirolo, one of the pioneers of high-end wine making in Peru. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Tannat (45%) and Syrah (10%), with 24 months ageing in oak barrels. This gives it intense flavors of vanilla, chocolate, cherry, coffee beans, and leather. It is elegant and velvety on the palate.

Wines of Bodega Tacama

You will have understood it, travelling in Peru is to leave on the traces of the Incas, from Machu Picchu to Lake Titicaca, but also to taste wines of character resulting from a very specific culture of the country!

Agathe (Argentina Exception)