Cafayate

Cafayate combines a dry mountain setting with a strong local wine culture. Torrontés is the white grape most closely linked with the valley, while Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat also have an established role. The vineyards lie in the Calchaquí Valleys, at elevations far above most coastal wine regions.

The aromatic white wines make a useful introduction, but Cafayate is not exclusively a white-wine origin. Its reds can have considerable colour and structure. A place name tells you the source of the fruit; sweetness, oak treatment and the intended drinking age still need to be read from the wine itself.