Wine Route

The Wine Route is a highly recommendable tour in Calchaquí Valley. This is a quintessential viticulture area along the National Route Nº 40 and the Provincial Route Nº 307. They both are 100 km long approximately.

The weather is cold in winter, rather hot in summer and it is characterized for being a dry area. Sun exposure is high. Around 360 days are sunny per year with permanent winds from north to south which promote grapes’ optimal growth. 

Vineyards in the valley have been planted since XVI century. However, wines were commercialy available in the late XIX century. From 1910, vineyards increased due to the irrigation channels and dams. That is why there were 83 registered cultivated areas in 1934 in Colalao del Valle.

Nowadays, there is a wide range of varieties in Tucumán, for instance: Torrontes, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bonarda, Syrah and Tannat. They are all high quality wines. Besides, they have highly concentrated and structured alcohol.

Generally, the vineyards have drip irrigation, although irrigation channels are also used. Melting pure water is always used which support the purity of the grapes.

This year, the first communal wine cellar called Los Amaichas was open in the area, third place in the world and the only one in South America. It belongs to an indigenous community. This project began in 2011 with the cooperation of Amaicha people.

Its particular design represents houses of pre-historic times which is rooted in the collective awareness. The construction was in charge of local people who used stone walls as an ancient technique in order to build interconnected circular rooms. Its construction is characterized for being in a permanent interaction with nature.

Along this process, architects from different provinces were involved. They were from Tucumán and Mendoza. These professionals got together in order to design the installations under Amaicha Community supervision. Without a doubt, materials were taken from the area.

You will find a map with all wine cellars in Tucumán.