Moquegua Winery and Pisco Routes
This is a very interesting, historic and beautiful region to visit. It is quite a way off the standard tourism route so you won’t be seeing large groups in buses, and you will often have wineries to yourself. It seems that this region is really starting to take dry wine seriously and several wineries are making serious investments in their production and tourism departments.
We have close relationships in the region and so you will be spending time with winery owners and winemakers while here, giving you a close-up look at wine and Pisco production and information from the horse´s mouths so to speak. Obviously, there will be plenty of eating and drinking to enjoy too!
We run our multi-day wine tour to the Moquegua region from Arequipa and generally include a visit to Vitor on the way. From Arequipa it is around a 4-hour drive to Moquegua, pausing in Vitor for a couple of hours, where we will enjoy a tour and tasting at El Socabon and eat lunch in their old and very atmospheric winery. Then we will drive on to Moquegua, arriving early evening and checking into the hotel. Our hotel of choice is the Casa Andina but soon there will also be an option at the Viejo Molino winery as they are building a small hotel on the grounds.
Viejo Molino will be one of the principal visits in the area and their infrastructure project is impressive. Due to be completed in 2023 they will be able to offer an improved tour and tasting, in a custom-built facility, they will have a new winery wing with the latest technology, a separate distilling area, a barrel room, a restaurant and the hotel we mentioned.
Also from here, we will have the option to ride bikes to see some of the old tinaja (clay amphora) making ovens that are now abandoned, along with some old wineries now in ruins with their old amphorae. These visits will confirm how important the area was for winemaking under Spanish rule.
There are some important Pisco producers in the area and a visit to Biondi will be included, plus maybe one or two more. Tourism Infrastructure in the area is generally not at the standard you might be used to but that is part of the charm. We will visit at least two more wineries which are placing a new emphasis on dry wine, El Mocho and Atencio Tapia. At both of these, we will get up close and personal with the production process, seeing the bare bones of how it is done, producing good results without multi-million dollar investments. These are family-run businesses, so tradition, history and passion are important to each generation.
The centre of Moquegua is also a lovely place to wander around, and 99% of the year the sun shines on this small town. There are some interesting and historic buildings and a local museum which we may visit. The main square is filled with locals just hanging out and chatting, there is a very relaxed air about the place.
Two nights away from Arequipa would work but that does mean you spend a fair percentage of your time driving, three nights in Moquegua would be much better. Three nights would mean two complete days to visit numerous wineries and historical sites in the area, plus visiting Vitor on either the way there or back. Feel free to drop us an email for more information on how we can fit these tours within your Peru schedule.
