Backpacking South America

We had such a wonderful time in Cafayate that we decided to take the 3.5 hour bus ride back to spend a few more days, which turned into more than a week.  Cafayate is a town that either wraps you up and makes you want more, or is so small that you’re ready to go after one or two days.  Obviously, we fell into the former group.

On our bus trip, we met a nice family that had made reservations at the hostel we were planning to stay at, the Rusty K Hostel.  The Rusty K is the most recommendable hostel that we have stayed at thus far.  It was well laid out, not overly cramped or large, but with lots of open space on the patio that you couldn’t resist grabbing a beer (quite cheap at this hostel) and lounging for a bit.  It was also extremely clean and well run by a super friendly and helpful family.

Our First Asado

One of the nights, we decided to try our hand at the parrilla with our new found friends.  So we grabbed meat for four people, green peppers, 3 types of cheese (soft, hard and blue), and a bag of carbon (already burnt woodchips).  With the help/guidance of Walter, the owner of the hostel, we got the fire started.

A lot of people have been asking how we spent our anniversary – so we thought we would share a brief post to curb your curiosity.

We decided to spend our first anniversary relaxing for a few days at a beautiful little hotel in Cafayate, Hotel Killa (Highly Recommended).

We didn’t realize it at first, but we were placed in the Superior Suite, with a King Size bed (sorry that was one of my highlights – come on, we’ve been staying in hostels for the past 2 months) and a beautiful view of the San Isidro Hills.

After several busy days of wine tours and bike rides, it was nice to just relax at the hotel.

Our anniversary was a gorgeous day, so we relaxed by the pool, enjoyed some wine and cheese, and then had a dinner reservation at Bodega El Esteco, a winery of course.

It will always be memorable.

Our plans aren’t always well suited to the weather forecast. For example, we decided it was a good idea to rent bikes on the hottest day of the week – which was also the hottest day of our time in Argentina.

We left early (9:30) and headed to Bodega Etchart (3km outside town) and got stuck on a tour with high school students from Jujuy. It was by far the worst Bodega we’ve visited. Etchart is a huge winery, however, we only had the opportunity to taste two wines, both of which were Torrontes (white wine), one was dry and the other was a sweet wine. We didn’t even have the opportunity to taste any red wines. So, we quickly hopped back on our bikes and pedaled as fast as we could to get far, far away from there.

Our next planned stop was Finca De Las Nubes. We had heard it was a bit outside of town (5km) and on a hill, but completely reachable by bike. Someone forgot to mention, however, that the hill was steep and the road we needed to travel was not gravel, but ROCK with RIDGES. By the time we arrived, we were extremely hot and exhausted.

After 3 bus rides and 20 hours of travel, we finally arrived in Cafayate – and the trip was well worth it.  I would have to say that so far, this has been one of our most favorite stops along the way.  It is a quaint desert/mountain town with a small town of yore feel.  People leave their bikes unlocked, front doors are left open and the people are just extremely nice.

Cafayate is also known for its high altitude wines (1400 meters – 3800 meters) that tend to be bold and very distinct.  It also produces two grapes distinct to this region – Torrontes and Tannat.  Torrontes is a white wine that typically has a very sweet, floral nose, but is very dry when it goes down.  Tannat, like Malbec, is a minor variety that is typically used in blends in France, but has found a home in the high altitude, hot climate of Cafayate.

Word of caution – due to the altitude, the grapes tend to be more concentrated and the result are wines that are typically 14-15% alcohol – so be careful.

Our First Day

We headed out with gusto and walked 2km outside of town to Bodega El Esteco, which is a fairly large production facility.  We received a great tour and a decent tasting.  We decided that there was more to taste, so we each ordered another glass, one from the Don David line and the other from the Ciclos line. 

Bodega Nanni

Our next stop was Bodega Nanni, an organic winery.  The bodega was located back in the center of town.  We arrived just as a very large tour group was starting their tasting.  When we were finally able to taste the wines, we were surprised, but not impressed.  They were all good examples of their style, but nothing unique.   

 Bodega El Porvenir

Our final winery of the day was Bodega El Porvenir – definitely the highlight of the day.  It was just Carra and I on the tour.  Our guide was very friendly and we had a great time talking with her.  The grounds, production facilities and cellars were incredible. 

Fortunately for us, they had a special group come through in the morning and had numerous open bottles of some of their finest wines.  We tasted the Malbec, Tannat, and a yet-to-be released blend (2005 harvest, 20 months in oak, 4 years in the bottle – it’s only had 2 years in the bottle).  All were exquisite.  Our favorite was the forthcoming Blend.