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February 20, 2012
Salta: Wind-Carved Land of Strong Wine
Excerpts from the article By Daniel Altman for The New York Times
"Mention Salta to an Argentine, and the response is often the following: 'Ah, Salta the Beautiful.' That this northern province isn't better known to the rest of the world is an injustice. The road south from the province's eponymous capital to Cafayate, home to a cluster of vineyards, boasts breathtaking scenery, with cliffs of many hues shaped by water and wind. With the addition of tasty food, a rich musical tradition and powerful wines, the place should not be missed.
The city of Salta used to be known only for its colonial charms, like the late 19th century cathedral whose pink and custard facade looks down on the orange trees that line Ninth of July Plaza. But modern Salta has carved out a place as the leading city of Argentina's norhtwest.
The wines from Cafayate are strong and flavorful because of the area's microclimate, which can expose the grapes to a temperature difference of over 35 degrees in one day, said Fabian Mirando, an oenologist at El Esteco. Marco Etchart, whose family owns San Pedro de Yachochuya, added that Cafayate wines have an intense color too: 'The wines of Mendoza may be more refined, but here they have luminosity and power.'"
