Overview
The Cinti Valley lies in the department of Chuquisaca at an average altitude of around 2,350 meters, surrounded by mountain ranges that create a protected, high-altitude oasis. Spanish missionaries planted the first vineyards here in the 16th century, and the valley later supplied wine to the silver miners of Potosí, making it a historic center of Bolivian viticulture.
Some Criolla vines are more than four centuries old, trained around native molle trees in the traditional style. Winemaker Marcelo Vacaflores has led a revival of ancestral techniques, fermenting and aging in large glass damajuanas. The resulting wines are naturally high in acidity, lightly colored, and distinctively fresh, with Criolla varieties such as Vischoqueña and Negra Criolla at their heart.
Key Varietals
- CriollaThe historic family of Mission-derived grapes that defines Cinti's pale, high-acid wines.
- Moscatel de AlejandríaAn aromatic white producing perfumed, lightly sweet wines from old vines.
- TannatA newer arrival that adds color and structure to the valley's lighter-bodied reds.
- MalbecA small but growing planting that shows bright red fruit and mineral tension.