Overview
Cuzco represents one of the most ambitious frontiers in Peruvian wine, with vineyards planted at nearly 3,000 meters above sea level in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The region surrounds the Vilcanota River beneath snow-capped peaks such as Pitusiray, not far from the legendary ruins of Machu Picchu. Spanish colonizers recognized the valley's potential as early as the 1530s, but modern viticulture is only now reviving with a handful of pioneering producers using extreme-altitude terroir to craft distinctive wines.
The climate is strongly continental and high-altitude, with intense ultraviolet light, cool nights, and temperature swings that can stretch from freezing to 28 degrees Celsius within a single day. Franco-clay soils of alluvial and colluvial origin give the wines a tense, mineral character. Tannat has become the emblematic variety here, producing deeply colored reds with firm tannins, while Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sangiovese also show promise in this dramatic mountain setting.
Key Varietals
- TannatA dark, tannic red imported from France that has adapted brilliantly to the altitude, producing concentrated, age-worthy wines.
- MalbecA supple red variety that retains bright acidity and red-berry freshness at extreme elevation in the Sacred Valley.
- Sauvignon BlancA crisp, aromatic white that captures the cool nights and intense sunlight of high-altitude Andean viticulture.
- SangioveseAn Italian red variety that develops bright cherry-herbal character and lively acidity in Cuzco's thin mountain air.