Living in Peru : your everyday companion

by Hans Hilburg

The Department of Lima is perhaps, the best place to start to get to know our Peruvian Pisco, as much for the locals as for those folks coming from other places. Aside from the fact that Lima receives practically all the brands (with their respective varieties) of Pisco produced throughout Peru, there are also many good Piscos which are produced within the department of Lima. Here we can find a great many different Pisco producing vineyards located in places, not too far away from each other, and each one of them offers up its own unique characteristic bestowed upon them by the variety of micro climates which exist in the Department of Lima.

We could begin inside the city of Lima itself, with the “Bodega de Vinos y Piscos de los Padres Salesianos”, located on Av. Brasil 218, in Breña. Although the vineyards are in the Department of Ica, the entire crushing, settling, bottling, labeling, etc. process is done here in Lima, and one can visit the cellars by just making an appointment.

Also in the city of Lima we have the “Bodega Queirolo”, perhaps one of the oldest cellars. This is also where we can find the “Taberna Queirolo” where one can enjoy traditional Old Lima Guard drinks and appetizers, and is also the current meeting place for the city’s bohemians. The Queirolo family vineyard “La Làgrima”, where the grapes are grown, is in the Cañete Valley, just south of the Department of Lima.

Both of Queirolo’s Bodega and Taberna are in the District of Pueblo Libre, two blocks from the Municipal offices and can be visited any day of the week.

Still within the city of Lima, in the District of Surco (Surco (old) antiguo, Surco (town) pueblo) is the “Poblete” wine and pisco plant and Bodega where they do the whole process, from the crushing to the bottling of their products. They have a modern plant that is definitely worth visiting.

Also in Surco Antiguo is the “Bodega San Lorenzo” of the Ugarelli Family. And if we head toward Pachacamàc, we’ll find the well know “Bodega Cuatro Bocas”.

Once out of the city of Lima, heading south, coming up to Mala, is “Totoritas” beach and the Bodega “Gran Cruz”, property of the Gordillo Family, where they produce a high quality pisco. They welcome visitors and tastings.

Very nearby is the town of Santa Cruz de Flores. Here they have several very old and traditional pisco Bodegas, one of which is Marìa Arias Cuya’s “San Andrès de Flores” winery.

Just past Santa Cruz, is Azpitia, a grape growing area that has developed a great deal in the past years, producing exceptional quality piscos. The “El Sarcay” Bodega is most representative of the area, created by a Consortium of various grape growers who have made a great effort and constructed very modern installations to make Pisco, mostly using the Mollar grape. Azpitia is located in a beautiful valley full of sun, lush vegetation, and exceptional food principally featuring river shrimp.

Undoubtedly, however, the town with the greatest pisco activity is Lunahuanà which is also to the south of Lima, near Pacaràn and Zùñiga. Lunahuanà is truly a charming town, where one can spend calm and relaxing days, as well as do a variety of adventure sports, such as canoeing or rafting, parasailing, mountain biking and hiking to name a few.

Some of the more important Bodegas of the area are, Sr. Vìctor Zapata’s “El Paraíso”, Sr. Josè Espinoza’s “Santa Marìa”, Dn., Juan Carlos Alvarado’s “Los Reyes” and Dn., Renè Quiroz’s “El Olimpo”.

I’d also like to mention that the star grape of this pisco area is the Uvina, which by the way, has just received its official denomination as an authorized pisco grape.

And finally in the area of Pacaràn we find Sr., Miguel Mirez Crisóstomo’s “Fundador de Cañete” Bodega, which produces piscos which I personally consider to be exceptional.

I hope I have been able to shed some light on some of the great Bodegas that can be found right here in the Department of Lima. And if any of you have an interest in visiting any of them, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Till next time.

Cheers