Peruvian Pisco & Wine

Peru’s winemaking industry is on the rise, with more and more of the country’s winemakers garnering international attention. The heart of wine country is Ica, just four hours south of Lima, where an arid, sunny coastal climate helps foster the growth of grapes such as sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. Other pisco-producing varieties, such as quebranta, also flourish here.

As Peru’s wine reputation continue to grow, tasting events like Lima’s annual Expo Vino, are becoming increasingly popular and more wineries are opening their doors to visitors. Get in ahead of the crowd and have Kuoda arrange tastings and tours of the country’s top wineries as part of your luxury tour to Peru.

Every year for the past 50 years, tens of thousands of tourists have descended on Ica for this 10-day celebration. Coinciding with the grape harvest in March, the festival (also known as Vendimia Festival) sees visitors stomp grapes, learn about wine and pisco-making processes, and sample local vintages. Listen to Criollo music, watch Marinera dance competitions from the sidelines and observe firework displays and parades. Whether you’re a wine lover or just a fan of a good party, this festival is a fun addition to a customized trip to Peru. What’s more, Kuoda can make all the arrangements for you so all you need do is show up and drink the wine.
The Ica Harvest, or Vendimia Festival is a ten-day celebration that takes place annually in March, at grape harvest time. Running now for over fifty years, this event draws in tens of thousands of visitors, consisting of both domestic and foreign tourists, each year. It’s a joyous celebration, during which visitors can participate in the Wine Route tour of Ica’s best artisanal wineries to taste and learn about the wine and pisco-making process.

Visitors can try their hand- or foot- at grape- stomping, taste regional delicacies, and participate in dancing to lively Criollo music. There’s a Marinera dance contest, using Peruvian Paso horses; colorful fireworks; election of the Queen of the Harvest; and a main parade on Sunday. Partygoers and wine-lovers alike will enjoy this lively event as part of their Peru customized trip. Kuoda Travel will make all of the arrangements for you to be a part of the party! Peru Travel: Fiesta de la Vendimia

As word gets out about the merits of Peruvian wine, we’ve been getting an increasing number of requests for wine-tasting tours. If you want to experience the up-and-coming wine scene during your personalized trip of Peru, we can organize it all for you, and even incorporate a few tastings of Peruvian pisco too should you wish.

Kuoda can arrange guided visits and tastings to some of Peru’s oldest and greatest wineries, such as Tacama, Santiago Queirolo, Tabernero, Ocucaje and Vista Alegre, where you’ll discover how the dry Ica climate impacts the grapes as well as sipping some award-winning vintages. For any oenophiles planning on a Peru luxury trip, a wine tour is a must. Peru Travel: Pisco es Peru

Pisco, Peru’s national drink and the key ingredient in a pisco sour, is honored with its very own museum-cum-bar on Cusco’s Calle San Agustín. Started by a trio of “pisqueros” (a local term for Pisco aficionados), this venue is primarily a bar rather than a traditional museum, though it is a great source of information, with wall displays and infographics documenting the history and production of the distilled grape spirit.

Of course, the best way to get to know pisco is to drink it, which is where the bar part of the museum comes to the fore. Come here for dinner and cocktails (pisco-based, obviously) or opt for a pisco tasting menu and quiz your server on the finer details of each sample. There’s also a pisco sour-making class where a dexterous mixologist will show you how to shake up your own cocktail.

A word of warning: drinks go to your head a lot quicker at high altitude, especially if you are not yet acclimatized. Facebook: Museo del Pisco

You’ll never be short of drinking options during the Lima portion of your private tour of Peru. Want to wet your whistle with a pisco sour? See our top suggestions below.

When thirst strikes, saddle up to Cordano. One of Peru’s oldest and most esteemed bars, this downtown haunt is near the Government’s Palace and has been patronized by many presidents and politicians over the decades. A lengthy cocktail and beverage list is supplemented by hearty fare, but, if you only have time to go there once during your exclusive tour of Peru, be sure to order the butifarra; this roasted pork sandwich is an institution.

Want a fancy night out on the town? There’s nowhere better for it than Olé Bar Restaurant, an upscale establishment with a superb reputation. Soft lighting and elegant furnishings add to the chic ambiance and the imaginative dishes – a blend of Peruvian, Asian and Spanish offerings – make great soakage for fine pisco and wine. Facebook: Ole Bar Restaurant

Sample fruity riffs on the classic pisco sour at Huaringas Bar. Try a maracuyá (passion fruit) sour or even the brujas (witches) sour, made with coca leaves, and graze on Peruvian-style tapas. The venue occupies several different levels and is a particularly popular post-work venue for locals. Facebook: Huaringas Bar Restaurant