The Long Way Down, Up and Around: March 26/27/28

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I never thought I´d be so excited to run into tourists in rental cars. But after almost a week on the edge of the map, Cafayate was a relief.

Getting off off the beaten path is exciting, but travelling alone, with limited Spanish, and with limited access to the outside world can be tough. I didn´t realize how tense I had become until I landed in Cafayate.

It´s Argentina´s second wine region, far smaller than Mendoza and also much less discovered. Most of the tourists are Argentinians looking for a relaxing weekend, or backpackers on long trips through South America. A lot of bikers also stop in the area.

Some of the wineries are small, but there are also some big multinationals in Cafayate. Diageo owns a big vineyard. Pernot-Ricard owns another. There are new vineyards on the outskirts of town - clearly investors are betting on Argentinian wine. And with inexpensive labor and growing demand internationally (Diageo exports 70% of its production - much of it to Russia and the US), it could be a good bet.

Unfortunately all this investment hasn´t made a big impact for the locals yet. Wine is all capital and no labor. The investment in land, equipment and inventory are enormous. Vines have to grow for more than a decade before producing decent wines. Fermentation tanks are expensive but spend most of the year idle. And top end wines are stored for almost 3 years before being sold. Visiting a winery is like visiting a ghost town. There were 2 employees at the Diageo operation when I visited - the tour guide and a security guard. Most of the jobs are seasonal and unskilled.

I spent a few days visiting ruins and wineries before realizing I needed to keep trekking north. Cafayate is the sort of friendly, cheerful and sunny place that is hard to say goodbye to.