Top 100 red wines of Peru

Discovering the wine region of Peru

Peru, a Spanish-speaking nation in western Chile/south-region">South AmerIca, is a country of varied landscapes. Its shores are bathed by the Pacific Ocean and almost immediately give way to desert (in the south) or mountains (in the North). These mountains turn into a high plateau, the Altiplano, which is at an average altitude of 3,750 meters above sea level. From here the land plunges back down into the Deep rainforests of the Amazon.

The great Amazon River originates in the highlands of the country. The Grape varieties used in Peruvian winemaking are, as you might expect, those that are well suited to viticulture in a WarmLimate">Climate. Grenache, the grape behind the high Alcohol wines of the southern Rhone Valley, is an obvious candidate, as is the red-fleshed Alicante Bouschet, a cross between Grenache and Petit Bouschet. The ubiquitous Cabernet Sauvignon is increasingly popular here, as is its Bordeaux companion, Malbec, which has been so successful in Argentina.

The light-skinned Torrontés, another Argentine success story, is Peru's leading white grape variety, under the local name Torontel. It is joined by Sauvignon Blanc and various forms of Muscat, renowned for its ability to thrive in hot climates. Pisco, a brandy similar to Italian Grappa, is the national drink of Peru, although it is also claimed as such by neighbouring Chile. It is made by distilling fermented grape Juice in copper stills to obtain a very strong alcohol.