From the past... In the Land of Pisco "Traveling Between Cuzco and Nazca"

"Tasting is a science, but also an art and the most important tool for producers of good wines & piscos." Taken from ac magazine

In December, just in time for the end of the year, I had the opportunity to visit Cuzco. During one of my walks through the city, I came across a very interesting selection of Piscos. There were quebrantas, italias, acholados, with various labels alluding to Machu Picchu, and the boxes were very attractive, with marketing details about Cuzco's tourist offerings. Remember, this year marks the 100th anniversary of its discovery. I can't give you details about the quality

of the Piscos because I haven't tried them all. However, most of them come from Ica, and I understand that they are bottled Piscos purchased with authorization for the use of the Denomination of Origin Pisco “D.O.” and labeled according to the buyer's interest.

I also visited several hotels, and in the bar of one of them, a 5-star hotel, I found what seemed like an altar, with about 10 or more brands of Piscos. They were all displayed on glass shelves atop a wooden sideboard, with lighting from the back of the cabinet in a corner at the bar entrance. It was impossible not to notice. The lighting made the bottles shine in the bar's dim light, making Pisco the protagonist. Most were premium Piscos, which I can say because we have already tasted many of them in blind tastings on the blog Noches de Cata con Pisco.

I was really surprised and pleased that today we can enjoy very good Piscos from medium and small producers in some hotels in Peru. Since I found my favorite Italia Pisco, I decided to sit down and enjoy it with an apple pie and lemon ice cream, which was delicious!

I just returned from Arequipa, and I had a similar experience. I went to the bar of the same hotel I visited in Cuzco. The difference was that there was no altar, but there was a bilingual Pisco menu with information about our distilled spirit, as well as Pisco cocktails. I loved it. The Piscos were almost the same as those in Cuzco, except that since Arequipa is a Pisco-producing region, the menu featured Piscos from Arequipa. This time, I paired my walnut cake with chocolate mousse in warm strawberry sauce with an Italia from Arequipa.

Since we made the return trip by land, our next stop was Nazca. After driving more than 500 km, the heat was scorching, and we were tired. We had reservations at a 3-star hotel almost in the city center. As soon as we arrived, we went to the terrace in front of the pool and ordered some chilcanos made with Italia Pisco and lots of ice. To my surprise, I discovered that the bartender was on vacation. We were in Nazca, a Pisco-producing region, and we couldn't refresh ourselves with chilcanos. Incredible! These are the differences we still find in “the land of Pisco.” I don't think the fact that it was a 3-star hotel should prevent them from having a bar to prepare Pisco cocktails. That's why I always suggest to my friends and acquaintances that whenever they go to a hotel, bar, or restaurant, regardless of the level, they should request their favorite Pisco, so they can encourage the establishment to have a Pisco menu and the appropriate stock. Enjoy Pisco responsibly.

Until next time!

Livio Pastorino Wagner
Sommelier, Specialist, and Pisco Taster
Registration: CRDO-PISCO 2020 RCO-034-2011
Pisco Web  @elmagozurdo

in spanish

Where pisco is the only protagonist!
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