"The gas chromatograph is a kind of electronic nose that detects hundreds of aromatic substances, but it detects them from a chemical point of view, by their structure. Of course, it will never have the sensitivity of the human nose. It can detect very small quantities, but a gas chromatograph will never be moved by the aroma of a pisco or wine."
The vine, brought to Peru with careful dedication by the Spaniards in the mid-16th century, quickly acclimatized to the coastal soils. The conquistadors’ need for fruits and beverages familiar to their palate, as well as the requirements of Church rites that demanded wine for consecration, were not enough for this delicate plant of temperate climates to extend its shoots and round its berries in these new lands. It was essential to provide it with certain conditions as welcoming as human will and expectations. And in the coastal valleys of Peru, the Mediterranean vines found a favorable climate and soil, quickly spreading their green splendor over the hot sands to offer their ripened fruits—an expression of the mutual cultural exchange between two worlds that, in the midst of cruel conflict, were already beginning a slow and unstoppable symbiosis. This chapter is dedicated to following this process.
On the ecological conditions of the Peruvian coast
Peru, located on the western coast of South America, would be expected—due to its latitude near the Equator—to have a distinctly tropical climate. However, because of the Peruvian Current with its temperate waters (averaging 18°C to 19°C), the Andes mountain range, and other factors, the climate is temperate and the landscape has subtropical characteristics: aridity and semi-aridity. Rainfall, which is moderate on the northern coast, becomes scarce toward the south.
The Coast begins at the shoreline along the Pacific Ocean and is formed by the strip that ends at the western foothills of the Andes. This extensive plain, of variable width, is crossed by small rivers that descend the Andean slopes and flow into the sea. These fast-flowing rivers irrigate fertile valleys, where the main coastal cities of Peru are located.
Since the second half of the 20th century, the growing process of urbanization has significantly reduced the areas traditionally dedicated to agriculture. Nevertheless, important agricultural areas have been preserved on the Coast, especially where their products have been linked to industrial processes. This has been the case with vine cultivation in the departments of Lima, Ica, Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna, where the country’s largest viticultural areas are found, such as Supe, Pativilca, Barranca, Sayan, Chancay, Huaral, La Esperanza, Carabayllo, Ate, Lurín, Puente Piedra, Pachacámac, Mala, Cañete, Lunahuaná, Pacarán, Zúñiga, Chincha, Pisco, Palpa, Ica, Ingenio, Nazca, Caravelí, Chaparra, Majes, Sihuas, Vítor, Tiabaya, Omate, Moquegua, Cinto, Locumba, and Tacna. While these are the main grape-producing areas, it should be noted that the vine is also cultivated in some northern coastal valleys as well as in certain temperate valleys of the Andean region.
Indeed, the best climatic conditions for viticultural activity occur from Pativilca to Tacna. It is in this strip where the country’s most important vineyards are located, both in terms of extent, production volume, and product quality, as well as the development of related industrial activities. Within this entire zone, the valleys of Pisco and Ica present the most suitable ecological characteristics for the development of viticulture.
Their climate is semi-warm and rainfall is scarce, ranging between 2 mm annually in the coastal desert and more than 80 mm in the Andean foothills. Average temperatures are healthily uniform: they exceed 20°C from January to April and do not drop below 10°C from May to September. Atmospheric humidity in the Ica Valley is lower on average than in other central coastal valleys, which is highly favorable for vine cultivation. Average annual sunshine is higher than in other coastal oases, which is advantageous for ensuring a high glucose index in the fruits.
These climatic factors, favorable to viticulture, are complemented by the region’s topographic characteristics. The lands used for vine cultivation in Ica and other oases of the central and southern coast are uniform, with gentle slopes. The soil composition is of the highest quality: very homogeneous, with medium texture, highly porous, and good permeability, allowing an adequate water infiltration rate. Their high sand content causes the soils to radiate intense heat through the refraction of solar rays, especially during summer, resulting in higher glucose content in the grapes—a property favorable for producing wines and piscos of optimum quality.
In the upper sectors of the Ica valleys of Lunahuaná, Pacarán, Zúñiga, Pisco, Chincha, and Nazca, there are also excellent conditions for viticulture. Their climate is similar to that described for the Ica Valley: the average annual temperature is 20.5°C, with a low percentage of relative humidity, minimal cloud cover, and consequently a higher daily average of sunshine hours. All these factors allow for fruits with a high glucose index, which can reach 16 degrees—optimal for the production of piscos and generous wines.
Along the coastal stretch from Pativilca to Tacna, the following grape varieties are cultivated: Quebranta, Negra Criolla, Italia, Albilla, Borgoña (Isabella), Malbec, Alicante Bouschet, Moscatel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Barbera, and Chenin (Pinot de la Loire). In smaller quantities, there are also plantings of Moscato de Hamburgo, Palomino, Semillon Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Carignane, Emperatriz Cardinal, Ruby Cabernet, Pinot Blanc, Alfonso Lavalle (Alphonse Lavallée), Thompson Seedless (Sultanina), Pinot, and Rosa del Perú.
From the above, it is clear that in the central and southern coast of Peru, nature offers highly favorable conditions for the development of viticulture. However, this is only one aspect that does not fully explain the sustained momentum of the Peruvian wine industry and the quality of its products. Historian Lorenzo Huertas points out that “the peculiar quality of the wine and brandy is due not only to the Spaniard who brought and planted the vine, but also to the indigenous people and their millennia-old experience in ceramics and the preparation of various types of spirituous beverages, and to the African newcomer who quickly learned the techniques of vine cultivation and winemaking, and who was not left behind in the production of piscos and Peruvian botijas. The other foundational factor was the land which, conditioned by specific climates and seismic shifts, reproduced its fruits.”
Taken from: Crónicas y Relaciones Que se Refieren al Origen y
Virtudes del Pisco – Bebida Tradicional y Patrimonio del Perú
Banco Latino, 1990
Lima, Peru
Where pisco is the only protagonist!
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