Worldwide known by the singularity of its wines, Cafayate has news for the Salta dining tables: a sparkling wine fully produced in the valley and a craft beer; BURBUJAS DE ALTURA and Ruta 40, respectively.
Tania Höy, a Cafayate winemaker, created a sparkling wine with grapes grown at Finca La Primavera, located on National Route 40 five kilometers from Cafayate, en route to Animaná. Her family came together to elaborate the first sparkling wine fully made in Salta. ¨It is a big novelty for the local production given the complete process happens in Cafayate with the iconic local grape: Torrontés¨, said Tania, who has worked at wineries in Mendoza, Argentina, and Paso Robles, California, USA.
The sparkling wine is elaborated following the ¨champenoise¨ method, the traditional way of making ancient champagnes. It consists in keeping the bottles in freezing chambers between 3° and 5°C during the bottle conditioning. ¨My father worked for 20 years in a well-known local Bodega and I grew up in this environment¨ says Tania.
Her brother is and agronomical engineer, and the family’s joint efforts make this wine possible. “Together we see the process that leads to this sparkling wine¨, said the wine maker.
Tania studied at the Juan Agustín Maza University in Mendoza and together with Carolina Cristofani are the only Cafayate winemakers born and working here. “I can´t describe this sparkling wine as one with many feminine notes. It is a versatile wine. We have achieved a product you can drink at any occasion and it combines very well with many dishes¨, warns the wine maker. “As for distribution the idea is not to bring the sparkling wine to the supermarket, but to tailor it for the consumer to have its own bottle. Each bottle has a string attached with an explanation of the traditional method ¨, remarks Höy.
Tania declares herself “in love” with the winery. “Since 2014 making sparkling has been a dream that started coming true in 2014. My family has invested a great effort and even though only 4.000 bottles have been made, those who taste the sparkling wine said they really like it. The Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura (the National Institute that controls alcohol production) provided support. My fathers drive and knowledge of the wine making process has been fundamental. Without him, it would have been impossible to achieve a product like this¨, she admits.
Fuente: El Tribuno