Cafayate and wine tasting

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Left salta rafting and drove on towards Cafayate in the wine region. We stopped off on the way to buy some meat for a BBQ which was going to be cooked later around the camp fire. We decided to join forces with Ivan, Dave and a few others in buying meat on the basis that they understood the decent cuts. We found a cafe and sat in the open with a coffee for about 20 minutes while the groups cooking over the next couple of days did their shopping. On arrival, we looked at an upgrade option to hotel/hostel but it would have been a longish walk from the campsite with our baggage. The campsite was all dry sand and a bit dishevelled and messy with a few dogs roaming around but the toilets and showers were clean. We pitched tent then went with most of the group to a couple of wineries to have a demo and a sample. Each winery showed us around the machines, tanks and casks and explained their systems. Neither tastings were wonderful and the first winery was very commercial. The second was more local and used organic techniques to make their wine and the wine tassted slightly better in our opinion. Each winery exported some of their wine to local countries but not to the UK!! (Having tasted it in Argentina I doubt we would have bought it again in the UK in any event). We bought a bottle to open later at the barbecue then went into town with a small group of people to buy an ice cream. We then went our separate ways back and somewhat inevitably we lost our sense of direction and had to ask our way after going down a dead end street.

We went back to the campsite but the barbecue was not ready until after 10 pm - far too late!! Evening life starts much later in Argentina. People don't eat until 9.30 pm or much later and bars and clubs are open all hours of the night.

Jo went to bed after a small sample of meat and veg.... Ed managed a litle longer .. Excellent sweetcorn soaked in water and then cooked on the barbeque coals. It would have been perfect with butter but had to make do with just salt. Corn here is normal yellow corn unlike the vast varieties in Peru. Meat was good but plenty was left for the following day's lunch. There is only so much protein one can eat in one sitting!

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Photos

A winery in Cafayete
Wine and more wine

another winery....
Taste before you buy

Barbecue at the camp site
Nearly ready......