Wine & Art at Bodega Colomé

Visit the oldest winery in Argentina, home to renowned high-altitude vineyards and wines in the Calchaquí Valleys.

It is said that Bodega Colomé was founded in 1831 by the Spanish Governor of Salta at that time, Nicolás Severo de Isasmendi y Echalar. His daughter Ascensión, who married José Benjamín Dávalos, was the one to bring the first Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon vines from France to Colomé. Today, grapes from three of those original vines are still used for the production of Colomé Reserva wines.

For 170 years the winery belonged to the Isasmendi and Dávalos families, but after a trip searching for the perfect terroir and weather to produce unique Argentinean wines, Donald Hess acquired Bodega Colomé in 2001. Together with his wife Ursula they created the recent history of this ancient winery, rich in achievements and developments. Their vision includes social responsibility towards the people of Colomé town, being the winery today the main source of employment and income for its people.

Colomé has four vineyards at different heights located in the upper part of the Calchaquí Valleys: Colomé (2.300 masl), which vines are all around the winery, El Arenal (2.700 masl) and Altura Máxima (3.111 masl) in the area of Payogasta-Salta and La Brava (1.750 masl) in the north of the Valley.

The altitude is one of the most important factors for the development of the vine. The higher the altitude, the greater the exposure to the sun and the wider the thermal amplitude. Those factors contribute to a uniform and balanced development of the grapes; originating high-altitude wines of great concentration and poise.

Bodega Colomé has three brands so far: Colomé, Lote Especial (special batches) and Altura Máxima. Each one is especially focused on the emblem varieties of Argentina to enhance their unique and differential characteristics. They reflect the soul of the special terroir and high altitude of the Calchaquí Valleys.

At the winery’s visitor center you will start the guided tour and in the end also have a wine tasting experience of the house wines paired with snacks or special dishes, always enjoying the view to the vineyards.

While visiting Colomé, you will not only learn all about its history and wine production but also enjoy the warmth of the Founder’s House; a unique and exclusive building and refuge for friends and guests. From the terrace it is possible to contemplate the surroundings and the starry sky in the evening. It is believed that the Colomé experience and the contact with nature energize and renew the spirit of the visitors.

A plus for this visit is the exclusive James Turrell Museum, the only one particularly dedicated to this renowned American artist who has created striking works that play with perception and the effect of light within a given space.

On his own words: “My work is about space and the light that inhabits it. It is about how you confront that space and plumb it with vision. It is about your seeing, like the wordless thought that comes from looking into fire.”

Turrell’s works of art represent five decades of the artist’s track record, displayed in a time tunnel. They are exhibited in nine light room especially designed for an area at 1.700 masl. Thanks to the powerful art work and the breathtaking nature around the museum, visitors live a thrilling sensory experience.

We invite you to discover Bodega Colomé; where wine, art and history are intimately related.  

 

Walking with Llamas in the Northwest

Take a hike joined by llamas among ancient ruins, salt lakes, valleys, and gorges. An ancestral activity to connect with the Pachamama and the most amazing landscapes in the northwest.

Ever since the beginning of time, the Andean men and the llamas traversed the harsh terrain in the mountains and the high plateau. These particular animals were used not only to transport commercial goods but for their wool, their meat, and their guano.

Nowadays in Tilcara, Santos Manfredi has settled a rural and ecological establishment specialized in taming llamas as a freighting animal, to recreate this ancestral practice. Caravana de Llamas, as it is called, is also dedicated to promoting the conjoint work with local communities, for which they rely on different routes where local families provide their homes and tour guiding.

Santos has developed different trails to hike with the llamas around the Humahuaca Gorge and the Puna Jujeña. With a variety of difficulties and durations (from half day to several days), there are multiple options for everyone, including families. Each hike is developed to satisfy the expectations of the many visitors.

A recommended half day hike is the one towards Salinas Grandes, the salt lakes. Along the way, you have panoramic views of the Humahuaca Gorge. Once at the Salinas, a tent is lifted to provide shadow and to have a well-deserved picnic in the middle of the 45.000 hectares of salt.

For a short and family alternative, a one hour and a half walk around the colorful town of Tilcara will do. You might feel funny walking around the town’s main square right beside a llama, but believe us, is a once in a lifetime experience!

Different paths around the region take you towards ancient ruins, valleys, volcanoes, gorges and salt lakes. While hiking, you learn about the local culture and history. The lamas are always used to carry all the camping equipment, food and personal belongings for the journey, you can’t ride them.

For those travelers in the search of original experiences, walking with llamas is an unforgettable experience in the northwest.

 

Gastronomic & Cultural Tour in San Telmo

The experience we’re about to tell you promises the best of Buenos Aires history and gastronomy in only 4 hours, so you better keep up!

There’s something about the porteños and their local markets, food, wine and coffee. Many corners in Buenos Aires meet these three relevant elements but one place puts them all together within a special environment: San Telmo, a historic and gastronomic neighborhood by excellence. A spot where immigration, architecture and antiques tell a story and merge with contemporary design and colorful street artists and artisans.

The tour begins at the traditional San Telmo Market, which opened in 1897 to provide the new European immigrants with the necessary provisions. The building still preserves its original inner structure, made by metal beams, arches and columns and glass and sheet ceilings. In the year 200 the market was declared Historic National Monument by the city’s government.

Nowadays, visiting the San Telmo Market is an adventure into Buenos Aires’ past; an eclectic experience where unalike options and shops are the main attraction: antiques, old toys, exotic fruits and spices, fresh vegetables and meat, patagonian products…one picture isn’t enough to cover the many shops and secrets inside this market!

After learning about the history of this unique place and walking around a bit, we stop at Coffee Town. It is known that porteños love to spend their time in coffee shops reading the newspaper, working with their laptops, catching up with friends or just relaxing with a hot cup of coffee in their hands. That is why -after years learning everything there was to know and becoming coffee experts- the Coffee Town team decided to settle at this market, being the first specialty coffee shop in Argentina. Their philosophy: to offer the best coffee in the world at the right price and to propose a journey along the sensorial route with every taste.

At this cute little shop we have a coffee tasting along with a talk about the coffee transformation process -from the green bean to the moment where it gains its aromatic and flavor characteristics- and the different forms of preparation.

Later, we leave the market and walk along the streets of San Telmo towards Sagardi, a Basque restaurant. Here, a professional sommelier will take us through a tasting of a selected variety of excellent and unique boutique wines paired with pintxos (bite-size appetizers served in the bars and taverns of the Basque Country).

With a wine reminiscent taste in our palates, we continue our way to the final stop of the tour: the Pulpería Quilapán. In the old days of the Río de La Plata region, the pulperías were a place that combined a grocery store, a bar and a spot where gauchos, natives, peasants, creole and black people reunited to drink, eat and have fun. Today, Argentine people still take our time to gather with friends and family around the famous mate, a picada, the traditional asado or with a glass of wine.

Pulpería Quilapán is a restaurant, bar, social club and grocery store that uses and sells national, natural and organic products, all of them specially selected. With a country flair, in an ancient refurbished house with rustic environment, fresh patios, an organic vegetable garden, an urban small farm and flower garden, the countryside is reflected recreating a nice and relaxed ambience for people to get together.

We have a guided tour of this historic house and -to end the soiree- the Pulpería delights us with an exquisite traditional creole barbecue with drinks and dessert, while enjoying a live folklore show. Definitely a “back to the countryside roots” experience!

For more information about this tour, please contact your Kallpa Tour executive.

 

A Mountain Refuge in El Chlatén

Imagine yourself in the middle of the Patagonian nature with amazing mountain views, the sound of silence and time at your expense to connect with this surreal environment.

Laguna Cóndor Mountain Refuge provides this experience to anyone willing to unplug from everyday life and technology.

This exclusive refuge is located on the west bank of the Río de las Vueltas, 17 km north of El Chaltén. Surrounded by an imposing scenery, this new lodging alternative combines the wild beauty of a nearly explored place with the facilities of a luxury camp.

The proposal is to enjoy the peace and quiet of the surroundings without the interference of technology, Hence, there is no mobile phone signal, Wi-Fi or TV available. Although there is permanent electricity provided by a hydroelectric turbine that uses the natural river torrent, reducing any impact or pollution that may be produced by a power generator.

Wood is the main element of the refuge. There is a main cabin that works as a common living room with a fireplace where you can sit and read a book, a breakfast room and a restaurant; all with beautiful views of the northern face of the mythical Mt. Fitz Roy.

Laguna Cóndor has eight small cabins located in the best spots of the property. Each one has two beds, a salamander and a deck; offering a complete privacy and comfort experience, an intermediate between a campsite and a hotel. There are also spacious locker rooms with toilets and hot showers; a multipurpose room with a fireplace and view to the mythical Fitz Roy.

The refuge offers different activities and excursions with the objective of providing and intimate contact with nature and the possibility to enjoy the peace of the place. There are many hiking trails and places to go over, from classic full day treks (such as Laguna Torre) to longer and more difficult options.

One of the preferred treks is the ascent to Loma del Diablo; a demanding but rewarding one, given the spectacular view from above of Mt. Fitz Roy. Its top is at 1800 meters, providing a great panoramic view of the whole area.

It is also possible to kayak across the waters of the Laguna Cóndor itself or to ride a mountain bike along the paths crossing the andean patagonian forest and lakes on a self-guided circuit that borders the Río de las Vueltas, including a few stops to contemplate cascades and the local flora and fauna that may come across.

Overall, Laguna Cóndor grants an unusual and reserved experience deep in the patagonian forest, where nature and relax are the protagonists.

Please, do not hesitate to contact our Kallpa Executives to learn more about this lodging option in El Chaltén.