Extreme temperatures, fierce desert heat, and high altitudes give grapes produced in Chile’s Atacama Desert a thick skin, which indigenous growers from the world’s driest desert believe results in a brightly colored wine with robust tastes. The grapes from the Caracoles vineyard can resist severe temperature swings and adverse weather at 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level, between highland peaks with sparse vegetation.
Despite this, Cecilia Cruz, who has managed the vineyard for the past six years, says she is used to the harsh desert conditions. Indigenous Atacama people, such as Cruz, have long farmed different crops and utilized trial-and-error to make high-altitude wines. Cruz is one of 18 farmers that produces the wine Allyu as part of the Lickanantay Farmer Cooperative.
Every year, the company produces around 12,500 bottles of Allyu. The wine has received international recognition, and the vines are located near the popular tourist attraction of San Pedro de Atacama. Despite their success, Cruz admits that there are certain issues with grape development that she believes may be resolved by professionals visiting the vineyard. Other problems, such as the harsh sun, have become a benefit, according to Allyu’s oenologist, Fabian Munoz, by giving the wine a distinct personality.
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