Solín Terraza Winery  

The ancestral wine from El Divisadero 

On the occasion of visiting Inicios winery of the Humano family, Raquel urged us to explore the winemaking development of Miguel Terraza in El Divisadero.

To get there you have to go past Finca Las Nubes and then cross a deep affluent of the Colorado River, in transit only suitable for pickup trucks. The less adrenaline-pumping option is to cross the pedestrian bridge and walk up a steep road for a couple of hundred meters. There is no way to get lost: in addition to the signs, there are the references that Miguel points out beforehand by message. 

Then, in the middle of the hill, the Bodega Solín Terraza appears.

Miguel works in coordination with the network of cooperatives of families of the Diaguita Calchaquí tradition, consolidating rural community tourism.

In fact, before arriving at his winery we passed by La Rinconada, a project of his cousin Enrique Terraza, where in besides lodging with the community with a breathtaking view, interesting experiences are offered, in a truly unique environment, among mountains, cacti and, in the distance and below, the murmur of the city of Cafayate.

Once at Miguel's estate, of almost two hectares, his manager guided us through a walk among the vines, showing his love and commitment to the wine activity he inherited from his ancestors.

The vineyards, surrounded by walnut and fruit trees, showed the ocher colors of autumn. Solín Terraza has Malbec, Cabernet and the typical Torrontés of the Calchaquí Valleys.

During the tour, Miguel told us how by pure chance a loan was arranged to purchase four thousand meters of hose and provide water to the families of the community, through a valuable contribution from the Swiss embassy, within the framework of a rural tourism event held in Mar del Plata. About twenty families benefited and, thanks to this, the lands have irrigation every twenty-three days for their vines.

By the time we arrived at the impeccable and tidy winery, Miguel evidenced his knowledge and dedication to the art of winemaking. The building has several rooms for storage, processing, bottling and sales. It produces 1,700 bottles per year, at a rate of one per vine.

The sales room not only offers his award-winning artisanal wines, but also regional sweets made by his brother Raúl and his mother Teresa. 

When he showed us the bottle, he confessed that the name of the label is a tribute to his father. He also told us that he has two children, Daniel Alberto and María Fernanda, both dedicated to the industry and just one step away from becoming winemakers, showing -in short- the clear family tradition linked to wine. Quite a testimony!