Utama
Artist's workshop and artisan winery 
Visiting Emilio Haro Galli's original art gallery in Cafayate was one of those inspiring experiences that @tripticity_ will always treasure.
The artist's work is colorful, recreating popular scenes, with the morphologies of his native characters being somewhat caricatured. Emilio, a self-taught artist born in Colonia Santa Rosa, in the tropical north of Salta, settled in Cafayate at a young age and today has his main atellier in the outskirts of Tilcara.
When we arrived at the workshop house, in Banda de Arriba, where he also planted his vineyards and built his winery, we were fortunate to be welcomed by Huayra, the youngest of the three children that the artist had with Maud, his Dutch life partner.
With absolute warmth and without any haste, he welcomed us on a Sunday noon, honoring the name of his winery Utama, which in Aymara means "meeting place" and that his parents adopted during a trip through Bolivia. A personal reaffirmation of the already announced message on the entrance sign: "Utama is your home".
Huayra ("wind" in Quechua) opened the small exhibition room of its treasures, both artistic and viticultural. All the Argentine bohemians passing through Cafayate have been there.
The winery is family and artisanal, to the point that Huayra told the visitor how the grape harvests are done with friends. They produce homemade and organic wine under the leadership of his brother Santiago, "Sacha". Their most outstanding varietals are cabernet sauvignon and the tri-varietal called Mural. And also of course the torrontés, which they produce from grapes provided by the prestigious winemaker Marcos Etchart... in exchange for works of art!
The ceramic pieces are festive, they all allude to everyday situations or refer to popular customs, be it the passionate soccer fans, in the individual version with the ball or collective with the fans; or the artisans in their different variants, or the passengers of the northern buses, all manufactured by Huayra (@tripticity_'s favorite). In the Calchaquí Valleys, in the Puna or in the Quebrada de Humahuaca they are found everywhere. The same with Emilio's canvases and murals, hanging in murals and wineries.
After the winemaking tour, we went to the workshop, where he told us about the hidden, protected area where they are allowed to extract the clay, and how they then prepare it to create each piece. Outside, two ovens -also handmade- are waiting for the firing day, which is not just another one; on the contrary, it is a special occasion in which friends and family gather to watch over the 12 long hours of baking while enjoying a delicious meal and good family wines. Only a day later can you see if the process was correct: the balance between the fire and the chimneys requires great skill.
The visit includes a hopeful "to be continued..." as Huayra hands us a card with directions to Emilio Haro Galli's refuge in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, which @tripticity_ hopes to visit soon!
Bonus: a link to the video recommended by Huayra, "Haro Galli in Amsterdam".