Peru Wine Regions - View Wines

Peru has the longest history of planted vines in South America dating back to Francisco de Carabantes in 1540s and is also the birthplace of Pisco. more Vines were first planted in the coastal province of Ica, which remains the most important wine (and Pisco) region in Peru and includes the Ica, Chincha and Pisco valleys.

It was the arrival of Italian immigrants during the second half of the 19th Century that strongly stimulated the production of wine and Pisco in Ica, but phylloxera destroyed the vineyards in 1934 and other crops, principally cotton, were planted instead, stalling the development of the country's wine credentials till recent times.

Ica province lies at a latitude of 14º South, very close to the Equator for a wine growing region. This is possible as the hot, dry climate is mitigated by the presence of the cold Humboldt current along the Pacific coast. The land is thoroughly irrigated with water from the Andes and virtually any crop in the world can grow here.

Peru has significant ecological diversity. It is home to 84 of the 104 defined eco-systems existing on Earth. Ideal conditions for the cultivation of wine grapes, likened to California's central coast. Ica is a small, upcoming wine region with a focus on making limited quantities of quality wines, and definitely one to watch.