Bolivia is the surprise winner of many prestigious international wine-tasting contests, the quality is undisputable according to many experts around the world. Several Bolivian wines are multiple gold medal winners (just a few examples: “Juan Cruz” and “Tannat Origen” both tannat (a French grape) wines from ‘Aranjuez’ and “Único” from ‘Campos de Solana’).

The scale of the wine industry in Bolivia is small compared to well-known producers such as Chile and Argentina, but Bolivian winery is starting to receive the recognition it deserves, at home and abroad.

Bolivian wines target: high quality market.

The Bolivian wine strategy is to produce extremely high-quality wines. The wine industry of other South American countries is larger and already famous but Bolivia is producing wines that taste like no others nearby. What makes them so special is the altitude.

Bolivian viticulture starts at really high altitudes where other wineries around the world stop. Almost all vineyards are located between 1,600 and 3,000 metres above sea level. Bolivia’s high elevation wines have a unique flavor. As the highest in the world, this extreme altitude gives huge freshness to the wines.

The grapes have a thicker skin and taste different when grown in Bolivia. In a higher altitude the climate is different with a nice temperature swing between day and night. The temperature is cool at night but during the day it gets warm and the sun shines a lot stronger. The UV rays exposure is intense (30% more UV exposure) because the atmosphere up here is thinner. With less atmosphere to filter out ultraviolet radiation, just as we would need to apply extra sunscreen to protect our skin, grapevines have also grown a thicker skin in order to protect the seeds in the grapes from being damaged by the extra dose of UV rays. The grapes also have higher levels of resveratrol (a chemical that is believed to help protect against cancer, aging and heart disease), up to 10 times more than anywhere else in the world. Bolivian Wine: high altitude, high quality and…healthy.

Bolivia’s wine history

The wine production in Bolivia is not new, it is an over 4 centuries-old tradition, where wines are crafted in small-scale but with love. It all started with the Moscatel de Alejandria (Muscat of Alexandria) grapes, the first ones that came to Bolivia. They were brought by Spanish Jesuit missionaries who started the wine production in the 16th century.

Most wineries in Tarija are run by families who have been producing wines for a long time, generation after generation.

Bolivia is not a newcomer in the wine industry but the quality has strongly been improved in the last 50 years and adapted to modern technologies.

The main Bolivian wineries (together they account for around 70% of the total production) are Aranjuez and Kuhlmann (well known for its singani and sparkling wines) followed by Campos de Solana (one of the most modern wineries in South America), Kohlberg, La Concepción, Casa Real, Casa Grande and many other smaller but top producers.

International grape varieties planted in Bolivia include Muscatel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Tannat, Garnacha, Barbera, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Franc Colombard and Chenin Blanc.

Bolivia’s wine regions

Tarija is the country’s main wine-producing region (over 90% of the Bolivian wine production) in the south of Bolivia. These wineries not only produce wines but also Bolivian sparkling wines and spirits such as the famous singani (aromatic 40% alcohol spirit distilled from Moscatel wine that works well in cocktails). In the Central Valley of Tarija the vineyards are located in temperate dry climate valleys which result in Mediterranean style wines.

The old Cinti Valley with several artisan boutique production winemakers mostly for local consumption. Some of them maintain the traditional use of damajuanas (demijohns, pronounced as daw-ma-hua-nuhs) instead of using stainless steel. The acids that the Spaniards brought to South America, to be used in the gold and silvers mines of Potosí, were transported in big glass vessels. These empty vessels, called damajuanas  were eventually re-used to ferment wines and age singani. These are sky-high artisanal vintage wines.

Further to the east near the borders of the Amazon region, in the touristic and pictoresque village of Samaipata located in the valleys of Santa Cruz, there are a couple of young new producers of great ‘boutique’ wine.

Travelers can visit one of these vineyards during a tour to Samaipata and taste some wine. As an added bonus: at the end of the trip on the way to Santa Cruz de la Sierra they will be able to swim at a waterfall, in a tropical rainforest. Where else in any other winemaking country in the world can you do that?

Plan your wine trip with us and discover the long wine tradition of Bolivia.

When you decide to do a bit of wine travel in Bolivia, Tarija, also know as the “Bolivian Andalusia”, is a lovely city with a very pleasant climate and a laid-back atmosphere where it is possible to combine a great meal, the purchase of a local wine, a visit to a to nearby canyon, waterfall or lagoon and a stroll through the colonial center and its narrow streets full of cute little shops, cafes, restaurants, wonderful historical buildings (such as the “Casa Dorada” – Golden house) and many beautiful green parks.

The valleys of Tarija are gorgeous year round, but if you are interested in the grape harvest, when farming activity is in full swing, from January to early March, is probably the best time to visit. The grape harvest festival (Vendimia Chapaca and Fiesta de la Uva) is held every March.

The wine tasting visit at vinos 1750 Uvairenda (boutique winery) is part of our Samaipata tour and includes a visit to the vineyards, the winery and the tasting room.

And don’t forget to add the amazing Salar de Uyuni to your trip where we will pour some more wine.

Would you like to know more about Bolivian wines? Then read the interview “Wine roads of Bolivia: Ruta Verde Tours” on The Wolf Post (International Wine Digital Magazine) and this New York Times article about  the wine world’s best kept secret.

Where to find Bolivian wine?

In Bolivia! Come and visit us 😉

Some Bolivian wineries are starting to export. In the U.S. you can shop Bolivian wines and singanis online here. In Washington D.C. you can also try this e-shop. For singanis check also Hollywood filmmaker Steven Soderbergh’s Singani63 in partnership with “Casa Real” in Tarija.

Rainforesttrust.org is a non-profit using Bolivian wine to save Bolivian rainforest.