Even though the reputation of wines from Peru is not nearly as good as Chilean or Argentinian wines, the Peruvian wine industry has a long established tradition dating back to the 16th century. Peru, as a country, has an extremely diverse landscape, including tropical, deserts, mountains, and the Altiplano high plateau. The coastal planes around the city of Pisco are the heartland of the wine production, roughly 125 miles south of the capital (Lima). Pisco is located at the center of Peru’s Pacific coastline. The most popular grape varieties, as might be expected, are those well adapted to warm climate viticulture, like Grenache, Alicante, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and whites like Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat. Pisco, a grape brandy not dissimilar from Italy’s Grappa, is Peru’s national drink. It is a clear grape brandy and the basic ingredient in the famous Pisco Sour.
