Ica Bodegas

V!VA User‘s Description

If heaping plates of home-cooked food and glasses teeming with wine spark your interest, then you should definitely head to one of the 85 traditional wineries spread throughout the Ica countryside. These welcoming retreats woo visitors with sensational food, a charming, down-home atmosphere and, more importantly, the opportunity to taste locally produced wines.  

The region is also well-known for producing pisco, a kind of grape brandy distilled from sweet grapes that grow in abundance in the desert near Ica. Bodega tours are a great way to experience another facet of Peruvian culture as they don't usually draw big crowds and consequently offer a more intimate and authentic experience.

Depending on your preference you can choose to visit either a small or large bodega, both of which will probably charm you into a food (or more likely alcohol) induced stupor. Perhaps the best time to visit is between January and March during harvest season, or vendimia. Visits outside of harvest season tend to be quieter, and you might have trouble finding a wine guide.

You may, however, have the opportunity to share a glass or two with the bodega’s owner. Most bodega tours are in Spanish only, though both Hotel Hacienda Ocucaje and Tacama Winery offer tours in English, and others can probably arrange English-speaking guides with a little advanced notice. The best way to get to these countryside wine retreats is to check in with one of the travel agencies in Ica about organized tours.