In the Peruvian sacred valley of the Incas, close to Machu Picchu and the city of Cusco, an enterprising Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes has planted an experimental vineyard with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot grapes to see which variety performs best on the ancient terraces.

The vineyard is just under a hectare in size and resides 3,000 metres above sea level, but getting it off the ground has not been easy as Montes has come up against opposition from the local authorities.

“They have been strict about our cuttings and have made it difficult for us to plant there. Grapes aren’t so ingrained in their culture – they have more of a tradition of planting corn in Cusco,” he said in an interview with Drinks Business.

“But there is a history of winemaking in Cusco – in the 15th century Spaniards brought vine cuttings to the region and planted vineyards there. Machu Picchu is a very special place and is so important in the history of South America so it’s great to be experimenting with grape growing there, it won’t be a problem getting the grapes to ripen at 3,000 metres; humidity will be the bigger issue,” he said.

Machu Picchu means ‘old peak’ in Quechuan. Archaeologists believe the site was built as an estate for the Incan emperor Pachacuti in the mid-15th century.