Last April, Dan and I traveled to southern Bolivia to drink more of our favorite wine – Tannat (a close tie with Sagrantino de Montefalco from Umbria, Italy)! You may recall that we traveled to Uruguay a few years ago for the same reason! And like before visiting Uruguay, we knew absolutely nothing about Bolivian wine country, or really even Bolivian wine, prior to our visit. In fact, we only knew that Bolivia makes Tannat, and that was enough for us. It also didn’t hurt that I had really been wanting to visit Boliva, and that Dan loves South America. We sandwiched our trip to Tarija between the Bolivian tourist hotspots of Uyuni and La Paz and hoped for the best, as there was MINIMAL information available online regarding wine tourism.
Bolivian winelands.
We found Bolivian wine country, or Tarija to be exact, beautiful, difficult to navigate, and having a variety of wines – some to our taste and others terrible in our opinion (in all fairness, Bolivians generally like really sweet wine and we do not). We will certainly be back to Tarija when we have more time to explore. For those planning time in Bolivian wine country, this article shares the knowledge that we learned on our trip, which seems largely missing from the internet.
Tarija & Bolivian Wine Country
By way of general background, Bolivia’s largest wine country centers around the small city of Tarija – although a few other areas of Bolivia, such as the Cintis and Santa Cruz Valleys, produce wine. Bolivian wine production is much, much smaller than its neighbors, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay (well next a next door neighbor), in terms of quantity (and probably quality, LOL), but it is the only country with large scale high altitude vinoculture. This means that almost all of Bolivia’s wine is produced at an altitude of between 5250 and 9840 feet (1600 and 3000 meters). Interesting! Those interested can find Bolivian wine outside of Bolivia, but the best ones remain in the country and only few producers export, especially to places as far as the US or Europe.
Tarija, Bolivia.
In any case, we centered our visit in Tarija, as it has the most vineyards for exploring and is the “Wine Capital of Bolivia”. I never got a solid count, but we toured eight and there were numerous others that we missed. Tarija is located in southern Bolivia about an hour’s drive from the Argentinian border. We flew to Tarija from on a one hour flight from La Paz. There are flights from other Bolivian cities to Tarija and also buses from all over. Once in Tarija, public buses cover Tarija proper but you will need a car, or a driver, to reach most of the vineyards that we visited.
Tarija on a map.
The Tarija Vineyards (that we visited)
We enlisted a tour company to plan our various winery visits around Tarija, as we would not have a car and we do not speak Spanish. Those with a car and who speak some Spanish could do this without guide, but a guide is definitely helpful given that many of the wineries do not keep regular hours and do not have standard tours. I review each of the vineyards that we visited below.
1. BODEGA SAUSINI – probably our favorite winery that we visited!
Bodega Sausini is a family passion project located on site of the Sausini’s family’s Tarija home. Started in 2006 by Mario Hinojosa to “make the wine he likes to drink,” Sausini is a boutique winery making good and interesting wines, most of which I think Mr. Hinojosa would like to drink. Sausini’s vineyards are set behind a gorgeous summer villa complete with a pool and lavender fields. A truly stunning property.
Sausini winery.
Sausini vineyards.
Lavendar.
Mr. Hinojosa’s granddaughter happened to be vacationing at the property when we visited, and she, along with one of the winemakers, gave us a tour of the vineyards and the production area and answered all of our questions about Bolivia, Tarija, high altitude wine, and her bad ass grandfather.
Drinking from the barrel via the wine thief!
We ended our tour with a tasting of several Sausini wines and its artisanal singani, Bolivia’s national spirit (also made by Sausini). We paired our wines with samples of Sausini’s homemade sweet and savory jarred goods. We particularly enjoyed the blackberry jam and artichoke spread.
Sausini wines.
A selection of Sausini goods.
We loved Sausini, especially its Singani. Unfortunately for most, Sausini is very much a boutique winery and its currently impossible to find outside of Bolivia. We highly recommend a visit if you are in Tarija. I suggest reaching out to the winery directly to schedule a tour. I don’t think the winery currently gives tours at any set hour (common in Tarija).
Bodega Sausini.
2. VINOS ARANJUEZ – the largest Bolivian winery, the easiest winery to visit without a tour guide or car, and the most robust tour in terms of wine production!
Totally unlike Sausini, Aranjuez is a huggge winery, probably the largest in Bolivia, composed of no less than two properties right in Tarija proper. Aranjuez is also old by Bolivian wine standards – dating back to 1976. Despite being large and commercial, Aranjuez is still a family business. Those interested can find Aranjuez all over Bolivia and also outside of Bolivia.
Aranjuez.
Stainless steel barrels.
Barrel aging.
Aranjuez has won awards.
Our tour joined the standard Aranjuez tour, which was very well organized and done in perfect English (Spanish and English tours (and possibly other languages) are offered). The winery’s tour began in on the outskirts of Tarija in the commercial barrel and bottling area. Our group of about 20 visited a few buildings on site while learning lots about Bolivian wine, Tarija, and, of course, Aranjuez. We ended this portion of the tour with a tasting of an Aranjuez white.
Aranjuez’s wine selection.
A white wine tasting.
After touring this part of Aranjuez, tour participants took a bus about 15 minutes away to Aranjuez’s vineyards. We toured the beautiful vineyards, saw an adorable chapel on site, and photographed the first Tannat plant in Bolivia!
Aranjuez’s vineyards.
Vineyards and Spanish!
The 1st Tannat plant in Bolivia!
Aranjuez’s chapel.
The chapel’s interior.
After touring the vineyards, we had another tasting of Aranjuez in its absolutely gorgeous tasting rom overlooking the vineyards. We happened to visit at sunset, and I highly recommend this.
The gorgeous tasting room at Aranjuez.
Sunset at Aranjuez.
One interesting, and easy thing, about Aranjuez is that it routinely offers standards to tourists in Tarija. Tourists can book a tour and meet at the first location, which is accessible by public bus. An Aranjuez bus then takes guests to the second location and back, making it very accessible to those without a car or tour guide. Everything was also in English and Spanish, which was welcome!
4. CAMPOS DE SOLANA – a fantastic winery written up by the New York Times with lots of Tannat!
Campos de Solana was absolutely our second favorite winery in Tarija, if not our first. Don’t miss it in Tarija. Located 20 minutes by car from Tarija proper, Campos de Solana is known for its technology-forward practices and well-established oenological methods. Campos de Solana, like Vinos Aranjuez, is a modern company and produces large scale, including exporting some of its wines. It has also received press, including being written up in the New York Times in 2018 for coming in second place in a Tannat competition! We were quite excited to try the Tannat after reading this article.
Campos de Solana.
NYT article! You can find this online.
Gorgeous vineyards at Campos de Solana.
Campos de Solana had a wonderful outdoor space.
During our visit, we photographed the gorgeous vineyards, tour the wine making facilities, met the coolest winemaker, and drank a bottle of Campos de Solana’s “passion project” Tannat at its outdoor tasting area. All in, we loved Campos de Solana and definitely purchased some bottles to take home.
Campos de Solana’s passion project Tannat. This one was excellent!
Wine tasting outdoors.
A cute and modern wine shop at Campos de Solana.
For those visiting, Campos de Solana has more of an American or European winery feel, including a small gift shop with some fun finds. Credit card accepted.
Casa Real – noting like a distillery at 10:00 AM after visiting two wineries!
Making our way inside Casa Real.
Bienvenidos cocktails!
A close up of the cocktail.
Casa Real’s upscale bar!
Singani cocktail.
Another singani cocktail.
Cocktails and empanadas. The empanadas were quite necessary by this point.
A local Bolivian celebrity.
5. BODEGA CAÑÓN ESCONDIDO – a hip winery in a beautiful location with fantastic wines
Bodega Cañón Escondido is a hip winery operated by young guys who spent some time in the US prior to opening the winery. Fluent is spoken here and the winery understands the American palette. This was another of my favorite wineries, as it offers several Tannats and is located in a absolutely gorgeous location!
Bodega Cañón Escondido. GORGEOUS location.
Bodega Cañón Escondido is set in a canyon about 30 minute outside of Tarija and, as I mentioned, offers absolutely stunning views from the tasting area, probably the prettiest that we saw in Bolivia. The winery’s specialty is adaptations of the Tannat grape, and Bodega Cañón Escondido offered a few different Tannats. I tried a couple types of Tannat, and of course purchased some to bring home (credit card accepted). In addition to wine, Bodega Cañón Escondido has some souvenirs, in the form of t-shirts and wine accessories, which is not common in Tarija.
The tasting room at Bodega Cañón Escondido.
One of Bodega Cañón Escondido’s tannats.
6. KHULMANN BODEGAS Y VIÑEDOS – an easy winery to visit and very good sparkling wine
Khulmann Bodegas y Viñedos claims to have been around since 1930 and currently sells wine and singani under a number of labels, including Tres Estrellas singani, Santo Patrono, Los Parrales, and Alto Sama. Khulmann is known in the area for its sparkling wine, and its one of the only producers to make (a good) one. We visited Khulmann in the afternoon, taking a quick tour of the aging room, which was modern and sophisticated, and then a tasting of the famous sparkling wine.
Driving up to Khulmann. Plenty of parking.
Equipment that looks like its been around since opening.
Khulmann.
Barrel aging singani.
Beautiful view from the tasting room.
Altosama.
Tasting the Alsosama with a cheese plate prepared by our tour guide.
For those looking to visit, Khulmann is located just outside of Tarija, making it one of the easiest wineries to visit from Tarija. If you cannot make it to Tarija and want to try Khulmann wines, Khulmann exports to the US, as well as several other countries.
7. BODEGA JUAN DIABLO – a small producer with a cool cellar and mediocre wine
We made a very fast to by Bodega Juan Diablo just before lunch one afternoon. As we were starving, we visited Bodega Juan Diablo pretty quickly and probably did not give it enough time. In any case, Bodega Juan Diablo is located pretty close to Tarija and offers several typical Bolivian wines, including Tannat. The coolest thing about Bodega Juan Diablo is its underground cellar, which guests can visit and even taste wine. I would suggest this place, if for nothing else than its cellar, but we were not enamored with the wine. Again, however, I would return with more time and less hunger!
Some vineyards at Juan Diablo.
Bodega Juan Diablo.
Wine tasting in the underground cellar.
8. BODEGA MASÍA GUERRERO – our least favorite winery by far, specializing in super sweet wine popular with Bolivians
We visited Masia Guerrero at 8:00 AM, after spending an evening at the worst hotel ever in Valle de la Conceptión (more on that below…). Masia Guerrero’s tasting room is tourist friendly and located right in the town of Uriondo.
The cute, modern tasting room at Bodega Masai Guerrero.
Even at 8:00 AM the Masai Guerrero employee, speaking flawless English, was peppy and excited to tell us all about Bodega Masia Guerrero and serve us samples of whatever wines we wanted to taste. Unfortunately, Bodega Masia Guerrero specializes in those very sweet wines that are extremely popular amongst Bolivians. We tried tiny samples of a few wines, but they were simply too sweet for us.
Bolivian wine at 8:00 A.M. This was incredibly sweet despite being labeled “semi-sweet”.
For those visiting, Bodega Masia Guerrero also serves and sells grape juice, and the wine is inexpensive. Reservations are usually not required. Credit card accepted. Go to Bodega Masia Guerrero for a cute tasting room with English instruction, if you like sweet wines or grape juice, or for a taste of wines popular with the locals.
A very nice display of wines.
A very cute area for tourists.
A little sample of the grape juice.
Tips For Wine Touring In Tarija
- You either need a car or a driver to explore Tarija’s wine region. Public transportation is not really feasible for wine touring (aside from possibly Aranjuez). Uber also does not work (as of 2023).
- Not everyone in Tarija speaks English. If you do not speak nearly fluent Spanish, its very, very important to confirm before visiting that someone at the winery will be able to converse with you in English. Otherwise, bring a translator.
- You must book wine tours at wineries in advance to ensure they are open and that there is space for you. For smaller wineries, this may require calling the vineyard directly (possibly in Spanish). These wineries are small and old-school and not necessarily keep “regular hours” .
- We were told that we would need to buy wine in cash (Bolivian pesos), but we found that all wineries we visited accepted credit card. I would have some cash on hand just in case.
- I suggest staying in Tarija proper, as even the Conception Valley wineries are only about 35 minutes away via car. Tarija offers lots of restaurants, bars, shops, etc. that are open normal hours. However, some of the smaller surrounding towns, have one or no option. For example, we stayed in Uriondo and there was no where to eat.
- Wine sample servings are large, much larger than in the US and France. Plan accordingly. I would also point out that it is common at some wineries to buy a bottle, inexpensive, and drink that as your tasting, tossing the rest or corking it and brining it home, rather than having a set tasting. As such, you may find yourself opening more than one bottle. That being said, a few wineries offered smaller airplane style bottles to sample.
- If you are driving yourself, police frequently do random road checks between the Valle de la Conception and Tarija. It happened to my driver. Don’t drink and drive and be sure to carry your documents and drivers license.
- Some hotels in Valle de la Conception are tiny and do not offer restaurants serving dinner or any sort of thing to do after dark. We stayed one night in Uriondo (see #5) and it was absolutely awful. I cannot recommend staying in Tarija enough.
- Bing your own Jet Bags for packing wine in your luggage. I did not see any wine packing stores, like you would in Bordeaux or Napa, to buy things like this in the area.
- Tarjia is above 5000 feet altitude. This is much lower than La Paz and Uyuni, and it was such a relief to us to descend to these levels from La Paz and Uyuni. That being said, visitors traveling from sea level may experience altitude issues here. Be aware.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Bodega Sausini: San Luis, Tarija. Email or message for a tour and reservation. Spanish translator would be helpful here (unless you get lucky and run into the granddaughter!). 20 minutes from the heart of Tarija.
Vinos Aranjuez: Av. Angel Baldivieso #1976, Aranjuez neighborhood. Tarija – Bolivia. Tours Tuesday – Saturday at 8:30 AM and 3:00 PM. Tours Sunday at 8:30 AM. Reservations suggested and can be made online. Credit card accepted.
Campos de Solana: C88Q+2V5, Tarija, Bolivia. Open daily 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Tours Monday – Friday between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM and 13:00 PM to 16:00 PM. Saturdays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM only. Reservations strongly recommended at visita@camposdesolana.com.
Casa Real: CCF4+55W, Santa Ana community, Tarija, Bolivia. 30 minute drive from Tarija proper. Contact the distillery to visit. E: info@casa-real.com.
Bodega Cañón Escondido: Calle 15 de abril casi Colon, Tarija, Bolivia. Credit card accepted. English spoken. I would message for a reservation.
Khulmann Bodegas y Viñedos: El Portillo, Carretera al Chaco, km 12, Tarija, Bolivia. Open Wednesday – Sunday. Check website for tasting times.
Bodega Juan Diablo: Carrete a Bermejo Km12, Bolivia. The interest says its always open – I imagine it operates most days during normal business hours.
Bodega Masía Guerrero: C/Bolívar #186 (Uriondo), Valle de la Concepción, Ciudad Tarija, Bolivia. Open daily “10:00 AM – 6:00 PM”, but we visited at 8:00 AM. Credit card accepted. English spoken on our visit.
Wow! A fabulous wine 🍷 excursion