Back to the Altiplano

Made our first trip to the province of Salta, in northwest Argentina, last month. We skipped the sights in the provincial capital for a 5-hour drive over winding unpaved roads to Estancia Colomé, a labor of love built up over the last 7 years by Donald Hess, the owner of Napa's Hess Wineries.

Hess swooped into Salta in 2001 as the economy was crumbling and picked up 40,000 hectares, including a couple small towns and a winery built in the early 1800s. The place has been transformed and, he says, produces the world's highest altitude wines (some vineyards are at close to 10,000 feet). The estancia grows most of its own food, makes its own butter, cheese and yogurt and has a network of horseback trails that had us gripping desperately to our saddles. We've posted some photos to the right.