Francisco (Pancho) Lavaque’s family has been making wine in Cafayate since the late 1800s, but in 2010, he branched off on his own to start Vallisto with French winemaker Hugh Ryman. While he makes Torrontés and Malbec, he’s also working with old-school varieties like Criolla Chica and Tannat (from 100 year-old vines), with the goal of giving a more authentic picture of the terroir and landscape of Cafayate.

The Etchart family has been making wine in Cafayate since the 1850s. In the ’90s, the family sold off its namesake winery to Pernod-Ricard and established this, high up in the mountains in the Yacochuya Valley, with vines that are more than 60 years old. This is the only winery in the area that has truly achieved cult status for its inky Malbec and intensely structured Cabernet Sauvignon, thanks in part to the enduring Etchart family. Reservations are required for visits.

Lucía Romero-Marcuzzi is the third generation of her family to lead their winery. The 20 years old iteration sits in an historic adobe building in the middle of the city. The Romero-Marcuzzi family now owns four distinct vineyards in Cafayate, but its prize site is Finca el Retiro in the hills outside town, where palm trees meet 65 year-old Torrontés vines. The winery hosts visitors, with picnic lunches, for those who reserve ahead and also operates a small, 7-room guest house.

A fixture in the area since the turn of the 19th century, the Torino family was one of the first to put Cafayate on the wine map. Today, the winery has over 1,000 acres of vineyards. Of particular note are its Old Vines wines, some of which come from vineyards nearly 80 years old. Every Saturday morning, El Esteco gives tours of the property by horseback, followed by a cheese and wine tasting.

When Palo Domingo built his winery, he put it in North Yacochuya, five miles outside of town and at 6,000 feet above sea level. Today, his three sons run the business, working with older vineyards in three distinct parts of the Valles Calchaquíes, including a site in the far-flung desert-like Rupestre valley, where Tannat grows at over 7,000 feet above sea level. Visits to the winery include local cheeses and tastings of wines that are still in barrel. Reserve ahead.

This white stuccoed estate near downtown Cafayate was built at the turn of the 20th century as the home of Torino family, who founded the adjoining El Esteco winery. The rooms have a sense of history, with dark wood furniture, terracotta tiles and gardens with full-on views of the Andes. Patios puts a lot of care into guest experiences, from horseback rides to biking. The hotel can also help organize visits to the homes of local craftspeople for yarn-making, knitting, and weaving.

This colonial-style, terracotta-roofed, 22-room resort, which opened in 2018, sits at the foot of Cerro San Isidro, a dramatic Andean mountain that feels like it could tumble right into the pool. The hotel is very focused on green practices—from reusing water for irrigation to the organic garden that fuels its restaurant.

Part of the sprawling La Estancia Cafayate property, with a golf course, spa, and polo fields, the new Grace hotel has a main building with 12 rooms. But the real move is to rent one of the 20 two-bedroom villas, each with a wood-burning fireplace, a patio with a parrilla grill, and a pool. Guests also have access to La Estancia’s spa and tmountain biking expeditions or horseback rides with a gaucho guide as desired.

Couple Tomás Casado and Soledad García run this beloved, three year old restaurant on the main square. García, a Cafayate native, handles pastry, and Casado cooks the savory dishes, which stray from those typical of the area in order to offer up goat croquettes; creamy quinoa with vegetables, coconut milk, and smoked chile; and his version beef wellington, calling on his training in France and Spain. The wine list is composed only of bottles from Cafayate.

A quick drive northeast from Cafayate, up Ruta 68, lands you amidst an expanse of otherworldly red rock formations that have been carved by wind and water over the ages. This national park can be navigated by foot, bike or horse.