In the local dialect Amalya means “hope for a miracle”, and this is what inspired Swiss businessman and wine pioneer David Hess' first wine venture in Argentina in 2001; the miracle being the discovery of water in the extreme desert landscape of the region. This allowed for the planting of vines in soil that no one had ever sown anything in before – not even the Incas!
Bodega Amalya has been run by Hess' stepdaughter Larissa Ehrbar and her husband Christoph since 2010. The vineyards are planted in Cafayate on the high altitude plains of the Calchaqui Valley in Salta, at 1,800 metres above sea level in the foothills of the Andes - this is one of the highest places in the world to grow vines. They have two separate vineyards on the outskirts of Cafayate, Finca Mercedes and Finca San Isidro, which have been farmed sustainably since day one, and are on their way to gaining organic certification. These are fruit-forward, fresh, and contemporary high altitude wines. Amalya say that the vibrant energy of their unique location brings them joy, calm, clarity and a sense of vitality – something they believe makes its way into each and every bottle of their wines!