The Italian Hand & the Calchaquí Sun
Bodega Nanni is one of Argentina's oldest and most pioneering organic wineries — a fourth-generation family estate founded in 1897 by Italian immigrants in the heart of Cafayate, Salta. Located just one block from the main square, the winery has operated from the same historic building for over 125 years, with 100% of production deriving from its own San José de Chimpa estate — a 2,000-hectare property (with 50 hectares under vine) situated 10 kilometres east of Cafayate at 1,750 metres above sea level. The estate sits in the Calchaquí Valley, where sandy loam, poor and deep soils, 80mm average annual rainfall, and a strict 12-hour daily wind pattern create an ideal environment for producing healthy, aromatic grapes without pesticides or fungicides. A pioneer in every sense, Nanni was one of the first Argentine wineries to achieve organic certification in 1996 (SENASA Full Organic), and was among the first to develop Tannat as a single premium varietal in the country — a grape that has since become a flagship of the Cafayate region alongside Torrontés. The portfolio spans a Young Line of fresh, fruit-forward varietals, a Reserve Line aged in French and American oak, and Arcanvs — a limited-production blend that represents the maximum expression of the estate. Today, the fourth generation continues to combine tradition, extreme terroir, and careful technology to craft wines that express the singular identity of the Calchaquí Valley.
An Italian Family & the Calchaquí Hand
The story of Bodega Nanni begins in 1897, when Italian immigrants arrived in the remote, sun-scorched Calchaquí Valley and established a small family winery in the town of Cafayate — a settlement that would eventually become the wine capital of northwestern Argentina. In 1905, the family acquired the San José de Chimpa estate — an expansive 11,000-hectare property (later consolidated to 2,000 hectares) located just east of the town — and planted their first vineyards on its poor, sandy soils. For over a century, the winery has operated from the same historic building in downtown Cafayate, just one block from the main plaza, making it one of the most centrally located and historically continuous wineries in the region.
The Nanni family understood early what the Calchaquí Valley offered: an extreme, high-altitude desert climate where the combination of intense UV radiation, cold nights, and constant wind produced grapes of extraordinary aromatic intensity and natural health. They farmed organically from the beginning — not as a marketing strategy, but as the only logical approach in a region where the dry air and persistent wind naturally suppress fungal disease. In the 1980s, the estate formally transitioned to organic viticulture, and in 1996, Bodega Nanni became one of the first wineries in Argentina to achieve full organic certification from SENASA — a pioneering move in an era when Argentine wine was dominated by conventional, high-volume production.
The family's innovation did not stop at organics. Nanni was also one of the first Argentine producers to develop Tannat as a single premium varietal — a grape of Basque-French origin that found an unexpected home in Cafayate's extreme conditions. Where Tannat was historically used for blending in France, Nanni recognised its potential for structure, colour, and power in the Calchaquí terroir, and today their Tannat stands alongside Torrontés as one of the estate's signature wines. Today, the fourth generation of the Nanni family continues to run the winery, balancing the weight of 127 years of tradition with a forward-looking commitment to sustainability, biodiversity, and the authentic expression of one of Argentina's most extreme vineyard sites.
"Nanni has been in the same family and in the same building — just a block from the main square — since 1897. Thanks to its organic certification, much of its small production is exported to the United States."
— Travel & Leisure
San José de Chimpa & the 1,750-Metre Hand
San José de Chimpa is the 2,000-hectare estate that provides 100% of the fruit for Bodega Nanni's wines — a vast, arid landscape located 10 kilometres east of Cafayate in the Calchaquí Valley of Salta province. The vineyards sit at approximately 1,750 metres above sea level (some sources cite 1,800m), where the Andes cast their long shadow and the air is thin, dry, and fiercely sunny. The climate is extreme desert: an average annual rainfall of just 80 millimetres, intense solar radiation, and a strict wind pattern of 12 hours daily throughout the year that acts as a natural fungicide, keeping the vines healthy without chemical intervention.
The soils are sandy loam, poor and deep — a combination of alluvial deposits washed down from the Andes over millennia. These soils are low in organic matter, free-draining, and mineral-rich, forcing the vines to dig deep for water and nutrients. The result is low yields, small berries with thick skins, and concentrated flavours — the classic signature of high-altitude desert viticulture. The thermal amplitude between day and night can exceed 20°C, preserving acidity and aromatic freshness even as the grapes achieve full phenolic ripeness. It is a terroir that demands patience and respect, and the Nanni family has spent four generations learning its rhythms.
The estate is farmed under strict organic protocols certified by SENASA — Argentina's national food safety and quality service. No synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides are used. The dry climate and persistent wind make this not only possible but practical; the vines thrive in conditions that would stress conventional agriculture. The family has also invested in soil conservation, water management, and biodiversity projects across the estate, recognising that the long-term health of San José de Chimpa is inseparable from the quality of the wine it produces. The result is a vineyard that is not merely organic by certification but organic by nature — a living, self-regulating ecosystem in one of the world's most challenging wine-growing environments.
Cafayate is the principal wine town of the Calchaquí Valleys, a dramatic landscape of red rock canyons, high-altitude desert, and colonial architecture in the province of Salta. At 1,700 metres above sea level, it is one of the highest wine-producing regions in the world. The town's winemaking history dates back to the 19th century, with Italian and Spanish immigrants establishing the first vineyards. Today, Cafayate is renowned for two grapes above all others: Torrontés — the aromatic white that has become Argentina's signature variety — and Tannat, which Nanni helped pioneer as a single-varietal wine. The combination of extreme altitude, desert dryness, and poor soils produces wines of remarkable intensity, freshness, and character.
The San José de Chimpa estate is the heart of Bodega Nanni — a 2,000-hectare property with approximately 50 hectares under vine, located 10 kilometres east of Cafayate. The estate's altitude of 1,750 metres, combined with sandy loam soils, minimal rainfall (80mm annually), and a constant 12-hour daily wind pattern, creates an environment where vines must struggle to survive — and in that struggle, produce grapes of extraordinary concentration and health. The estate has been farmed organically since the 1980s and certified since 1996. It is a place where the boundaries between agriculture and wilderness blur, and where the Nanni family's four generations of knowledge have been written into the soil.
One of the defining features of the San José de Chimpa terroir is the persistent wind — a strict 12-hour daily pattern that blows through the Calchaquí Valley year-round. This wind is not merely a climatic curiosity; it is a fundamental element of the estate's organic philosophy. By keeping the vine canopy dry and aerated, the wind naturally suppresses fungal diseases like downy mildew and botrytis, eliminating the need for synthetic fungicides. It also thickens the grape skins, increasing phenolic concentration and colour intensity. The Nanni family has learned to farm with the wind rather than against it, pruning and training the vines to allow optimal airflow. In a world where organic viticulture often requires increased labour and intervention, the wind at San José de Chimpa is a reminder that nature, when respected, provides its own solutions.
Bodega Nanni has been certified organic by SENASA (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria) since 1996 — one of the earliest certifications in Argentine wine. The certification covers the entire production chain, from vineyard to bottle, ensuring that no synthetic chemicals, GMOs, or prohibited additives are used. But for the Nanni family, organic is not a label — it is a way of life that predates the certification by decades. The dry climate, the wind, and the poor soils made chemical agriculture not only unnecessary but illogical. The certification simply formalised what the family had always practised: a respectful, observant, and patient approach to farming in one of the world's most extreme vineyard environments.
Native Yeasts, Organic Fruit & the Family Hand
The winemaking philosophy at Bodega Nanni is rooted in a simple principle: the wine must express the place from which it comes — the extreme altitude, the poor soils, the persistent wind, and the four generations of knowledge that have shaped San José de Chimpa. All grapes are 100% estate-grown and certified organic, harvested by hand in the cool early hours to preserve freshness and aromatic integrity. The cellar, located in the historic downtown building, operates with a combination of traditional techniques and careful modern technology — stainless steel tanks for temperature-controlled fermentation, French and American oak barrels for the Reserve line, and a patient, observant approach to ageing that prioritises balance over power.
The Young Line is the estate's most accessible and widely exported range — fresh, fruit-forward wines that highlight the natural aromatic wealth of the Calchaquí Valley. The Torrontés is the flagship white: pale yellow with golden highlights, intensely perfumed with white flowers, roses, and tropical fruits, and balanced by a crisp, refreshing acidity that makes it the perfect partner for seafood and spicy cuisine. The Tannat is the flagship red: deep, concentrated, and structured, with aromas of black fruit, tobacco, and chocolate, and mature, rounded tannins that speak to the grape's extraordinary adaptation to Cafayate's extreme conditions. The Malbec is elegant and fruity, the Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied with black pepper and cassis, and the Bonarda offers a soft, fresh entry with round tannins and vibrant acidity. All are fermented with native yeasts and bottled with minimal intervention.
The Reserve Line represents the next tier of expression — wines made from selected grapes and aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels, followed by 6 months in bottle before release. The Reserva Tannat is a wine of great colour, structure, and volume, with complex aromas of black fruits, cassis, tobacco, and chocolate. The Reserva Malbec combines red and black fruit with vanilla and smoke, gaining complexity and silky tannins from its time in French oak. The Reserva Syrah reveals dark fruits, spices, leather, and tobacco, with firm yet elegant tannins and a long, persistent finish. And the Reserva Bonarda seduces with fruity and floral aromas, sweet velvety tannins, and the complexity of wood. At the apex sits Arcanvs — a limited-production blend that combines the best parcels of the estate with careful cellar dedication to achieve the maximum expression of Nanni's terroir.
Native Yeasts, Organic Grapes & the Calchaquí Ethos
The guiding principle of Bodega Nanni is that the best wine is the one that needs the least help. The organic farming provides healthy, complex grapes from living desert soils. The hand harvest ensures that only pristine fruit enters the historic downtown cellar. The native yeast fermentation captures the microbial soul of San José de Chimpa. The careful use of oak in the Reserve line adds structure and complexity without masking the vineyard's voice. And the minimal intervention at bottling preserves the living, evolving character of the wine. The cellar is not a factory but a continuation of the vineyard — where four generations of Italian-Argentine knowledge prove that the best bottle from Cafayate is the one that tastes of nothing but sun, wind, stone, and the patient hand of the family that has farmed this land since 1897.
Torrontés, Tannat & the Reserve Hand
Bodega Nanni produces a focused, terroir-driven portfolio divided into three distinct ranges: the Young Line — fresh, aromatic, fruit-forward varietals that capture the immediate pleasure of the Calchaquí Valley; the Reserve Line — structured, oak-aged expressions that demonstrate the ageing potential and depth of the estate's best parcels; and Arcanvs — a limited-production blend that represents the pinnacle of Nanni's winemaking ambition. The portfolio is built around the two grapes that define Cafayate: Torrontés — the fragrant, floral white that has become the region's ambassador to the world — and Tannat — the powerful, structured red that Nanni pioneered as a single varietal in Argentina. Supporting these are Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bonarda, and Syrah — each expressing the extreme altitude, poor soils, and persistent wind of San José de Chimpa in its own way. All wines are made from 100% estate-grown, certified organic grapes, fermented with native yeasts, and raised with minimal intervention.
The Organic Pioneer & the Italian Hand
Bodega Nanni is not merely a winery; it is a proof that a family of Italian immigrants, armed with patience, respect for the land, and a willingness to farm where the wind blows for 12 hours a day, can produce organic wines of world-class character for four generations. In an era when Argentine wine was dominated by the warm, industrial valleys of Mendoza, the Nanni family demonstrated that the extreme conditions of the Calchaquí Valley — the 1,750-metre altitude, the 80mm of annual rainfall, the poor sandy soils, and the relentless wind — are not obstacles but advantages. They proved that organic viticulture is not only possible in the desert but natural, that Tannat can stand alone as a premium Argentine varietal, and that Torrontés at high altitude achieves an aromatic intensity that no other white grape in the country can match.
The legacy of Nanni is the legacy of the patient hand in viticulture. The 1897 founding is not a distant memory but a living declaration — a reminder that the best wineries are not built in a single generation but cultivated over a century of observation and adaptation. The 1996 organic certification is not a marketing badge but a moral architecture — a formal recognition of practices that have been in place since the first vine was planted. The pioneering Tannat programme is not a trend but a logical response to the terroir — a recognition that the grape's natural power and structure are perfectly matched to the extreme conditions of San José de Chimpa. And the continued family ownership is not a nostalgia play but a statement of continuity — a belief that wine is made not by corporations but by people who wake up every morning knowing the name of every vineyard row.
The future of the project is tied to the future of Argentina's high-altitude wine movement — to the growing recognition that the country's greatest wines may come not from its most famous valleys but from its most extreme corners. As the Reserve Line continues to earn recognition among collectors who understand the value of oak-aged, high-altitude Tannat and Malbec, as the Young Line introduces a new generation to the joys of organic Torrontés and Bonarda, and as Arcanvs demonstrates the heights that Calchaquí blending can achieve, Bodega Nanni remains what the family has always intended it to be: a farm grounded in organic principles, extreme altitude, and family continuity — structured, innovative, and deeply tied to the sandy soils, persistent winds, and Italian-Argentine soul of Cafayate. The story of Nanni is the story of a family who looked at a desert valley that everyone else considered too harsh and saw not a problem but a possibility — and who proved that the best bottle from Argentina is sometimes the one that has been made the same way for 127 years, by the same family, in the same building, one block from the main square.
"Bodega Nanni is known for its certified organic wines and its long family history dating back to 1897. The grapes come from a century-old farm east of Cafayate."
— RipioTurismo