One of the highest wine growing regions in the world exists in northern Argentina in the Calchaqui Valley.  This lovely hotel where we spent the night reminded me of New Mexico.

The hotel garden.

The ceiling above the walkway.

The walkway from the garden to the front of the hotel.  Spanish colonial architecture and design seem much the same everywhere.

Cafayate is small and lovely.  Like every other city, it too has a square with a church on one side. We went there instead of Mendoza, the city most people in the US associate with Argentinian wine, because Hugo, Gaston’s dad, prefers the wine from there over that from Mendoza.

The church on the square in Cafayate.

Many trees were in bloom there.  Gaston’s mom and I collected some seeds from this one and I have two plants growing in pots at my house.

More colonial architecture.

Although most of this valley is filled with vineyards from one mountain range to the other, I did see fields as well.

Behind the hotel where we parked the truck, the guy was raising fighting cocks.  I never had the chance to take of photo of them.

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we needed to the oldest winery in the valley.