Pisco and its Denomination of Origin
Pisco—meaning “little bird” in the indigenous Quechua language and also the name of the historic Peruvian port city from which it was first shipped—is one of the few spirits in the world to hold a Denomination of Origin. This guarantees that it must be made in designated regions of Peru and follow the strictest regulations:
Pisco—meaning “little bird” in the indigenous Quechua language and also the name of the historic Peruvian port city from which it was first shipped—is one of the few spirits in the world to hold a Denomination of Origin. This guarantees that it must be made in designated regions of Peru and follow the strictest regulations:
Pisco and its
Denomination of Origin
Rules and Regulations
Produced in one of five provinces in southern Peru.
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Crafted only from eight approved grape varietals.
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Small-batch, single distillation in 100% copper pot alambique or falca stills
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All Natural, No colors, flavors, or additives—including water—may be used.
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Cannot be aged, but must rest in non-reactive vessels.
All Caravedo Piscos are 100% natural, crafted from a single ingredient: estate-grown grapes. They are distilled entirely from wine (never pomace), unaltered, and rested to preserve their purity, heritage, and exceptional flavor.
All Caravedo Piscos are 100% natural, crafted from a single ingredient: estate-grown grapes. They are distilled entirely from wine (never pomace), unaltered, and rested to preserve their purity, heritage, and exceptional flavor.
Pisco Variants
puro
acholado
MOSTO VERDE
Mosto Verde – A puro or acholado made from partially fermented grape must. Requires approximately 16–18 lbs. of grapes to produce one list of a mosto verde style pisco. Flavor is richer, more complex, and luxuriously textured.
There are three variants of pisco: puro, or single grape expression; acholado, or blend of two
or more grapes, and mosto verde, a style of making a puro or an acholado in which the must
(or juice of the pressed grapes) is partially fermented.
There are three variants of pisco: puro, or single grape expression; acholado, or blend of two or more grapes, and mosto verde, a style of making a puro or an acholado in which the must (or juice of the pressed grapes) is partially fermented.
Approved Grape Varietals
aromatic
Italia
Albilla
Torontel
Moscatel
non-aromatic
Quebranta
Negra Criolla
Uvina
Mollar
Aromatics have high levels of fragrant compounds (terpenes), giving them pronounced floral and fruit notes. Non-aromatics have lower terpene levels, contributing structure, balance, and subtle fruit character.
Aromatics have high levels of fragrant compounds (terpenes), giving them pronounced floral and fruit notes. Non-aromatics have lower terpene levels, contributing structure, balance, and subtle fruit character.
The Terroir of the Ica Valley
The Ica Valley—home to Hacienda La Caravedo Est. 1684, the oldest working distillery in the Americas—offers an exceptional environment for growing pisco grapes:
How Geography
and Soil of the Ica Valley
Affect the Grapes
To The West
To The West
The Humboldt Current cools the climate and limits rainfall.
To The east
To The east
The Andes block clouds from the jungle.
desert microclimate
Climate
Less than one inch of rain per year, 365 days of sun, hot days (avg. 84°F) and cool nights (avg. 68°F).
soil quality
soiL
Sandy loam (franco arenoso), warm, dry, and high in salinity, encouraging deep root growth.
Exceptional grapes
Grape Quality
High sugar content (23+° Brix) and balanced natural acidity produce intense flavor and aroma. Minimal rain preserves natural yeasts on grape skins for spontaneous fermentation.
Terroir:
Noun; pr: ter’ wär; French; land, from medieval Latin terratorium The complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.
Terroir plays a critical role in pisco production, and it is the synergy of climate, location, geography, and soil that creates the quality and uniqueness of every pisco. While it encompasses the land and geography, the producer’s skills also play a critical role in everything from choosing correct rootstocks, configuring and orienting plants, correctly trellising the vines, pruning them, managing the canopy, controlling pests, and picking and making the product. The Ica Valley, where Hacienda La Caravedo is located and one of the regions designated for pisco production, is uniquely suited to growing some of the finest and highest quality pisco grapes.
Hacienda La Caravedo:
Production & Technique
At Hacienda La Caravedo, we control every step from vine to bottle across 80 hectares of estate vineyards, positioned on a dry riverbed with ideal soil conditions. Our “techno-artisanal” approach combines modern precision with centuries-old methods to honor Peru’s pisco heritage.
Master Distiller: Johnny Schuler, the world’s leading pisco authority and recipient of Peru’s Congressional Medal of Honor, leads production.
Production at a Glance
Fermentation Tanks
Falcas
Pot Stills
Resting Tanks
(Cubas de Guarda)
From Vineyard to Bottle
Harvest (Vendimia)
Late February to early April, grapes are hand-picked at optimal ripeness.
Destemming
Leaves and stems removed; grapes inspected for quality.
Crushing
Pneumatic press breaks grapes gently to preserve seed integrity.
MACERATION
Must rests to extract aromatics, structure, and flavor.
FERMENTATION
Natural yeasts convert sugars to wine over 5–14 days. Mosto Verde ferments for 5–7 days only.
DISTILLATION
Single distillation in 100% copper stills, always to proof—no water added.
RESTING
Pisco rests in glass-lined concrete tanks to develop flavor.
BOTTLING
Bottles are washed with pisco, filled, capped, labeled, and sealed.
TASTING
Our dedicated tasting room ensures perfect sensory conditions.
Quality Control
Our on-site lab tests at every stage for precision and consistency.
Picking, Pressing, and Fermenting
Hacienda La Caravedo sits on a dried riverbed, providing the best soil for growing grapes. All our grapes are estate-grown and in fields uniquely suited to each varietal. We maintain full quality control from vine to bottle.
Grapes exceed traditional degree Brix (measure of sugar content) and are +25. All grapes are gently harvested by hand to preserve quality, flavor and aroma.
The grapes are pressed to extract the juice, or must. The skins and seeds are collected and pressed again to remove any additional must. A traditional wooden press called a usillo is often used at this stage. The must is collected in a tank called a puntaya and macerates for 24 hours.
The must flows through the force of gravity from the puntaya to the fermentation tanks. Natural yeast converts the sugar from the must into alcohol in a process that takes 5 to 14 days, depending on the style of pisco. Our Mosto Verde takes 5 – 7 days to ferment.
After the harvest, the grapes are gently pressed, fermented, distilled, rested and bottled. At Hacienda La Caravedo, we use the flow of gravity to move the must (the juice of the grape) from the pressing stage through its resting period in order to ensure the gentlest treatment of the pisco. This preserves its natural flavor and aroma and ensures our piscos are uniquely authentic.
Our distillery is “techno-artisanal”, meaning that we combine traditional and state-of-the-art processes to craft piscos in the finest expression of their Andean terroir.
Distilling, Resting, Bottling
Hacienda La Caravedo sits on a dried riverbed, providing the best soil for growing grapes. All our grapes are estate-grown and in fields uniquely suited to each varietal. We maintain full quality control from vine to bottle.
The distillation is rested in non-reactive containers called cubas de guarda to allow the flavor and aroma to fully evolve. Our cubas de guarda are glass-lined concrete containers and we rest our pisco for 6 months to a year. After the resting period, pisco was traditionally stored in clay botijas, or stackable jars.
Our piscos are then bottled and enjoyed in countries all over the world. We are the #1 exported pisco from Peru to the United States.
Distillation is the critical step that turns wine into pisco. At Hacienda La Caravedo, we use both the original falcas and French and German-made pot stills. Under the law, we use 100% copper stills and distill only once, always to proof. Meaning that no water is added to the final product. Our Caravedo Mosto Verde and is distilled to 86 proof. The other Caravedo expressions are distilled to 80 proof.
During the resting cycle, the pisco evolves its flavors and aromas in a non-reactive container. Our Caravedo Mosto Verde rests for a minimum of a year before being bottled, while the rest of the expressions are rested for six months.
