Translated by Diana Schwalb
By Dr. Lorenzo Huertas Vallejos
Historian. Founding member and past president of the Peruvian Academy of Pisco One of the objectives of this research is to understand and explain the factors that led to the substantial changes in the production of wine and grape brandy known as Pisco, since the second half of the eighteenth century. According to current studies, from the first two centuries of Hispanic presence until mid-eighteenth century, Peru was the leader in the production of both drinks in South America.
During the second half of that century, this dynamism and glory began to be lost gradually. This situation continued throughout the nineteenth century until the first half of the twentieth century. The wine boundaries in Peru contracted, production dropped to the point it was at in 1900, and the difference with Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, was abysmal. The revival of the production of both these drinks is now evident, hence another objective of this research is to identify and explain the factors that led to that acceleration since the 1960’s.
To produce this document, the chronology of the city of Ica and its jurisdiction has been taken as a parameter; this region has had and has the hegemony of the wine and Pisco production in Peru since the beginning of the seventeenth century until now. When we ventured into this town’s past, we were surprised to find in some old files of the sixteenth and seventeenth century, scripts buying and selling land that show that the valleys of the region were divided in payments and these, in great estates, farms and smaller farms where wine production was the main activity. We were also surprised when we examined other scriptures called "fletamientos" manuscripts which recorded the output of "departures of ram," i.e. llamas, from Pisco, Ica, Palpa and Nazca taking wine and brandy to the main center of the “Kingdom of Peru."
Additionally, we found records of ships leaving the port of Pisco and Caballa carrying in their holds wine first, and decades after, wine and pisco. This documentation also notes the fate of those jars called "peruelas" which arrived in Arica and Valpariso in the south and in the north, in Callao, Guanchaco, Cherrepe, Paita, Guayaquil, ports in the center of America and in the tropical Manila (Asia). Thus, Peru's ancient wine producers were able to articulate an industry bearing the Peruvian insignia on their packaging or pitchers, imposing the identity of their "Pisco” since the end of the eighteenth century.
There was a lot of trading, besides those drinks, of tools, utensils, food, hoards and household items needed by cities, towns, villages, mills and mines located in this great route, especially in Potosi where the greatest silver producing mines in South America were located. In short, it was a true archipelago of markets anxiously awaiting the entry of pitchers and jugs filled with delicious contents.
In the sequence of both cities, we found that during mid eighteenth century, the production and marketing of wine and Pisco declined or was restricted. This phenomenon continued until mid-twentieth century, when, thanks to a combination of factors, the pace of production and marketing of grapes, wine and Pisco started to pick up again.
The decline did not mean depletion of the quality of the drinks. Despite the prolonged crisis, some stubborn vintners and winemakers maintained good strains (including Quebranta), increased others of good quality and the same happened to their technique. Some families like the Mejias, who descended from the vintners of the sixteenth century, now defended the lineage and the other attributes of wine and Pisco like their ancestors did.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario