Cas Cas, Perú
To me, a Latin American Córdoba. Narrow streets closed in by cement walls. The wooden Spanish balconies and terra cotta roofing provide hints of old world influence.
Marinera Peruana is the dance of the Peruvian Sierra and originated in Andalucía, Spain
In the past fifty years the pueblito has developed an economía de uvas. Uvas are grapes and you'll see them in all parts of Cas Cas. The surrounding green and gold mountains and their valleys have become a home to vineyards, in which millions of grape vines are sowed each year. You can buy a kilo of uvas rojas for 2 soles, about 60 cents. The fat juicy grapes are used to make less delicious semi-seco wine.
After a few weeks of foamy mouth-watery Pisco Sours, I had high expectations for this nationally known wine region just two hours from Trujillo, Perú. The festival of uvas was taking place, which was an opportunity to try all of the local wine in the town's small stadium. Semi-seco, which translates to semi-dry, is in fact not dry at all, it is almost unbearably sweet (for a wine). The wine is hardly fermented and sugar is added after the fermentation process. There is an even sweeter wine (the dulce) that is available at all of the bodegas (wine stores). According to the French guy whom I traveled with, the region's seco (dry) wine is worse than the cheapest boxed wine one can find in France. Maybe I was being a bit bougie when I asked at one of the bodegas, "would you compare this to a Cabernet?" The shop owner replied with a confused and somewhat irritated look.
Needless to say the local flavors were somewhat of a let down, but the views made up for it.