Bruno Pekarek

Growing up in Salta, Bruno Pekarek learned to appreciate his majestic surroundings and the blessings of agriculture. After studying in Vienna, he brought that passion back to his native Argentina and worked with his father Martin to help develop Condor Valley’s vinicultural potential. He traveled to Sonoma Valley to work with Duncan Meyer of Arnot-Roberts and Eric Demuth, two respected avant-garde California winemakers. He also studied with French viticulturist Paul Benoir to learn field grafting techniques. Bruno released his first Valle del Cóndor wine, the 2018 Tannat/Malbec blend, debuting the logo of the condor flying over the majestic Mt. Creston.

In 2020, he completed the construction of what is now South America’s first and only off-grid fully solar-powered winery. As a true pioneer, he has created a new taste profile in the high-altitude wine region of Salta. He is passionate about further expanding the vineyards and curating unique handcrafted wines.

Though our vineyards are located in the Salta “wine belt” (the opposite parallel of Napa Valley), wine grapes were never been grown in Condor Valley proper until 2013. To better understand the vinicultural potential of our valley, we invited Duncan Meyer of Arnot-Roberts, one of California’s great boutique wineries, to conduct a terroir study. He studied the geography, analyzed soil samples and installed a Davis weather station to collect data. Additionally, he established a line of communication and connection for clonal material with Jose Luis Munier, one of the most notable wine producers in Cafayate, as well as other Argentina winemakers like Andres Hoy, Federico Zaina, and Javier Granier.

In 2014, Bruno Pekarek and our winemaking mentor Carlos Rodriguez of Animaná, planted several varietals, including Malbec, Tannat, Torrontes, and Criolla. Our first Valle del Cóndor wines were produced in 2017 and put us on the map of Salta, Argentina wines. Our Malbec and Tannat have been featured in the media as well as showcased at San Francisco’s annual YMCA Sip & Savor wine event.

In just a few years, our field grafted vines irrigated by natural springs have shown incredible results, demonstrating the winemaking potential of Condor Valley. After having successfully established a vineyard, we decided to bring it into the age of sustainability. In 2020, we completed the building of South America’s first fully solar-powered winery.