El Esteco is one of the longest-operating wineries in Argentina, founded in 1892 in the Calchaquí Valley in the province of Salta. Vineyards located at altitudes ranging from 1600 to 2000 meters above sea level make Salta the highest-altitude wine region with commercial production in the world. History of El Esteco The winery was founded in 1892 by brothers David and Salvador Michel – immigrants from France – and David's Italian wife, Gabriela Torino. El Esteco quickly became a pioneer of Argentine winemaking art. Successive generations of the family continued to develop the business, acquiring new vineyards and commercializing some of the first wines made from the torrontés grape variety. In 2004, the winery was purchased by Grupo Peñaflor – the largest wine group in Argentina. El Esteco Vineyards in the Calchaquí Valley El Esteco can boast some of the oldest plantings of the torrontés grape variety – the vines can be as much as 80 years old and were planted in the traditional pergola system. Recently, a new vineyard was established in El Socorro, where rocky soils and an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level provide conditions for growing malbec and cabernet franc varieties. However, it is the Chanar Punco vineyard, located at an altitude of 2000 meters and 80 kilometers from the headquarters, that currently brings the greatest fame – a wine of the same name is produced there. El Esteco Wine Lines In addition to the flagship El Esteco line, the offering includes Amaru wines, whose name derives from the name of an Indian god, and the Don David line, named in honor of the winery's founder.