This guest post is from Stephanie from The Travel Chica, who has been traveling around South America and has spent considerable time in Argentina. You can find out more about her travels on her site, through Twitter and Facebook.

Located in the heart of the Colchaquí Valley in the Salta province of northern Argentina, Cafayate is a small town surrounded by natural beauty and some of the best vineyards in the country, possibly the world.

Despite tourism being the number two industry, this town of 15,000 people has maintained its charm while bringing luxury to its visitors with resorts, gourmet cuisine, and fine wines. Let this be your guide to experiencing luxury, relaxation, and top-level wining and dining in Cafayate.

Relax at an Intimate Resort
Built on a finca just 3 km outside of town, Viñas de Cafayate Wine Resort hits the sweet spot of offering a luxury experience in a beautiful and peaceful setting.  Each of their 12 spacious rooms has a shaded patio with views of the surrounding vineyards and mountains.  By keeping the resort small and intimate, their staff can provide impeccable service, and guests find it easy to relax at the pool or the patio enjoying the beauty, comfort, and quiet.

Wining and Dining Viñas de Cafayate also offers a gourmet menu and an excellent wine list for lunch and dinner at their on-site restaurant.  The menu includes a diverse selection of international and regional cuisine.The restaurant is open to the public.

 Walk-ins are welcome for lunch from 12pm to 3pm.  It is best to make a reservation for dinner which beings at 7:30pm.

Another excellent restaurant option in the center of town across from the plaza is Terruño.  As owner, chef, customer service expert, and designer, Carlos Manuel Amante brings his expertise from working in fine restaurants in Buenos Aires and traveling the world to what many consider to be the top restaurant in Cafayate.

Carlos also brings his passion for excellence to Terruño with a gourmet menu combining French, American, and Argentine cuisine and an excellent wine list featuring wines from all 30 bodegas in Cafayate.  Whereas most restaurants in Cafayate will not allow you to purchase high-end wines by the glass, Carlos has a different philosophy.  He will open any bottle for a customer.  The level of service and is unmatched in Cafayate and maybe even the country.Terruño is open for lunch from 11am to 3:30pm and for dinner from 7:30pm until midnight.  It is possible to schedule tastings in the wine bar with advance notice.

For the best wine bodega experiences, it is best to by-pass those offering free tastings in the center of town, since the wines on offer are all entry level.  There are two low-priced tour and tasting options that are the exception.

Domingo Hermanos offers an informative tour with a tasting of two wines, including one reserva, for AR$10.  Nanni is an organic vineyard offering a free tour and AR$10 tasting that includes four wines, which are impressively unique and complex for entry level. The best wine experiences are offered by appointment.  Here are the top 3 picks for the wine lovers.

Jose L. Mounier is a family-run vineyard that started 13 years ago and is now producing some of the highest quality wines in Cafayate.  Their bodega/restaurant Finca Las Nubes is located in the middle of the vineyard just 5km outside of town (and 2km from Viñas de Cafayate).  Call or email Finca Las Nubes for a tasting appointment 24 hours in advance.  A tasting of four wines with a picada (meat and cheese plate) is $AR50.  They also offer a menu fijo (fine menu) for the gourmands.

El Porvenir is one of the oldest fincas in Cafayate, started in 1890 by Italian immigrants.  It was abandoned for several years and then acquired by the Romero-Marcuzzi family in 1999 with the desire to “only make wines of alta gama.”  Their production is small, only 200,000 bottles last year, showing their focus on quality over quantity.  They offer three lines:  Amauta, Laborum, and El Porvenir.   What is most impressive is the number of wines they offer, creating a variety of blends with distinct characteristics depending on the harvest that year.  Because their wines are made to last a long time in the bottle, you can find wines from as far back as 2005. Call or email El Porvenir for a tasting appointment 24 hours in advance.  Tastings are AR$45 and include four wines.

The third recommended bodega experience is Amalaya.  The Visitor Center will open in December of 2012.  Amalaya is a recent addition to the Switzerland-based Hess Family Estates and is already producing three unique and excellent value blends.  Their Gran Corte tinto is a must-try and can be found at vinotecas and restaurants in town and throughout Argentina.