QOLLQE A boutique Pisco Taken from “Dionisos” specialty magazine Written by: Manuel Cadenas Mujica Photography by: Eric Dañino February 2008 Cecilia Ledesma insists on absolute quality: She only uses the heart of the grape must from selected grapes. She allows for a year of settling for each bottle, and she leaves the production in the hands of the top Peruvian oenologists: Juan Mendiola and Edwin Landeo. What type of strange spell is cast upon those who have not been raised among grapevines and antique clay Pisco containers, nor have the illustrious surnames in their family trees denoting a Pisco lineage, that once they have established and intimate contact with its spirituous nature, end up longing with great fervor to bring a Pisco in to world by their own hands and effectively after a series of battles and vicissitudes, labors and sleepless nights, are finally able to extract from the stills, this silver spirit? Love at first sight or kisses of increasing intensity. The Pisco frenzy has garnered legions of followers in the last two decades, thus assuring the continuation of a national custom of a four hundred year course. But in the case of Cecilia Ledesma, she has done it by also creating bridges to new horizons around the World where there exist natural tendencies towards a stature of quality over other spirits of vinic origin. And by reaching strict guidelines, has come offer what is generally accepted as “boutique Piscos”. There will be time to unravel this skein, which in terms of brand has labeled itself with the suggestive Quechua lingo that in the language of the Conquistadors means “Silver”: Qollque. At this time it is the sole focus of Cecilia Ledesma. This story goes back to the early days when she was the new wife of Roberto Clark, owner of what used to be the “La Chacra” plantation. “My ex –husband is from a Pisco family. The love of Pisco is due to him, because he showed my to love it and to know its history, at least as far as Surco is concerned, because Beto’s family is from there, even though back then, I did not savor as much the favors of Pisco. I was more dedicated more to the Cock fighting ring, events, and lunches at the restaurant and other activities like Super cross”. However, from a Pisco lover to a producer is a big jump. “For 18 years he stopped marketing Pisco because of the adulteration that was a problem, but we had the intention of re-opening cellars. We never got a chance to do it, because we split up but I have done it on my own. My intention, from the onset was to make something quality, following it beginning with the harvest. Thanks to Henri van Hasselt, who gave me the initial information to put me in contact with the right people, I got in my car and went to Ica, where I met up with Edwin Landeo and Juan Mendiola”. Two Pisco styles This project has been taken on by no less than the two of the most important oenologists in Peru, both having studied in Europe. The first, born in Huancayo, but in his heart he is from Ica, has for several years dedicated himself to an exemplary career in education and research at Citevid. The second is an heir to a family with a great Pisco tradition dating back to the Colonial days. He possesses vast experience in the distilling and storing processes as well as a being the president of the “Cofradia Nacional de Catadores del Perú” (the National Guild of Peruvian Tasters). What a team Cecilia has! “Each one has a very particular personality and they are both excellent. Thank God it was so easy to choose my oenologists as well as the grape producers I’d work with like my friend Felipe Llona. I have known him since back in the days of the Cock Fights. I know he is very professional and since I wanted an export quality Pisco, I said, who better than Felipe who exports his products and his grapes which are held to international standards, pesticide free”. The grapes come from the Cachiche region, from the San Fermín farm. Cecilia has no qualms about saying so either. “I say it openly; I don’t hide who my grape producer is”. This doesn’t mean that she leaves everything in the hands of the grape growers and the oenologists. “I trust them completely, but I like to participate with them every step of the making of the Pisco. Sometimes they don’t like that, but I’m still there anyway. At least they have accepted me. Juan is a bit more difficult to convince, but I adore him and we have a great relationship”. If one could define the oenological style of both, one could state that Mendiola has a traditional Ica style and Edwin on the other hand has a cosmopolitan technical style. “Others say that Edwin is more industrial and Juan is more hand crafted. What is true is that they have two very different opinions”. However, differences aside, she has been able to get both of them to share in her decision to stick to her particular purpose: Only use the “mosto yema” or top quality central portion of the distillation process, to make her Pisco. “Many tell me that I should use a press with wood, but I want to do it in a ‘purist way’ as you say”. She has also gotten them to agree to her other standard for Qollque: That the Piscos not go out for public consumption until at least one year of settling. “I wanted to release my 2006 Pisco in July of 2007, because July is the Pisco month, but I did not release it until August because, to me, it want ready till then”. A boutique spirit Aside from the proverbial wisdom of Mendiola and Landeo, Cecilia is counseled by other powerful voices from the Olympus of Pisco like Juanita or Guillermo Payet. “Each of them has given me their pearl of wisdom to produce this Pisco. Especially Juanita, whom I visit evenings while she goes over her segmentation. That is when I ask her for her secrets. From her, I’ve learned no to be mistrustful; If someone likes my formula, let them follow it. We Pisco producers are obligated to produce a super product to offer in the international market”. Here we should talk about the new Pisco category of a “boutique Pisco”. What we are really talking about here is wine terminology that has been imported. A boutique wine is that which is made at smaller wineries, with rigorously selected grapes, under very careful processes and in small quantities yet seeking excellence in quality, adhering to very high standards and directed at a refined, connoisseur and gourmand customers. “There are many ‘boutique Piscos’ even though they do not label them as such. It helps a lot that we have so many artisan cellars. A ‘boutique Piscos’ couldn’t compete with tequila because they would lack the volume. It is, rather, at the level of a cognac”. And varieties like the “Mosto Verde”, for example, raise Pisco to that premium level. “What you look for in a ‘boutique Pisco’ is that it offers all its sincerity, that it expresses the nature of the grape. This is why a one drinks a good Pisco pure”. Pisco with a skirt But beyond these innovations and concepts; Is it true that Piscos made by women are different from Piscos made by men? “It might be so, in my case I tend more towards the aromatic varieties. I like the aromatic Acholado very much. If it were up to me I would use 100% aromatic grapes, and some day I’ll do it, but my advisors haven’t let me so far. Maybe I’m thinking as if my clients were women. I tend to think that exports should be less Quebranta, but rather more of an aromatic variety because foreigners go for the aromas”. One can however, make the effort, be a ‘boutique Pisco’ from feminine hands, but that doesn’t mean that followers will fall from the heavens. Qollque had to come out with Cecilia, as she went out looking for palates avid to get to know it. “They would say to me, ‘Cecilia, get a promoter’, but I didn’t want one. I prefer to go myself, place the banners and check my decorations. I took up the serving platter and went from table to table with my Acholado, Quebranta and Italia varieties. There were women who said ‘I don’t drink Pisco’, but I insisted that they at least try it. As they smelled it, they were surprised. Then I’d say to them, ‘give it a little kiss’. They would drink it and they’d say, ‘it’s very pleasant’. A good Pisco, not just my Pisco, shouldn’t accost the nose or mouth. Many of these ladies have bought from me. Having them buy from me is not really what interests me, but rather that everyone know how Pisco is made, know that our niche is next to cognac, that our distilled spirit is the most natural one in the world. All distilled spirits from wine are aged in a barrel, but not Pisco; It’s a juice that you distil and you store it in a place where the flavors don’t change and you can enjoy it”.