Amber Rose Wines: An Independent Winemaking Story in Cafayate
Updated: Oct 14
In this interview, Terri Casey, www.caseyargentina.com, speaks with Amber Wiedenhoeft, an independent winemaker, sommelier, and entrepreneur based in Cafayate, Salta Province, Argentina. She is the founder and owner of the boutique label Amber Rose Wines.
Originally from the United States, Amber attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison, before pursuing professional wine education through the UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education program.
Before launching her own venture, she gained hands-on local experience in high-altitude, organic wines as a winemaking intern at Valsecchi Wines in Cafayate from 2020 to 2022.
She is an active figure in the local wine community as a member of the local professional winemaker’s association, CoProVi. She also serves as an expert guest evaluator alongside prominent regional oenologists for the final Enology and Gastronomy examinations at the UPATECO Sede Cafayate university.
Discovering Cafayate: A Winemaker's Journey
You completed wine education at UC Davis California. With the entire wine world open to you, what was it about the specific terroir—or the community—of Cafayate that made you decide to plant roots here permanently?
When I decided to shift my career from sommelier to winemaking, I knew I wanted to focus on natural and sustainable wines. I wanted wines made with minimal intervention. When I first came to Cafayate in 2019 to work the harvest with Agustín Lanus of Bad Brothers Wines, I quickly realized this was an extraordinary place to pursue that philosophy.
I was captivated by the landscape, but what truly convinced me was the quality and health of the grapes. The dry, high-altitude climate of the Calchaquí Valley creates conditions with low disease and pest pressure. This allows winemakers to work with exceptionally healthy fruit and make beautiful wines with less intervention.
The more time I spent here, the more I discovered. The Calchaquí Valley has incredible diversity in elevations, microclimates, and soil types. Each can bring something unique to the wines. There is also a deep winemaking history and a community full of talented, passionate people. At the same time, there is room for experimentation and for small producers to develop their ideas.
For me, Cafayate offered the combination I was looking for: extraordinary raw materials, a fascinating place to live, a strong yet close-knit wine community, and the chance to develop my own winemaking project. I came here because of the wine, but over time I formed relationships and a connection to the place that made me want to stay.
Overcoming Challenges in Winemaking
What was the steepest learning curve you faced when working hands-on in the extreme, high-altitude vineyards of the Calchaquí Valleys?
One of my biggest challenges has been learning how to proceed when something breaks. During the harvest, something always breaks. As a North American, I was used to running to the hardware store for a replacement part or waiting for an expert to repair key equipment. That is not always possible here in Cafayate; it’s a “pueblito,” isolated and resources aren’t always available. However, grapes during harvest cannot wait, so I learned quickly to be handy, adapt, and ask for advice.
During the 2025 harvest, I received new French oak barrels for my reserve Malbec. I carefully prepared them over several days to be ready for the wine. A week after filling the barrels, one sprung a leak. To complicate matters, the pump at the facility was broken, so we could not empty the barrel to fix it. I started asking my professional contacts for advice. Someone suggested using a cactus spine to plug the leak. The next morning, we foraged for cactus spines and repaired the leaky barrel with the spine of a local cardón cactus. To this day, the barrel holds wine perfectly.
Crafting Unique Wines
Salta is historically famous for heavy, high-alcohol reds and intensely floral whites. Your signature release is a fresh Malbec Rosé. What was your stylistic goal with this wine, and how do you harness Cafayate's intense sun without ending up with too much alcohol or losing crisp acidity?
My signature wine, Amber Rose Rosado, is 100% Malbec. It balances elegant burnt orange peel and mineral notes with a generous body. When I first created this wine, I envisioned a complex rosé that highlighted both the power and beauty of the Calchaquí Valley. It features ripe fruit notes but also restraint, making it perfect for lunch or a sunset.
This wine uses Malbec grapes grown in a pergola. This gives the grape clusters more shade, resulting in bigger berries and a little less concentrated color. After crushing the grapes, the juice spends a very short time in contact with the skins, causing the lovely pale color. I like using both concrete tanks and acacia barrels to highlight fruity aromas and give a round mouthfeel to the rosé.
Building a Brand in Cafayate
As an independent, small-batch producer working without massive estate resources, what are the creative logistics behind sourcing your fruit and managing production in a tight-knit valley like Cafayate?
Community is very important in Cafayate, especially for small wine producers. My success in sourcing fruit and managing production has come from developing relationships with many people inside and adjacent to the wine industry. There are many passionate and accomplished individuals from diverse backgrounds here. It has been crucial for me to talk to everyone, share my story, and explain my project. Small producers here thrive through their network of relationships. This can involve borrowing equipment, purchasing small quantities of supplies, or being introduced to other contacts.
Embracing Change in the Wine Community
Cafayate's wine scene is deeply rooted in multi-generational family legacies. As both an outsider and a woman building a brand from scratch, how would you describe the reception, collaboration, and support you’ve experienced within the local winemaking community?
When I first came to Cafayate in 2019 to work the harvest, I noticed very few women or foreigners in winemaking. Most women seemed to work in laboratories, tasting rooms, or bottling lines. Now, in 2026, there are many more women in wine. The professional winemaking schools, of which there are two in Cafayate, have at least half female students.
When I started my boutique wine project in 2023, I received a lot of interest but also caused confusion because I was not focused on the classic Calchaquí Valley style. My project has benefitted from curiosity and acceptance as the international wine market has shifted away from heavily aged, high-alcohol wines towards younger, lighter wines.
If you would like more information on options to participate in living life in such a special place as Cafayate, please contact me. With confidentiality and confidence, we can assist you in finding the right fit to enjoy this wonderful place and invest in the bright future there.
Email: caseyteresita1@gmail.com • Tel: +54 9 11 4145 6640
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