Lima's wine calendar has a fixed point every October: Expovino Wong, the fair that has been pouring for Peruvian drinkers since 2004. The 23rd edition runs 15 to 17 October, bringing tastings, masterclasses, food and music under one roof — and a decent snapshot of how much Peru's wine culture has grown up.

The fair started life courtesy of supermarket chain Wong, holding its first edition at the Puericultorio Pérez Araníbar after earlier wine fairs run by the Club del Vino. Since then it has shuffled venues and steadily added ways to learn: an Aroma Tunnel, a dedicated pisco zone, a sparkling wine hall. A milestone came in 2009, when Peruvian wines entered the competition for the first time and Intipalka Chardonnay took gold — a signal that local bottles deserved a seat at the table.

Food has become half the draw. The 2014 "Maridajes Restaurant" concept paired chefs with sommeliers to build wine-matching menus, and during the virtual editions of 2020 and 2021 the fair partnered with heavyweight restaurants including Maido, Astrid y Gastón and Isolina. This year's food lineup spans Maido, Tori, Entre Migas, Pánguche, El Hornero and Wong Bistró, so visitors can work out their own pairings rather than sit through theory.

There's a collector's angle too. Since 2023 the fair has commissioned an exclusive wine with a guest winery — Rutini, then Ernesto Catena Vineyards and Mascota. The current release is a 2021 Tempranillo from Spain's Ribera del Duero, aged 12 months in oak with a label signed by winemaker María Magdalena Bonilla; Spain's Bodegas Protos takes over the collaboration in 2026.

Two touches signal where the fair is heading: it now pours alcohol-free wines alongside the usual list, and the food-forward format deliberately strips out the snobbery that puts newer drinkers off. The honest pitch is practical — come away knowing what you like, having tasted the same grape from different regions side by side.

Worth knowing before you go: entry is invitation and registration only, strictly 18-plus, and you'll need your QR-coded ticket plus the ID you registered with. Tastings require buying the official event glass, and masterclasses have limited seats with separate sign-up.

For travellers in Lima that week, it's a rare chance to taste Peruvian labels like Intipalka next to international names, calibrate your palate, and pick up bottles worth cellaring — with some of the country's best restaurants a few steps away.