The Cafayate wine route is not a formal itinerary so much as a collection of bodegas spread along the valley roads around the town. Most are within cycling distance of the plaza. The key names are El Esteco, Etchart, Nanni, Vasija Secreta, Piattelli, and Domingo Molina — each producing a distinct take on the Torrontés varietal and, increasingly, interesting Malbec and Cabernet at high altitude.
Picking up a walking or cycling map from the tourist office on the plaza and calling in at three or four bodegas in a morning is the standard approach. Most offer free or very low-cost tastings, and all sell wine at prices that seem impossibly low once you are back at an airport. The afternoon heat argues for doing bodegas in the morning and saving the quebrada drives for late afternoon.