The presence of native peoples that dwelled in
Valle de Uco long before Christ has been confirmed. Petroglyphs found in the area give evidence of their lifestyle: they devoted their life to agriculture and hunting, taking advantage of what the region had to offer. Back in the sixteenth century, the arrival of the Spanish conquerors from Chilean and Peruvian lands represented the first explorations in the territory inhabited by docile and hard-working families known as the Huarpes. The word "Uco" comes from those days, which refers to the name of chief Cuco, which stands for water spring, an essential element in the area. One century later, the Jesuit priests settled down in the valley. They were the first organized people and founded
Curato de Uco, thus starting the evangelization process. General José de San Martín ruled over Cuyo in
Mendoza from 1814 to 1816, while he made all arrangements to cross the Andes and free Chile and Peru. He met with local natives on several occasions before the liberating expedition. Likewise, he met with Argentinian military man Manuel de Olazábal upon his return to his native land through El Portillo Pass, today known as
Manzano Histórico (Historical Apple Tree). In turn, the history of wine-growing in the region has its own referents. In the 1880s, Juan Giol, Bautista Gargantini and Pascual Toso arrived from Europe and became partners to devote their lives to wine-making. These three famed surnames started San Polo Winery and Vineyards early in 1930 and are flattered to count five generations of winemakers to this day. The building housing La Consulta Winery dates from 1890 and is considered the oldest in the district. Wine-making processes have changed radically since the early days. Today, premium and export wines are made using high technology during all the process stages. Long hours of sunshine and plenty of water has come downhill for ages. That combination is part of the cultural baggage of the Valley of Uco.