Wine Made From Big-Bottomed Ants

Sao Moro, the creator of El Cacaotal in San Vicente de Chucuri, Santander, has developed wines made from avocado, cacao, and coffee and has now added one made with hormiga culona, the large-bodied ant traditionally eaten in the department.

The new wine took about a year to develop before Moro presented it publicly in Zapatoca in January 2026. It follows his earlier work with avocado wine, the product that brought visitors from Colombia and abroad to his venture in the mountains of Santander.

Moro will present the wines in Bucaramanga during two September events, taking the products from his hometown to the capital of the department.

The avocado wine that opened the way

Sao Moro began the El Cacaotal venture in 2021. He started with an artisanal ice-cream business before experimenting with milkshakes, desserts and, eventually, wines made from local ingredients.

San Vicente de Chucurí was a natural setting for that work. The municipality, founded in 1876, is known for cacao production, with coffee and avocado also forming part of its agricultural economy. It lies roughly 80 kilometers from Bucaramanga by road.

Moro is self-taught and has no formal training as an oenologist or chef. His early wine experiments included cacao, coffee, and avocado. The avocado version became the best-known of the group and attracted foreign visitors who traveled to San Vicente de Chucurí to try it.

Avocado presented a technical problem that does not arise in the same way with grapes. The fruit contains fat, so Moro developed a process to remove it, while antioxidant treatment helps prevent the beverage from deteriorating. The resulting wine has an alcohol content of about 11.2%.

Visitors from France, Italy, the Netherlands, Mexico and Spain have tried the wine. In January 2025, small quantities had also reached Spain, the United States and Mexico, although larger-scale commercialization in Colombia was still awaiting regulatory approval at that time.

The experience with avocado established the basis for working with other ingredients and eventually led Moro to a product with a very different cultural history.

From a traditional food to a new kind of drink

Hormiga culona has been part of Santander’s food traditions for generations. The name translates literally as “big-bottomed ant,” referring to the insect’s conspicuously large abdomen.

The ants associated with the tradition are winged reproductive females of leaf-cutter ants. They leave their colonies during a seasonal reproductive flight, when they mate and establish new colonies. In Santander, people traditionally collect them during this period, remove their wings, and roast them with salt.

That seasonal custom gives the ingredient a place beyond ordinary agriculture. It is one of the foods most closely associated with Santander’s regional identity.

Moro spent about a year developing the wine before presenting it at fairs in Zapatoca in January 2026. The product was tested over time to evaluate its stability and evolution during storage before its public launch.

Zapatoca also has a particular connection to the ingredient. The municipality is one of the places in Santander where the consumption of hormiga culona is deeply rooted, making it a fitting location for the first public presentation of a beverage built around it.

The new wine adds the ant to a business that had previously worked with fruits, seeds, and other agricultural products. Instead of presenting hormiga culona in its customary roasted form, Moro has incorporated it into an alcoholic beverage.

What El Cacaotal makes beyond wine

Wine is only one part of El Cacaotal. The venture also produces creams, chocolates, ice cream, milkshakes and beers.

Its chocolate products include pieces made with 70% cacao and filled with hormiga culona. The combination places the insect in a familiar confectionery format while retaining an ingredient associated with Santander’s culinary traditions.

The broader range grew from the same food business Moro established before beginning his wine experiments. That earlier experience gave him a base for developing products in different formats rather than concentrating the venture on a single beverage.

San Vicente de Chucurí remains the center of the operation. Its agricultural identity is closely tied to cacao, coffee and avocado, while the surrounding municipalities contribute other foods and traditions that form part of Santander’s distinctive cuisine.

Moro will take the products to Bucaramanga in September. BucaraFest, organized by the Bucaramanga Institute of Culture and Tourism (IMCT), will take place Sept. 10–13 at Plaza Cívica Luis Carlos Galan Sarmiento and Parque Garcia Rovira.

The events will feature wines made from hormiga culona, avocado, cacao, and coffee, bringing El Cacaotal’s products from San Vicente de Chucurí to a wider audience.