{
  "id": 6282305,
  "title": "Colombian Winemaker Creates Wine From Santander’s Famous Big-Ass Ants",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/colombian-winemaker-creates-wine-from-santanders-famous-big-ass-ants",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-08T13:09:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/08/from-coffee-avocado-wine/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sao Moro, a self-taught winemaker from Santander, Colombia, has created a unique wine using hormiga culona, the large-bodied ants traditionally consumed in the region. This innovative wine took roughly a year to develop before its public debut in January 2026 in Zapatoca. Moro's venture, known as El Cacaotal, began in 2021 with an artisanal ice-cream business, eventually expanding to include wines made from avocado, cacao, and coffee. The avocado wine proved particularly popular, drawing visitors from around the world. Hormiga culona, known as \"big-bottomed ant,\" is a cultural delicacy in Santander, collected during a seasonal flight of winged reproductive females of leaf-cutter ants. Moro spent about a year perfecting the winemaking process, testing the product for stability and flavor before its official launch. The new wine joins a diverse lineup of El Cacaotal products, including creams, chocolates, ice cream, milkshakes, and beers, all showcasing local ingredients and flavors. The business is based in San Vicente de Chucurí, a municipality renowned for its cacao, coffee, and avocado production, and serves as a hub for Santander's distinctive culinary traditions. El Cacaotal will showcase its hormiga culona wine at BucaraFest in Bucaramanga from September 10-13, offering a taste of this innovative product to a wider audience.",
  "summary": "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 […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}