Some Places to Consider Visiting in Uruguay's Wine Country

Continuing with the theme of wines in Uruguay, here’s some excellent material provided by in a recent “Uruguay Wine 101 Webinar” facilitated Creative Palate Communications and hosted by the following individuals:

• Buenos Aires-based Joaquin Hidalgo, South American editor at Vinous and weekly wine columnist at Argentina’s leading newspaper

• Martina Litta, Foreign Trade Manager for the National Wine Institute of Uruguay (INAVI), with specific responsibility for heading up Uruguay Wine, dedicated to the promotion of Uruguayan wines abroad

When considering a trip to Uruguayan wine country, one ought to include some or all of the following cities in their itineraries, all located in southern Uruguay:

MONTEVIDEO

The capital city of Uruguay is also the epicenter of viticultural gastronomy. The metropolitan area contains two thirds of the country’s vineyards, making it easy to visit some of the country’s most fabled wineries from here.

In the Ciudad Vieja (old city), a walk through the pedestrian district, from the Cabildo de Montevideo to Plaza Zabala, is an excellent introduction to historic Montevideo, within what was the walled city built in 1724. The port market a few blocks away is an excellent place to enjoy lunch. La Rambla, which runs along the edge of the city, offers another perspective on the life that bustles within, especially between Parque Rodó and Punta Carretas. At sunset, the pink granite of the walk lights up to create an enchanting atmosphere for Montevideans to begin their evening. Pocitos and the surrounding area is a great place to enjoy dinner. Wineries worth visiting include the classic Carrau, and the more modern Bouza and Pizzorno Winery. A little further away, in Juanicó, one finds Familia Deicas/Establecimiento Juanicó, one of Uruguay’s most historic wineries.

PUNTA DEL ESTE

The most famous city in Maldonado is also an obligatory stop on the wine tour. A couple of Punta del Este’s major attractions, along with the avant-garde architecture of its hotels, are two different versions of the sea: a calm one, found at a long beach stretching to the west along the Río de la Plata, with barely perceptible waves, and a wilder incarnation that runs north along the Atlantic shore. José Ignacio is a lovely town to visit along this coast. Inland, down rural roads, one finds wineries set in the hilly, sierra landscape. Wineries worth visiting include Garzón, Alto de la Ballena, Bodega Oceánica, and Viña Edén. In addition, there is Bracco Bosca in the Canelones region on the way to Punta del Este in Atlántida. All were founded within the last 20years and make wines for export. The newest winery is Cerro del Toro in Piriápol is in the Maldonado region.

COLONIA

Colonia del Sacramento is the capital city of the Department of Colonia and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. With its colonial architecture, cobbled streets, and tiled roofs, it doesn’t look too different to when it was founded back in 1680 on the shore of the Río de la Plata. Several wine and cheese makers are located in the surrounding area. Los Cerros de San Juan, the oldest winery in Uruguay, was founded in 1854 and is fifteen minutes away on the road to Carmelo. Housed in a recently refurbished stone building, its pulpería (seafood) restaurant is a journey into the past. Carmelo, meanwhile, is a peaceful town at the mouth of the River Uruguay. It boasts old vineyards, as well as more modern ones, along with luxury hotels and several country inns. The wineries aren’t too far away and can be visited by bicycle, except for Narbona, which is a little more remote. Campotinto, Almacén de la Bodega Cordano and El Legado are small, family-run wineries that have appeared in recent years. Familia Irurtia, in contrast, has a more industrial past that it is now looking to revive.

Behind the Cork™ - Basta Spirit Vermut Flores Rosé

Basta Spirit Vermut Flores Rosé ($16)

In a little bit of a ‘twist’ this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week is a vermouth, from Uruguay.

As was noted in a previous blog, vermouth is actually a wine - a fortified wine. And, it’s infused with a mixture of botanical products including fruits, herbs, spices and roots. After the wine is aromatized and fortified, the Vermouth may be bottled dry, or sweeteners such as sugar may be added to create the sweet style of Vermouth, like this one.

This Basta Spirit Flores Rosé vermouth is from Uruguay and is made from Tannat grapes that are pressed and left in brief contact with the skins to create a rosé. It’s 27 different botanicals include roots, barks, herbs, fruit and flowers such as rose, hops, chamomile and elder-flower.

It is sweet to the taste and makes for a refreshing cocktail when served over ice with tonic water, a slice of lemon and olives (as shown) or as a spritz with sparkling wine and a slice of orange. One way or another, this Basta Spirit Flores Rosé makes for a delightfully refreshing drink. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Basta Spirit via Creative Palate Communications

The Five Distinct Terroirs in Six Areas of Uruguay

Image from Creative Palate Communications (Used with Permission)

In Uruguay, the combination of three soil types (clay mixed with different original materials) and its relative proximity to the sea have created six distinct wine making regions:

Northern Shore (Light Tan): This terroir spans the departments of Artigas, Paysandú and Salto along the shore of the Uruguay River. This is a continental terroir, with a temperature range between day and night of up to 20 degrees, and high relative humidity. The soils range from river bed gravel to calcareous clay, with varying amounts of lime and sand. The Northern Shore region accounts for just under 3% of total surface area under vine at 408 acres.

Southern Shore (Burgundy). This region includes Colonia, Río Negro, and Soriano where the influence of the Uruguay River can be seen in the sedimentary soils of Carmelo while the San Juan River has created rockier ones. This region accounts for 5.2% of the area under vine in Uruguay.

Metropolitan (Yellow): This region is made up of San José, Canelones, and Montevideo. It houses two-thirds of the country’s wineries and boasts 83.4% of total surface area under vine at 12,076acres. The greatest determinant of the soils is the Río de La Plata, while the climate is maritime. The deep, clay soils also feature strips of pink granite and make for a terroir well-suited to growing Tannat. Due to the region’s long history, this is where the country’s other classic varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, are grown.

Oceanic (Blue): The region includes Maldonado and Rocha. However, only the former is of importance, with 7.3% or 1,053acres under vine, while Rocha accounts for just 0.3% with47 acres. In this region, the changing orography (topographic relief of mountains) is important, with the Sierra de la Ballena reaching a height of 1,600 feet above sea level and contributing a mixture of granite and ballast to the soils, while the climate is oceanic. White grape varieties dominate here.

Center (Dark Brown): Here, Durazno, Florida, and Lavalleja are the most relevant in terms of area under vine, although they still only account for 0.7% of the total with 109acres. The soil and climate are similar to that of the Metropolitan area.

North (Green): Rivera and Tacuarembó comprise this region with vineyards here that are planted in different geological formations rich in iron. The climate is continental, with significant temperature ranges and the area experiences more hours of sunlight than elsewhere in Uruguay. Cerro Chapeu, which is 720 feet above sea level and borders Uruguay, is an area where sugars and color tend to be more concentrated. In all, it has 84aces of vines, or 0.6% of the total.

So, there’s a top-level summary of the various wine-growing regions of Uruguay. See more on Uruguay’s Tannat and White Wines and stay tuned for additional wines to be featured from Uruguay. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - A Couple of Delicious White Wines from Uruguay

Bordered by the Uruguay River, the Río de la Plata, and the Atlantic Ocean, Uruguay today boasts 180 wineries, most of them family-owned, that between them produce 10 million cases of wine annually.

Uruguayan’s tend to prefer reds and over the last 30 years Uruguayan wine has become synonymous with Tannat. But, given the country’s oceanic climate, white wines influenced by the sea are now also beginning to attract attention as producers new and old look to venture into new territory. Uruguay is beginning to produce a growing range of flavors to tempt curious drinkers.

Here are two fine examples of delicious white wines from Uruguay:

2022 BraccoBosca Ombú Moscatel ($16)

The Ombú is a native tree of South America. On their winery, there is one Ombú tree where the previous landowners used to hide golden coins. So, the family that owns the winery has always thought there is treasure buried there. But, actually, they believe the real treasure is the vineyard where they produce this exclusive wine. This Wine is made from 100% dry Moscatel. It is pale straw in color with green highlights. On the nose it has medium-intensity notes of citrus, pear and sweet notes of honey. On the palate it is light bodied, with flavors of apricot, mandarin Orange and honey, Although it is not really sweet, it does have slight sweet flavor on the finish. (13% ABV)

2022 Marichal Sauvignon Blanc ($14)

This wine is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Etchevarrîa, Canelones which is located just 25 km from the Rio de la Plata. The vineyards are divided into two parcels, one that is 8 years old and the other that is 22 years old. The wine was manually harvested and fermented for 15 days without malolactic fermentation or oak aging. It is medium straw in color with aromas of grass, melon and herbs. On the palate it is medium-bodied with fresh citrus flavor and a hint of tartness to go along with the refreshing acidity. (12.7% ABV)

Both of these white wines from Uruguay are nice examples of the quality and affordability of wines coming from their country. These are great examples of wines that fit right in as Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by the noted wineries via Creative Palate Communications

Some Facts about Wines from Uruguay

Uruguay is home to a proud winemaking tradition in an unusual location, and a far cry from the desert-and Andes-dominated landscapes associated with most vineyard regions in the South America continent.

• Uruguay means “river of the painted birds” in the indigenous Guarani language

• In Uruguay, the dominant factor is the Atlantic Ocean, whose winds, storms, and tides ensure a cool climate.

• Uruguay is about the same size as the U.S. state of Wisconsin and its population of 3.5 million is roughly that of Connecticut. In terms of planted vineyards (14,804 acres), it’s a little smaller than Alexander Valley in California’s Sonoma Valley.

• In terms of worldwide production of Tannat (tahn-naht), Uruguay is second only to France. And, in Uruguay, Tannat accounts for 27% of vineyard plantings.

  • In Uruguay, Tannat is also known as Harriague (Ha-ree-AH-gay), surname of the first producer to plant it in the country

• Other principal grape varieties include:

  • Reds: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

  • Whites: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Albariño

• There are 180 active wineries

• The oldest winery in Uruguay dates back to 1854 and is called Los Cerros de San Juan

• Most wineries are family businesses with many now in the 3rd and 4th generations

• Today, Uruguay has a dual character: on the one hand it continues to produce in a traditional style to suit local tastes, with Tannat dominating the scene. On the other, alternative and innovative styles, such as sparkling whites and much lighter reds are appearing

Next time, we’ll take a look at the five distinct terroirs located in six separate areas of Uruguay. Until then, Cheers!