Uruguay's Wine Country

Continuing with the theme of wines of Uruguay, here’s a listing of their wine producing regions and the overall wine grape planting percentages of each sub-region (which are also knows as “Departments”):

  • Northern Riverside (light brown regions): Artigas (0.1%), Salto (0.9%) and Paysandú (1.9%)

  • Southern Riverside (light purple regions): Rio Negro (<0.01%), Soriano (0.1%) and Colonia (5.1%)

  • Metropolitan (Yellow regions): San José (4.7%), Canelones (67%) and Montevideo (12%)

  • Northern (Green regions): Rivera (0.5%) and Tacuarembó (0.1%)

  • Central (Dark Brown regions): Durazno (0.3%), Florida (0.3%), Lavalleja (0.1%) and Treinta y Tres (<0.01%)

  • Oceanic (Blue regions): Rocha (0.3%) and Maldonado (7%)

As you can see by the percentages, the Metropolitan region accounts for nearly 84% of all grape plantings in Uruguay.

While there are many great cities to visit across the wine regions of Uruguay, here are three that are well worth a visit:

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.

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 20 years 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™ - Domaine Bousquet Ameri Wines

The fruit for the Bousquet Estate Vineyards was originally planted in 1998 on virgin terrain in the Uco Valley’s Alto Gualtallery zone at an altitude of about 4,125 feet. With its high-altitude wines recognized for their freshness, vibrant aromatics and fruit-forward qualities, Gualtallary is acquiring a reputation as a source of Mendoza’s and indeed Argentina’s finest quality wines.  

Named for co-owner Labid Al Ameri, Domaine Bousquet’s “Ameri” wines are only made in exceptional years and exclusively from selected grape clusters harvested from the estates’ best vineyard.

2020 Ameri Red Blend ($27)

Ameri Red Blend debuted with the 2011 vintage. Each bottle as been individually numbered since 2018. This wine is produced from 60% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, and 10% Merlot. It underwent a four-day cold maceration followed by a 14-day fermentation in oak with selected yeasts. This is followed by another 20-day maceration and malolactic conversion. Finally, it is aged 16 months in French oak before bottling and release. It is medium purple in color with soft aromas of dark fruit and cedar. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has good flavors of rich black and red fruits and finishes with nice sweet and spicy notes. (ABV: 14.5%, Total Acidity: 5.17 gm/L, pH: 3.68, Residual Sugar: 1.74 gm/L)

 2020 Ameri Malbec ($27)

The Ameri Malbec is a new development at Domaine Bousquet. It started with the 2019 vintage when Domaine Bousquet winemaker Rodrigo Serrano determined that the Ameri Red Blend component wines were presenting so well that the time had come to showcase them individually, starting with the Malbec. It is medium purple in color with pleasant aromas of black berry, plum and red fruit along with sweet tobacco. On the palate, this medium-full-bodied wine exhibits nice rich dark fruit flavors, medium tannin and acidity and finishes smooth, soft and lean with hints of cocoa. (ABV: 14.5%, Total Acidity: 5.25 gm/L, pH: 3.67, Residual Sugar: 1.91 gm/L)

Domaine Bousquet is making great wines from their vineyards in Argentina, but these two Ameri wine are yet another step-up in excellence. And, at these prices, these wines are a great fit as Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

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

Media Samples Provided by Domaine Bousquet, Origins Organic Imports and Creative Palate Communications

Tannat -- Uruguay's Flagship Grape for Wine Production

Photo by Jassy Onyae on Unsplash

Tannat is a red-wine grape that originally came from the Basque country, on the border between France and Spain. It is known for producing full-bodied wines with strong tannin and acidity. Today, it is Uruguay’s flagship grape amounting for 27% of its total wine grape production.

The Tannat vines growing in Uruguay, and throughout the Americas, are slightly different from those found in today’s French vineyards. This is because they are some of the oldest Tannat vines that are direct descendants of the pre-phylloxera cuttings shipped across the Atlantic in the 19th Century. The result is that Uruguayan Tannat is actually slightly lower in tannin than those still being grown in France.

Here are a few facts about Tannat in Uruguay:

  • Tannat was first planted in Uruguay in the 1870

  • Tannat is well-adapted to the soil type in Uruguay and its climate

  • Tannat is a relatively thick-skinned grape. This is beneficial in Uruguay due to the high humidity conditions during growing season

  • Tannat is thought to have been introduced to Uruguay by Don Pascual Harriague (1819-1984) who was a winegrower from the French Basque country. Tannat was originally referred to as Harriague (ar-rē-a-gāy) in Uruguay. He has since been honored on a postage stamp in Uruguay celebrating 200 years since his birth

  • Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon were cross-breed to create Arinarnoa which is being grown in Uruguay

  • Tannat can be blended with other grapes such as Viognier (stay tuned for this in an up-coming Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week feature!)

  • Tannat grapes are also being used to produce a wonderful rosé Vermouth (stay tuned for this in an up-coming Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week feature!)

As noted, some really super Tannat-based wines are being produced in Uruguay and will be featured as Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week in upcoming blogs. Until then, Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Muse Vineyards Petit Verdot

2020 Muse Vineyards Petit Verdot ($41)

Muse Vineyards is located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, just 90 minutes from Washington DC.

Muse Vineyards sits at an elevation of 1,000 feet and rests on Virginia shale and rocky red clay soils. The top vineyard sits on a terrace formed millions of years ago by the Shenandoah River that today flows one hundred feet below.

Muse’s proprietors are husband and wife, Robert Muse and Sally Cowal. Robert is an international lawyer who (as an Arizonan) trained as a barrister in England. Sally is a former United States ambassador who is now Senior Vice President of Global Cancer Control at the American Cancer Society. They established Muse Vineyards in 2005.

This Muse Vineyards Petit Verdot is produced from 100% Petit Verdot. It is deep ruby in color with a medium-high nose that includes black cherry and floral notes of violets and lilac. On the palate, this full-bodied wine is dry (13.5% ABV) with medium tannin and medium acidity, has rich dark fruit flavors and a nice spicy-jammy finish.

This 2020 Muse Vineyards Petit Verdot was a recent 4th place award winner in the Shenandoah Cup Awards. This is a very nice wine at a very affordable price which makes it a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

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

Media Sample Provided by Muse Vineyards via the Shenandoah Valley Wine Growers Association and Donna White Communications

An Overview of the Wines of 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

  • Even so, Uruguay is the 4th largest wine producer in South America

  • 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

  • Only 5% of the wines produced in Uruguay are exported. And, just under 20% of the exports are to the U.S. (i.e., ~1% of wines from Uruguay make it to the U.S.)

  • 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.

Look for upcoming Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week blogs featuring Tannat from some of the best wineries in Uruguay. Cheers!