Uruguay wine is produced in limited quantities and reflects the specificities of the terroir, the characteristics of the varietal and the personality of the winemaker
Uruguay means the ‘River of Painted Birds’, a name it owes to its vast abundance of numerous species of birds and its many rivers. The country is known for its natural beauty, beach towns, colonial influence, friendly locals and an overall laid-back atmosphere. Uruguay was named ‘Country of the year’ by The Economist in 2013 thanks to its stable economy and numerous developing industries.
One such developing industry in the country is the wine industry. Uruguay wine is now being seeing as a formidable player on the wine market of South America. Uruguay wine is produced in limited quantities and reflects the specificities of the terroir, the characteristics of the varietal and the personality of the winemaker. The wineries in Uruguay are fewer than in Chile and Argentina, and are mostly family-owned and operated. For these wineries, wine-making is a sacred tradition that has been passed on from one generation to another.
Many vineyards are located surrounding the capital of Montevideo. Some of the best Uruguayan wines are produced in the region of Canelones, a few miles north of the capital city. The chic beach town of Punta del Este harbors the stunning wine region of Maldonado which produces some celebrated Uruguayan wines.
Uruguayan red wine is extremely popular thanks to its flagship grape variety: Tannat. Tannat is the grape Uruguay uses the most in its wine-production. It was brought to this country by the settlers from the Basque region, as this variety originated in the south-west of France. Today, many local wineries produce this famous Uruguayan red wine and offer you some interesting tasting sessions as well. Apart from this grape, Uruguay also produces other international grape varieties including Albariño, a varietal commonly associated with Spain.
‘The Wine Road’ is a wine route running along the country-side, which will acquaint you with some of the finest wineries in the country. These wineries aim to welcome you for cellar visits, guided wine-tasting and food-pairing tours as well as other gourmet and recreational wine activities. This wine route will also see a number of wine events and festival all throughout the year where you will get to taste the best Uruguayan wines.
From internationally-acclaimed wine-makers to small local wine producers, the possibilities are endless while choosing a winery to visit to taste the best Uruguayan wines. To help you out, we can find our selection of wineries and the activities they offer below or you can plan a tailor-made wine holiday in Uruguay with the help of our local travel expert!
