Patricio Tapia
‘The place reminded me of Rías Baixas, with a very rainy climate’
The parents of Juan Bouza, owner of Bodega Bouza, settled in Uruguay in 1954. They were among the last waves of immigration from Galicia – the migratory flows that had begun almost a century ago from spain’s rainy northwest coast, and which have had such a strong influence in Uruguayan society. a strong influence in retail, commerce, transport and the food industry, yes, but not in wine.
The spark that started the Uruguayan wine fire came from france and pascual harriague from the Basque country, who is considered responsible for having brought over the Tannat grape to Uruguay in the mid-19th century. Today, Tannat is the country’s most important variety, with just over a quarter of the 6,745ha (hectares) under vine.
With so much Galician influence, plus an atlantic climate – one of the freshest and rainiest in south america – you’d think the key white grape in Uruguay would be albariño. But no: sauvignon Blanc is the white variety that, until now, had given the best results. according to official figures, there are just 44.5ha of albariño planted, and only a handful of producers making it. But the results have been so promising that it’s easy to imagine a bright future. In the 2016 Decanter World Wine awards, Bodega Garzón received a silver medal for its reserva albariño 2015, while this year that same wine in its 2016 vintage won platinum – a historic result for Uruguay.
The pioneer of albariño in Uruguay, however, is Bodega Bouza, which released the country’s first albariño in 2004. ‘Beyond our Galician roots, we thought that if albariño worked well in Galicia, where it rains a lot, it would probably work well in Uruguay, especially if we were careful to protect the grape from the sun, as we have more sunshine here,’ says Juan Bouza.
only 300 bottles were produced from that first vintage, but Bouza was happy with the results, so it has since become part of its range. Depending on the year, Bouza’s style changes radically. a rainy year like 2015, for example, produces a crunchy wine with tense acidity and those mineral notes that the albariños of Galicia – especially those of rías Baixas – tend to have, whereas in warmer and drier years such as 2016, you’ll find the unctuousness and creaminess reminiscent of Galician albariños produced inland.
When Italian consultant alberto antonini arrived in Uruguay, he also thought of Galicia. ‘The place reminded me of rías Baixas, with its granitic soils and proximity to the atlantic ocean, with a very rainy climate and a refreshing breeze,’ says antonini, who has worked with Bodegas Garzón since 2007.
on the undulating slopes of Garzón, about 18km from the sea, the winery has about 34ha of albariño – 75% of the country’s plantings. Two wines are made: the first, a platinum Best in Category winner at the 2017 DWWa, is a selection of all those vineyards and produces 130,000 bottles of a creamy, seductive example of the grape, while the single Vineyard comes from a south-facing hill of small micro-plots; a cooler orientation that only gets the morning sun, which explains its freshness and crisp acidity.
The excellent results from both Garzón and Bouza, plus the advantageous climate and the help of foreign consultants, have encouraged others to experiment with albariño, such as Caperuza, Casa Grande and Mataojo – each of them a small project (like almost all wineries in Uruguay), which have also been inspired by the country’s Galician heritage. The best examples of albariño in south america have been produced here since the 1990s, and there is no doubt that an increase in plantings, investment and interest in this grape from new producers and wine lovers alike will ensure Uruguay remains its adopted home.
It may be fickle, but the characterful, tannic french red grape Tannat is the undisputed king of wines in Uruguay; but for whites, albariño is certainly the popular and easy-tolove spanish queen.