EXPLORING URUGUAY AND ITS WINE REGIONS

About the size of Washington State, Uruguay is a boutique wine country by all dimensions but that doesn’t mean it is heterogeneous — far from it. With over 99 different soil types to be found in the country, Uruguay has a rich tapestry of wine terroirs which each carry their own identity and story.

CANELONES & MALDONADO

With almost half of Uruguay’s population living in Montevideo, it’s no surprise that the main wine region developed at its doorstep — in the surrounding province of Canelones. Between Canelones and Montevideo lie 80% of Uruguay’s vineyards, which carpet the gentle undulating hills that surround the port and capital city.

Rich clay soils meant vineyards naturally thrived here and you’ll find a great diversity of varieties, reflecting the many different immigrant heritage stories of the wine families based here. From Nero d’Avola to Tempranillo, there are countless different varieties grown here where a mild coastal climate proffers fragrant white wines and structured but balanced red wines, including its renowned Tannat.

THE WESTERN COAST

Heading towards the west to where the River Plate joins Uruguay with neighbouring Argentina, lie Colonia and San José. First comes San José, where vineyards are planted between a network of rivers that pour out into the coast. Particularly notable are the vineyards planted on the schist outcrop of Sierra de Mahoma producing distinctive mineral wines.

At the far end of Uruguay’s western coast is Colonia, the province named after its handsome cobble-stoned capital Colonia del Sacramento. This pastoral region is home to Uruguay’s oldest winery, Los Cerros de San Juan, founded in 1854. The large estuary frames the province from the west and south creating a slightly warmer climate that best suits ripe, bold red wines. Some of the most sought-after wines from the region come from pebble and river rock soils, which extend up to the province of Soriano above.

INLAND URUGUAY

Further north and beyond the coastal belt, lie the inland wine regions of Uruguay including Durazno, Paysandu, Florida and Artigas. One of the best known inland regions is Salto, where Basque settler Pascual Harraigue became so well known for his Tannat wines that the variety was renamed after him. Another region making waves is Rivera, which kisses Brazil to the east, where deep, rich red soils are making age worthy red wines ranging from Nebbiolo to Pinot Noir.

THE EASTERN COAST

To Montevideo’s east, the coastal region of Maldonado has quickly shot to fame. With a slightly cooler coastal influence and poor, typically granite soils, the region has been propelled into the limelight not only for its fragrant and fresh Tannat but also for its mouthwatering Albariño. Maldonado is home to many of the newest wineries in Uruguay and a hub of innovation today. But exploration hasn’t stopped there, with new vineyards also emerging in Rocha and Lavalleja. Uruguay hasn’t finished drawing its wine map just yet.