With its temperate climate, Uruguay surprises with its colorful and tannic wines. The emblematic grape variety is the Tannat, which comes from Béarn.
Basques's
Influence
Viticulture appeared quite late in Uruguay, at the end of the 19th century.
At that time, many Basques, from France and Spain, had to escape the Spanish Civil War or run away from their country during the Second World War, and chose to settle in Uruguay.
The Basques brought with us their local grape varieties. And so began the cultivation of Tannat, which is the emblematic grape variety of southwestern France.
The warm and windy maritime climate of Uruguay is quite ideal to cultivate Tannat.
It allows producers to produce round and full-bodied fruity wines that can be drunk in their prime.
Today, Uruguayan producers are working on improving the quality of their wines, and on developing the dynamics of wine tourism, to make people discover the riches of their land.
Tannat
If Tannat is the most famous grape variety of Uruguay, the producers also use Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or Albariño to make wines.
10,000 ha
Uruguay is divided into six wine regions, with different soils and climates. But all are influenced by the Atlantic Ocean.
Also, the majority of the vineyards (60%) is located along “El rio de la Plata“, an immense river located on the border between Uruguay and Argentina, from which rise the famous cities of Montevideo and Colonia de Sacramento.
Further north, the province of Salto proudly exhibits vineyards whose wines are regularly awarded prizes in world competitions.
Extent of the vineyard
The Uruguayan vineyards extend over 10,000 hectares.
