"The beautiful country of Uruguay sits in the Southeastern part of South America with its capital being Montevideo. Uruguay sits in the Southern Hemisphere between the parallels 30 and 35 S, giving it an ideal geographical location to produce wine. This is also the case for other wine-producing countries such as Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Take its location, a fairl
y moderate climate, and its rich clay-based soils, and you have very favorable grape-growing conditions. Uruguayan wines are grown in the purest environment in the Southern Hemisphere and Uruguay is the third purest natural ecosystem in the world. Tannat is Uruguay’s flagship grape. Tannat is to Uruguay as Malbec is to Argentina. You will often find Tannat blended with other red wine varieties such as Merlot and Syrah or it is perfect on its own. The climate and soil of Uruguay is ideal for growing Tannat. This red wine varietal is intense in color and produces wines with great complexity and body which are very well suited for hearty meat dishes. Many Uruguayan winemakers use oak barrels to age the wine to provide a softer tannic structure to the wine. Tannat is a very versatile and food-friendly wine. Tannat is not the only wine variety you will find in Uruguay. Uruguay is also producing an abundance of other varieties with excellent results such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah for the reds. For the whites, you will find Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, and Chardonnay; all food-friendly and complex. Uruguay is home to approximately 270 wineries or “Bodegas” in Spanish. During our lunch at the Wine Bloggers Conference, we had an opportunity to taste wines from different producers and pair them with our lunch. I tasted a couple of standout wines from Artesana Vineyards and Bodega Bouza." Monica in "Fabulous World of Wine"
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Fan page! Want to learn more, share your piece on it or give your opinion about Uruguayan wines in the world? That is the right place for you! (no commercial purpose here, just sharing info! For more official information on Uruguay wines, please check INAVI´s page at www.winesofuruguay.com)
