Uruguay tours – Private city tours of Montevideo, Colonia & Punta del Este
When you want to experience the best of Uruguay’s most emblematic cities—with a guide genuinely excited to personalise the tour just for you.
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Incredibly one in every three bottles of wine produced in Uruguay is a Tannat.
So what does Uruguay’s flagship wine taste like? Here’s a guide to get you started. The wines were chosen by restauranteurs in Montevideo whose mission is to get their customers hooked on Uruguayan wines 🍷 This is advice worth following.
Wine-making began in Uruguay in the mid-seventeenth century. Vines were brought from Spain and people made their own wine at home. The first person to see wine production as a business opportunity was a Basque immigrant, Pascual Harriague. He planted a number of different varieties in 1870 in search of a varietal that would adapt well to Uruguay’s soil and climate.
The wine that proved most popular with his clients was a Tannat, a vine of French origin. In fact locals went crazy for Tannat. Harriague was awarded a national prize and less than a decade later, Tannat was so ubiquitous it had become THE wine consumed by Uruguayan citizens. Today one in every three bottles of wine produced in Uruguay is a Tannat.
A traditional Tannat is a full-bodied very dark red wine–sometimes so dark it can be deep violet, almost blue, in colour.
It tends to have aromas of very ripe red and black fruits, umami and spices. When aged, chocolate and tobacco appear. In the mouth, it can be astringent and tannic, but when aged, it becomes velvety and almost sweet.
Tannat coats your tongue and always goes well with red meat, cheeses and spicy foods. I think I learned to really appreciate tannat when I realised the importance of eating whilst sipping.
Several decades ago, before wine-making in Uruguay became more sophisticated, tannats got a reputation for being overly tannic. Today that’s far from the case. Uruguayan tannats are so varied– some are even perfect as an aperitif.
Wine writer W Blake Gray compares Uruguay tannat to Syrah for its variety. “Uruguay and Tannat really is the perfect mix of terroir — windy, humid, oceanic, cool for South America — and grape,” he says. “Uruguayan Tannat, in its purest form, is […] a food lover’s wine, a sommelier’s wine, a wine lover’s wine.”
We asked our trusted contacts at wine bistro Baco and Es Mercat (both stock these wines) to suggest some Tannats for a first-timer (and beyond):
For all you wine-loving gardeners out there, don’t miss this interesting article about how to grow plump wine grapes for a deep and complex homemade wine.
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Uruguay tours – Private city tours of Montevideo, Colonia & Punta del Este
When you want to experience the best of Uruguay’s most emblematic cities—with a guide genuinely excited to personalise the tour just for you.
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The Montevideo international airport is 15 miles from the city centre. You can take a taxi, shuttle or bus. The most common way is private transfer.
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A full half of all of the wineries in Uruguay are located in Canelones. These were founded often 4-5 generations ago by European immigrants.
Following a textbook harvest, experts and winemakers are heralding Uruguay wines of 2020 as some of the best in decades, reports sommelier Adriana Rossi.
One in three bottles of Uruguay wine is a Tannat. Yes, Uruguayans LOVE this red. Nowadays there’s a Tannat for every occasion. We celebrate the Top Tannats.
Join us as we parachute in on a virtual visit to a Uruguay wine-maker. Harvest is just ending and there’s some feel good news, it’s the BEST in 40 years.
The host of this brand new travel show fell in love with Montevideo. The wine, soccer, carnival, food… so many things to do.
Bodegas Garzón and Bouza have ranked #2 and #44 amongst the world’s top 50 wineries. What other wineries to visit when you’re in Uruguay?
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