1 Tannat
This thick-skinned, deeply coloured grape variety first arrived in Uruguay from Spain's northerly Basque country in the 1870s. Today it accounts for a quarter of Uruguay's vineyard plantings and is the undisputed king of Uruguayan wine.
Tannat is one of the world's most tannic varieties and nowhere else has mastered it quite like Uruguay. Local winemakers have honed their skills - in both vineyard and winery - to manage these feisty tannins, producing wines of distinction and approachability.
The different regional expressions of Tannat offer an insightful guide to Uruguayan terroir: from the riper, more silky wines of Rivera to the spicier, more refreshing iterations of Maldonado, through to the bolder, more structured Tannat wines of Canelones. There's a surprising variation of styles to discover, too: from unoaked to well-oaked, red to rosé even sweet and sparkling Tannat wines!
2 Its progressive attitude
Uruguay's standing in South America has often been likened to that of Switzerland in Europe - not only because of its relative affluence, but also for its progressive politics and liberal society. Uruguay has one of the highest literacy rates in the Americas, at above 99%, and each child in the country is provided with their own laptop by the state to ensure equal opportunities in learning and computer literacy. It was also the first country in the world to legalise cannabis, the first in South America to legalise abortion and one of the first to allow same-sex marriage.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2024 de Decanter.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2024 de Decanter.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
A Resource for the World? - Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation's borders
Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation’s borders
Great Cabernets of South America
Other varieties may hog the limelight across South America, but the world’s most popular grape for red wines has played a critical role in the continent's wine heritage. We trace Cabernet Sauvignon’s story here, and recommend 16 benchmark wines to try
PROVENCE by train and bike
With rail links to Paris, Nice, Marseilles and beyond, a vast network of cycle paths and quiet roads, and a plethora of historic wine estates, Provence is an ideal destination for an eco-friendly, car-free and carefree) holiday
IN THE MIX
These days most of the world’s vineyards are planted to just a single variety, but what happens when multiple varieties are planted, harvested and blended together?
Malvasia A BUYER'S GUIDE
If ever a grape was hard to pin down, it'd be Malvasia. Indeed it’s not even a single grape variety. In all of its many varied, and often completely unrelated guises, it has been the mainstay of popular wine styles across the centuries. Our expert takes a closer look...
RIBERA ADOPTS THE NEW OLD WAYS
It’s not so much a new direction for winemakers in Ribera del Duero, but a growing recognition that traditional methods and wine styles set aside by the previous generation can now provide a way ahead to revitalise the region
Roussanne around the world
Up for a challenge? For winemakers as much as wine drinkers, getting a handle on a mercurial grape such as Roussanne isn't easy. But wherever it's grown, when the balance is right, it truly repays the effort
Napa Cabernet 2021
There's a lot of excitement about this vintage, in which conditions were relatively calm and temperatures stable through summer. Ongoing drought reduced yields but intensified flavours, but it means quantities are down and you may need to act fast to secure top wines. Our Napa correspondent selects 60 great wines from more than 500 that he tasted, with many very high scores
10 reason to discover Uruguay
Squeezed between Brazil and Argentina on the Atlantic coast, Uruguay has mostly flown under the tourist radar - until now. Once dubbed 'the Switzerland of the Americas', it's a welcoming country that has much to offer the travelling wine lover
Leo Erazo
The old vines and special terroir of Itata, southern Chile, have beena source of inspiration for this intrepid winemaker. The 2023 fires were a setback, but his commitment to this ancient wine land is undiminished
