Some Facts about Wines from Uruguay

Uruguay is home to a proud winemaking tradition in an unusual location, and a far cry from the desert-and Andes-dominated landscapes associated with most vineyard regions in the South America continent.

  • Uruguay means “river of the painted birds” in the indigenous Guarani language

  • In Uruguay, the dominant factor is the Atlantic Ocean, whose winds, storms, and tides ensure a cool climate.

  • Uruguay is about the same size as the U.S. state of Wisconsin and its population of 3.5 million is roughly that of Connecticut. In terms of planted vineyards (14,804 acres), it’s a little smaller than Alexander Valley in California’s Sonoma Valley.

  • In terms of worldwide production of Tannat (tahn-naht), Uruguay is second only to France. And, in Uruguay, Tannat accounts for 27% of vineyard plantings.

    • In Uruguay, Tannat is also known as Harriague (Ha-ree-AH-gay), surname of the first producer to plant it in the country

  • Other principal grape varieties include:

    • Reds: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

    • Whites: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Albariño

  • There are 180 active wineries

  • The oldest winery in Uruguay dates back to 1854 and is called Los Cerros de San Juan

  • Most wineries are family businesses with many now in the 3rd and 4th generations

  • Today, Uruguay has a dual character: on the one hand it continues to produce in a traditional style to suit local tastes, with Tannat dominating the scene. On the other, alternative and innovative styles, such as sparkling whites and much lighter reds are appearing

Next time, we’ll take a look at the five distinct terroirs located in six separate areas of Uruguay. Until then, Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Three Tannat Wines from Uruguay

Uruguay is home to a proud winemaking tradition in an unusual location, and a far cry from the desert-and Andes-dominated landscapes associated with most vineyard regions in the South America continent. In Uruguay, the dominant factor is the Atlantic Ocean, whose winds, storms, and tides ensure a cool climate.

Uruguay is about the same size as the U.S. state of Wisconsin and its population of 3.5 million is roughly that of Connecticut. In terms of planted vineyards (14,804 acres), it’s a little smaller than Alexander Valley in California’s Sonoma Valley.

In terms of worldwide production of Tannat, Uruguay is second only to France. And, in Uruguay, Tannat accounts for 27% of vineyard plantings.

Here are three fine examples of Tannat from Uruguay:

2018 Pisano RPF Tannat Family Personal Reserve ($24): Made from 100% Tannat, this RPF (Reserva Personal de la Familia) was originally created with the aim of preserving very limited quantities of their best wines for the personal consumption of the Family. Today it represents their most exclusive and prestigious wines. It is medium purple in color with aromas of red and black fruits. On the palate it has rich black cherry, plum and raspberry notes. It is full-bodied with firm tannin and medium acidity. It was decanted more than an hour before serving.

2020 Giménez Méndez Alta Reserva Tannat ($18): This 100% Tannat that was planted in 1995. The grapes are hand harvest and hand selected, destemming and crushing. It underwent pre-fermentation maceration for six days before fermentation for 12 to 15 days. Post maceration during 8 days to optimize the color, flavor and tannin. It was then aged for nine months in American and French oak. Finally, a blend is produced with wines of the same variety obtained from different plots. It is deep purple in color with aromas of dark stone fruit and black cherry. On the palate it is full-bodied with rich plum and prune flavors along with smoky tobacco flavors from the nine months of aging in French and American oak. It has medium tannin and medium-high acidity. It was decanted more than an hour before serving.

2019 Montes Toscanini Gran Tannat Premium ($59): The harvest of these Tannat grapes is 100% by hand. Once they are in the tank, the maceration lasts more than 22 days while undergoing intense pumping over on skins and seeds. This Gran Tannat undergoes malolactic fermentation and is then left to rest in concrete vats to undergo natural clarification and stabilization. It was then aged in the best oak barrels in the winery for 18 months before going through a period of aging in the bottle. It is deep purple in color with aromas of red and black fruits with a floral hint. On the palate it is rich and complex with a great depth of character with delicious dark fruit flavors and vanilla. It was decanted more than an hour before serving.

If you are not familiar with the wines of Uruguay you should consider trying a few. They are making very nice wines of good quality at very affordable prices. That make these three Tannats a great fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Look for more great wines from Uruguay in upcoming features. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by the noted wineries via Creative Palate Communications

Some Fun Facts about Winery AVAs

Last time we looked at American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) and how their distinguishing features are set up to define unique wine-growing regions. But AVAs are different, and more specific, then a wine appellation.

An appellation is a geographical way of organizing where the grapes are grown. For example, Sonoma Valley is an appellation. But, within the appellation, there may be several AVAs (i.e., Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, etc.).

Here are some AVA Fun Facts:

  • When a petition is filed to create a new AVA, it has to include detailed descriptions of the features that distinguish the proposed AVA from the surrounding regions and and how it effects grapes are grown, along with evidence to support the claims of these distinctive feature.

  •  If a wine label states a specific AVA, then at least 85% of the grapes must have come from that region.  

  • Unlike many European wine growing regions, there are no restrictions on the type of grape that must be grown within each AVA.

  • AVAs can reside entirely within a single-state or cross over multi-states. Multi-state AVAs include the Columbia Valley, Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley that are shared between Oregon and Washington but there are many others across the U.S. There are two multi-state AVA that include parts of four states - the Ohio River Valley AVA (Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia) and the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin).

  • The AVA system was set up in the United States in 1980.

  • As of August 2020, there were 267 established AVAs in the United States.

  • The first U.S. AVA was the Augusta AVA in Missouri that was established in June 1980.

  • The latest AVA to be added is the Gabilan Mountains AVA in California’s Central Coast. It was added on August 15, 2022.

  • California has the most AVAs, with 147.

  • Many new AVAs are proposed and pending across the U.S. For a full listing, see the TTB website.

Behind the Cork™ - Cline Eight Spur Zinfandel

2020 Cline Eight Spur Dry Creek Zinfandel ($25)

Cline Family Cellars, a certified sustainable family-owned and operated winery and vineyard holder based in the Carneros wine appellation of Sonoma County, California, has recently announced the introduction of Cline Family Cellars Sonoma AVA Series, a collection of four varietal wines sourced from the best growing regions in Sonoma County.

These traditionally planted Zinfandel blocks are distinctive. Short stout vines stand on their own with no trellis, their gnarled arms reaching in all directions. Original farmers called this vine pruning technique “Eight Spur.” It was back-breaking work, going vine-to-vine to create a canopy that exposed grapes to the right mix of sun, breeze and shade – but history shows that’s what it takes to make the very best Zinfandel.

This Cline Eight Spur Zinfandel is made from 100% Zinfandel grapes harvested from 100-year-old vines at the northern most end of Dry Creek Valley. Grapes are hand-harvested at night, gently de-stemmed and transferred to stainless steel closed-top tanks. The wine ferments naturally warm as wild yeast begins fermentation. Temperatures peak at 90F and the wine is left on skins for 18 days to ensure complete fermentation while being pumped over twice a day. At peak fermentation the wine is pumped-over 3 times a day before dropping to once a day for the final 8 days. It is gently drained and pressed off into separate fractions for malolactic fermentation in barrel. It is aged in 40% new French oak for 15 months before being blended and bottled.

This wine is deep ruby in color with bright aromas of black cherry and blackberry. On the palate it has nice deep flavors of dark fruit, medium tannin and a soft finish. It is gluten free and vegan friendly. This is a very nice Zinfandel from Dry Creek and, at the price, is a perfect fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Cline Cellars via Donna White Communications

Ever Wonder? What is an AVA?

There are so many wine terms, acronyms and abbreviations that can be quite confusing. And, wine labels are often a place where this confusion is on display.

In the U.S., the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), which is part of the Treasury, is responsible for regulating the wine industry. Wine labeling is one of the topics they regulate.

Per the TTB’s guidance “An American viticultural area (AVA) is a type of appellation specific to grape wine. It is a defined grape-growing region having a name, distinguishing features, and a delineated boundary…” That’s a lot of words to say that an AVA is a unique wine-growing region.

So, an AVA is not just a wine growing region, it is a very specific wine growing region. And, their words “distinguishing features” are key to defining an AVA.

At first, one might assume that a Cabernet Sauvignon grape is a Cabernet Sauvignon grape no matter where it is grown. And, while that is basically true, there are subtle nuances that make a Cabernet Sauvignon grape grown in Napa Valley different than one grown in Arizona. The interaction of the soil, climate, topography and grape variety in a specific site, imprints the wine and making of each wine with specific unique characteristics. And, the wine world refers to this concept as the “terroir” (te-war). That is, specific geographic or climatic features of a wine growing region will distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown.

So, an AVA is an American Viticultural Area that has unique grape-growing characteristics.

Next time, we’ll explore some fun facts about AVAs such as wine labeling requirements, how AVAs get created and how many there are in the U.S. Until then, cheers!