WINES OF
URUGUAY
I suspect the average wine drinker in the U.S.,
Europe, Australia or New Zealand will think "This must be some sort of
joke, no? They don't make wine in Uruguay, do they?"
The answer, of course, is "Yes they do!"
Located to the east of Argentina and south of much of Brazil, the major wine
region of Uruguay is located north of Montevideo.
Immigrants from France's Basque country brought with the the Tannat grape.
As a result, this variety is "the" major red producer in
Uruguay. But many wineries there also make Merlot, Cabernet, Sangiovese
and Syrah. You'll also find the white wine Torrontes being made in
Uruguay. Not to mention Viognier, Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer
and Chardonnay.
Not only are there families of French heritage, but you'll find wineries with
Italian names, tambien.
The wine industry is just starting to make inroads outside the
country. There are about 300 wineries in production presently, but only a
handful are seen in the U.K. or U.S. markets. Brazil has been the biggest
customer for Uruguay's wines.
PISANO FAMILY VINEYARDS & CELLAR
With
some 70 acres of vineyards located about 15 miles north of Montevideo, the
Pisano family makes a broad range of wines.
The first Pisano arrived in Uruguay in the late 1800s, emigrating their from
Italy's Liguria.
The winemaking philosophies, from what we've read, are sensible and
simple. They seem to pay attention to cultivating the vine and then
vinifying their wines using traditional methods.
We
found a rather nice blend of Tannat & Merlot from the 2003 vintage from the
Pisano family.
The wine is very bright and fruity and the combination of the soft, supple
Merlot with the more structured Tannat works quite nicely.
It's not a wine featuring oak, so if you crave a forest-full of wood,
this is not your wine. Best consumed in its youth, this is a red we
suggest serving lightly cooled to cellar temperature.
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