The southern wines of America

Today, the great novelty is the Agroland project, in the town of Garzón, near Punta del Este. Created by Argentine businessman Alejandro Bulgheroni. Agroland includes ecological plantations of vineyards and olive groves.

Photo: Private Archive

—

With Argentina and Chile at the top, it is difficult to recognize other southern territories with a winemaking vocation. Few know that Peru, for example, preceded the two South American giants in winemaking. This early experience allowed him to adopt the distillation of his musts to obtain the famous brandy called pisco. Today, Peru is experiencing an interesting renaissance in its vineyards and wineries.

Bolivia is another country with defined regions and wines admired beyond its borders, particularly the red Syrah. Tarija and Chuquisaca, the main Bolivian wine valleys, are located in the extreme south, where the former borders with Argentina.

Brazil also has winemaking in the coastal states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Bahia, among others. There are not a few awards they have received. But it is the area of ​​the Planalto Catarinense where the production of high quality sparkling wines reaches a greater impact.

Another territory that has made its way is Uruguay. The South American country has the ideal geographic and climatic conditions to produce grapes of recognized oenological value.

Also, the large presence of European immigrants have provided the necessary knowledge and techniques to do things well.

Uruguay has been producing wines since the end of the 19th century. The first project was promoted by Pascual Harriague, a citizen of Basque origin, responsible for introducing the Tannat red variety, which has become the emblematic national variety. Seventeen of the nineteen Uruguayan departments produce wine.

The most used varieties, apart from Tannat, are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marselán, Cabernet Franc, Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier.

The winery with the longest tradition is Establecimiento Juanicó, created in 1830. Other notable companies are Bouza, Altos de la Ballena, Stagnari and Irurtia. All have evolved and progressed thanks to the strength of the domestic market, which has not left sufficient quantities for export.

Today, the great novelty is the Agroland project, in the town of Garzón, near Punta del Este. Created by Argentine businessman Alejandro Bulgheroni. Agroland includes ecological plantations of vineyards and olive groves.

In recent years, Bodega Garzón has reinforced the global notoriety that Uruguay so richly deserves. In September 2021, this establishment obtained fourth place in the ranking of the best vineyards in the world.

Among the Uruguayan wines present on the Colombian market are those of Establishment Juanicó, Bodega Garzón, Montes Toscanini and Bruzzone & Scuitto.

–