Our final day was locally based but tested the stamina of even the hardiest wine traveller.
We kicked off at Bodega Pizzorno where we were hosted by the marvellous Joaquim who introduced us to the estate, took us round the winery and hosted the tasting prior to lunch. He was very entertaining, funny and quickly got the measure of the group. We were then very lucky to met the owner Carlos, and consultant winemaker Duncan Killiner who gave us a fascinating 15 minutes on the perils of harvesting in wet weather and the future of Uruguayan wine.
A delicious lunch ensued and we relaxed before we took a mile walk to the next winery – Castillo Viejo.
Castillo Viejo is another historic winery that is still family owned. The winemaker, Alejandra, hosted our visit and she took us on a wonderful journey through the winery – harvest was in full swing and we saw fermentation vats and then we tasted some of the fermenting juice. This was fascinating as many people will never have done this before. You not only taste the fizz of the fermentation, you can hear it fermenting as well!
Alejandra then took us through the top range of wines with a mix of Chardonnay, Cab Franc/Merlot/Tannat blends as well as pure Tannat.
Another great tasting and another new perspective.
Our final visit was Bodega Beretta. A truly unique experience with an extraordinary lady – Leticia Villalba Beretta. She graduated in oenology at the age of 18 and manages the tiny boutique estate about 30 minutes north of Montevideo.
A veritable force of nature she enthralled everyone with her fiery, animated personality, speaking at a hundred miles an hour – leaving her poor translator Graciela regularly behind.
Leticia talked us through the history, the vineyards, the wines, the philosophy , the future……it was a vibrant assault on the senses and even if you didn’t understand Spanish it was easy to get the message.
We tasted the wines, we ate some locally sourced dishes despite being not remotely hungry and drank in the amazing world of Leticia. An amazing last visit that no-one will forget and added to the broad mix of experiences that Uruguay has to offer.
Our second tour to Uruguay was over, and despite the rainy weather in the second week, everyone who came was struck by the fabulous quality of the wines and the passion and talent of the people who make them. With great memories, some of us headed on to Santiago, others on their own adventures.