Uruguay's Punta del Este Has Quietly Become South America's Most Exciting Wine Destination

12.07.2024 - 19:42 / cntraveler.com

Although it has been cultivating wine for 150 years, Uruguay has long been overshadowed by its vino-producing neighbors Argentina and Chile. Now, in a country best known among oenophiles for its signature Tannat red, a scene is growing near the beaches of Punta del Este and José Ignacio around highly regarded whites and rosés.

Visitors to Luz Culinary Wine Lodge sample house wines during high-concept food experiences—for instance, around long wooden tables in the middle of a pine forest.

One noteworthy arrival is Luz Culinary Wine Lodge, a sybaritic destination established by a Swiss surgeon who fell in love with Uruguay's countryside, bought 35 acres, and planted vines that now produce delicious rosés and reds. Visitors, often linen-clad urbanites from Europe, America, and Brazil, sample Luz's wines during high-concept food experiences, which include hillside picnics and poolside tapas by chef Juan Manuel Mayolo, who brings Persian flavors to South American cuisine. In summer, family-style banquets are served on long wooden tables in the middle of a pine forest, where the environment is as rugged as the meal is sophisticated. Following the feast, which might include freshly caught prawns and just-harvested root vegetables, guests can spend the night at one of the eight spacious guest rooms.

A Swiss surgeon started Luz after falling in love with Uruguay's countryside and purchasing 35 acres of it for himself—soft, rustic luxury was the happy result.

About 50 miles away is Bodega Cerro del Toro, where enologist Martín Viggiano makes award-winning Albariños and promising Pinots. The young vineyards are planted on rocky slopes, steps from a delightfully rough-hewn tasting room at the top of the hill, giving them maximum benefit from the marine breezes blowing in from the Atlantic. Next door is Las Espinas, a vineyard and restaurant opened by Bodega Bouza, a long-established winery from Uruguay's Melilla area that recently expanded to the coast. Here, views of the ocean and woodlands make for relaxing afternoons sipping the limited edition Cocó, a blend of Albariño and Chardonnay, and dining on pasture-raised short ribs. Later this year Bodega Bouza will unveil a new winery building, with a copper ceiling that will only gain character as it ages—yes, like a fine wine.

This article appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here