Narbona winery in Carmelo is inside its own idyllic world with a creamery, a bakery, a handsome boutique hotel, a glistening harbour and private beach, an excellent restaurant and a large riverside estate. Narbona wine lodge is actually the very reason many people come to Carmelo, and it is worth staying here overnight or over the weekend to learn a bit more about this historic wine region of Uruguay and its modern wine production today.

 

 

About Narbona winery

Bodega Narbona winery is located on a 50-hectare estate where Juan de Narbona founded one of the first wineries in the country in 1909. In 1990, the original estate was given a new lease of life as a luxurious resort and in 1998, the first vineyards were planted. In 2010, the foundations were laid for the construction of a new winery based on the original site of the historic winery.

The winery is also home to a small orchard where fruit trees grow around the vines, from which they also produce plenty of delicacies to taste in their restaurant. 

 

About the Narbona vineyards

Harvest at Narbona becomes a rather lively affair with families, friends and visitors welcome to take part during the harvest months of February and March.

Narbona has 15 hectares of vines between Carmelo and a small vineyard in La Barra near Punta del Este in Maldonado. In La Barra there is a small plot of Sauvignon Blanc which takes advantage of the cool maritime climate for fresher wines.

In Carmelo, where the main vineyard is, the soil is 80% limestone which is very particular to the region, and this calcareous soil allows the roots of the vines to grow deep into the ground. In this vineyard, the varieties are all planted in small lots so that they can be carefully managed for harvest ideal times. The varieties Narbona produces in their Carmelo vineyard include Tannat, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot and Syrah, and they source a small amount of Cabernet Franc from Colonia.

All the vineyards are managed sustainably with integrated viticultural techniques and minimum intervention in order to respect the environment.

 

About Narbona wines

Narbona has a handful of wines, which range from the everyday Puerto Carmelo line which focuses on fresh fruit expression and no oak ageing, to their reserve Narbona line which focuses on varietal expressions and more complex wines, including the Roble Tannat which is aged in oak barrel for year.

Tannat is the main star of Narbona’s production, and especially their Tannat Luz de Luna which is their most complex and full-bodied wine. However Narbona has also become very well known for their Pinot Noir, which is produced on the limestone soils by the riverside.

 

About the winemaker, Valeria Chiola

One of the most experienced winemakers in Colonia, Valeria Chiola has been winemaker at Narbona since the modern wine production began. Born into a family with vineyards in Uruguay, she has been surrounded by wine since a young age and spent some time training in Italy too.

 

 

Visiting Narbona hotel, restaurant & winery

A tasting in the beautiful boutique winery usually takes place in one of the cellars: either the atmospheric century-old cellar, La Antigua Cava, or the new cellar which was built to replicate the historical winery.

You can taste the wines with winemaker Valeria to get her own insight into the vintage and variety, and can accompany your tasting with a local cheese and charcuterie platter, or with a four-course wine and tapas pairing. If you prefer to taste in the sunshine, you can also have a wine and picnic hamper in the gardens and vineyards.

For those who are keen to get involved in the blending, there’s an option for a blending session with the winemaker, and you can also explore their grappa production learning how to make your own! And if you are visiting Narbona during harvest, there are several opportunities to get involved in picking and crushing grapes with their harvest experiences and harvest festival.

Narbona is of course much more than just a winery, and combining your visit with a stay at the delightful Relais & Chateaux hotel and excellent restaurant is definitely recommended! So many items on the menu are homegrown and homemade, from their own cheese and dulce de leche to the olive oil and jams.