Wineries in Canelones & Montevideo in Uruguay. A guide to wine producers in Uruguay’s wine regions.
Proyecto Nakkal is the natural wine brand of Uruguayan winemakers and friends Nicolás Monforte, Santiago Degasperi and Bruno Bresesti making fresh, lo-fi wines from Canelones. With petnats, wines aged in amphora, and low alcohol natcool wines among the portfolio, there’s something for everyone here — whether you are looking for white, red, orange or pink!
Montes Toscanini was born in 1979 under the leadership of the third generation of the Toscanini family, which has a long history of winemaking in Uruguay. The family’s wine history in Uruguay actually begins at the end of the 19th century when the Toscanini family emigrated from Italy and settled in Canelones, making their first wine there in 1908.
Some seven decades later, Margot Toscanini de Montes and her brother bought a winery in Las Piedras and restarted the family tradition of making wine there, giving birth to Montes Toscanini winery in 1979.
Today the family winery is run by the fourth generation of the family, Cecilia, Juan and Leonardo, and in 1995 they converted the wine production to focus on premium and fine wines.
H Stagnari winery is a historic family producer based in La Puebla in La Paz, Canelones but with vineyards also in the far north of Uruguay, in Salto.
The family estate was first established in 1890, and the winery was built and added by Héctor Stagnari and his wife Virginia Moreira in 2000 with state-of-the-art technology to focus on premium wine production.
The winery has a capacity of 600,000 litres and an underground cellar which is ideal for storing barrels and wines in perfect conditions. Although the winery has vineyards in both Salto and Canelones, all of the wine is made here on the estate.
The main vineyard for H Stagnari’s white wines is in La Puebla in La Paz in Canelones. Not far from the capital of Montevideo, the vineyard has a significant maritime influence and is planted with 10 hectares of vines with a focus on Chardonnay, Viognier and Gewurztraminer.
In northern Uruguay, the family’s 38-hectare La Caballada vineyard in Salto is where H Stagnari grows its red grapes because this warmer region offers good conditions for full ripeness of grapes. The grapes are all hand picked and then transported to the winery in Canelones where a selection of bunches is made before they go into the winery. Most of the red wines are vinified in stainless steel tank before being aged in French oak for at least a year.
Salto is a very important region historically for Uruguay as it was where Pascual Harriague planted his 200 hectare vineyard of Tannat in the 1870s, which made the variety famous in Uruguay. In this same region in La Caballada, the beautiful Dayman river is also well known for its healing properties in the thermal waters.
The Stagnari family, like Harriague, also chose to plant their Tannat and red grapevines there in Salto because of the combination of soil and climate. In La Caballada, the vineyards have a sandy clay topsoil and below there is a really deep soil of rolling stones and gravel, which offers great drainage and allows the roots to explore at great depth. Here they have mainly planted Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon, which are well suited to the warmer continental climate, which can typically have daytime temperatures up to 40C and night time temperatures below 20C, giving great thermal amplitude and concentration to the wines. The vines are planted at high density (10,000 plants per hectare) in keep yields low and grapes concentrated.
Overseen by Héctor Stagnari in every aspect, from the vineyard through to the hand-labelling of the wines, H Stagnari’s portfolio reflects the family’s philosophy and commitment to their two terroirs, in Salto and Canelones.
The first line of wines, Premier, is the everyday range which includes Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tannat and Viognier.
The next line is Amaneceres, which focuses on the terroir expression for each vineyard and variety, including red varieties from La Caballada and a Chardonnay from La Puebla. Within the line there are also two blends of four varieties, Amaneceres del Daymán, which includes Marselan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot, and a Tannat, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Viognier.
Selección La Puebla is a line focused on the varieties grown in La Puebla in Canelones with wines including Cabernet Franc, Gewurztraminer, Marselan, Petit Verdot and Syrah.
Reserva de la Familia is a limited-edition wine made from a single barrel, with less than 300 bottles released. It is a blend of Tannat (85%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%).
A rather unusual wine in the line up is Blue-Blush: a rosé made from Moscatel de Alejandria with a touch of Tannat, giving the wine fruity aromas and a blue hue. El Blue is another rosé blend of white and red varieties, made by Héctor and his son Renzo, with Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
At the top of the range are: Primer Viñedo from the family’s vineyards in Salto, with two releases at the moment, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Tannat; Dayman; Dinastía; Escuadra, Cojudo, Compás, and Tannat Viejo. Tannat Viejo in particular can claim to be one of the most-prized Tannat wines in the world, with 62 gold medals to its name.
Tannatur highlights the family’s commitment to making wines in the most natural way possible and is a no-added sulfite wine.
The family also has a couple of sparkling wines including Brut and Punto G, made in the traditional method with Viognier and Chardonnay.
Having studied in Uruguay and worked harvests in Napa Valley, Héctor started making fine wines at his family winery in 1986 by planting French clones of Tannat in a select lot. From an early age he believed in the conversion to fine wines, and he formed Bodega H Stagnari with this goal in mind.
Together with his wife Virginia Moreira, they both take charge of every aspect of wine production and the winery – from marketing and tourism through to winemaking and bottling.
You can visit the family winery for a tasting and tour Monday through Saturday and if you book in advance you can enjoy a home cooked meal with the family. One of the favourite experiences is H Stagnari’s five-course Meat & Tannat Experience which includes a wine pairing for different meat-based dishes including pork, hare, lamb and beef, and finishes on a sweet note with a chocolate dessert. Within the experience you get to taste some of the winery’s most iconic Tannat wines: Gran Guarda, Primer Viñedo 1×1, Tannat Viejo, Dayman and TNT.
Another interesting five-course tasting experience is the Madiran and Saint Emilion experience, with a diverse menu paired with a range of grape varieties including Marselan, Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah. Or you can simply enjoy a plate of cheese with wine tasting.
As they are all private and personalised experiences, you have to book in advance.
Spinoglio winery in Montevideo has its history rooted in the 19th century but is focused on making modern wines today that combine the innovative vision of fourth-generation vigneron Diego Spinoglio while respecting the family tradition first brought from the Piedmont over 100 years ago.
Luigi Spinoglio came from Casale Monferrato in the Piedmont, Italy, and settled in Uruguay at the end of the late 19th century to start a new life in the New World. His grandson, Angel Spinoglio, then started a new chapter in the family’s wine story by purchasing a historic estate in Montevideo’s Cuchilla Pereyra wine region, which was originally founded in 1898.
Today the historic estate is run by Diego Spinoglio, the fourth generation of the family making wines in Uruguay.
With vineyards in Cuchilla Pereyra wine region of Montevideo, the vines benefit from the mild coastal climate and have rich clay soils.
Bodega Spinoglio has a wide range of vines planted, including Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Chardonnay and Merlot, which are used for their range of red, white, rosé and sparkling wines. One of the true gems in their vineyard is the
Making a range of wines from their vineyards in Montevideo, Bodega Spinoglio’s top range is the complex Estiba Reservada Tannat and Chardonnay wines which come from select barrels from the best plots each vintage.
Tonel Diez is a full-bodied red blend made from the best grapes from the vintage.
Walicxe is the top-of-range Brut Nature traditional method sparkling wine.
Diego Spinoglio Single Vineyard is another premium range that includes varietal wines, as well as an unoaked Tannat.
Tierra Alta Reserva is the flagship line of the winery with a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, and Merlot-Tannat blend which spend some time in oak.
Tierra Alta is the everyday and easy-drinking line which includes a Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, and a rosé made from Cabernet Franc.
You can visit the family winery for a tasting and tour with plenty of family-friendly options, including children’s games and free bicycles to use to explore the vineyards. You can choose between the Reserve Experience, which includes a tasting of four wines and nibbles paired by the chef; or stay for a tasting followed by lunch at MonfrÀ restaurant.
The restaurant serves homemade dishes, usually cooked over the open flame, and can be specially paired with wines in a four-course tasting experience.