Your guide to the top wineries, producers, and wines in the wine region of Maldonado in Uruguay. All the information about wine tourism, wine hotels, and restaurants in Colonia.
Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio winery is the ambitious project of young Uruguayan entrepreneurs and power couple Marcelo Conserva and Natalia Welker who founded a 52 hectare estate just 10 km from the coast, near the gorgeous beach town of José Ignacio. With 8 hectares of Chardonnay, Albariño, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Tannat vines, they have a growing portfolio of refreshing coastal wines and have an impressive olive grove and olive oil production too. You can visit the winery for wine and olive oil tasting, as well as exploring the beautiful architecture and design of the estate.
About Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio winery
The stunning coastal Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio winery is the vision of young entrepreneurs Marcelo and Natalia who decided to start a family winery and olive grove in 2012 by purchasing a large, 52-hectare estate in Maldonado. Their first vineyards were of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot, and within a few years they planted Albariño and Tannat too – taking the total vineyard up to 8 hectares today.
With a keen eye for design, Marcelo and Natalia focused on building a modern and attractive winery and olive mill which has modern art displays and award-winning architecture.
The sustainable design of the winery is both functional and aesthetic: a large conical shape which emerges from the ground and takes advantage of gravity for more gentle wine processing and production, limiting the use of pumps. The walls are also carefully designed to allow for natural lighting to work in the cellar without requiring much electricity.
About Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio vineyards
Located off the coast in Maldonado, the Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio vineyards are barely 10 kilometres as the crow flies from the Atlantic coast and have a significant maritime impact with regular coastal breezes and cool nights.
This extremely maritime climate means that the grapes mature slower than in other regions of the country which are typically further inland and the wines are typically refreshing with bright acidity and a mineral, saline note typical of the region.
Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio winery has 8 hectares of vineyards planted today with Albariño, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Tannat and Merlot. The soils are comprised of sand, lime and clay with a vein of calcareous soil in the deepest sectors which reaches to the crystalline basement.
About Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio wines
With six wines in the portfolio so far, Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio wines are all focused on fresh fruit expression and the coastal terroir. Bright, mineral and with refreshing acidity, they are all elegant and energetic wines.
The first wine Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio released was a dry, Pinot Noir rosé which quickly became renowned in nearby José Ignacio village and Punta del Este city becoming a summer essential wine in local restaurants and bars!
Today they sell it by the magnum, as well as regular-sized bottles. Their Albariño has also become an iconic wine of theirs.
About the winemaker Hans Vinding Diers
Although born in Stellenbosch, in the heart of the Cape winelands, Hans Vinding Diers moved to Bordeaux as a child and grew up in the chateaux learning winemaking with his father and their family properties.
Since then he has become a well-travelled and respected flying winemaker, having worked in many different countries and become a specialist in South American wines notably in Patagonia and Mendoza in Argentina, as well as Uruguay today. He has been making the wines for Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio since the beginning of the project.
“Art sneaks in a lot when you are blending a wine, it’s like mixing colours in some ways,” says Hans Vinding Diers. “In my wines I try to achieve a purity and an authenticity, and that is my goal with these wines: to give an honest expression of what the land produces and have respect for these elements.”
Visit Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio winery
Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio winery is open daily for visits and you can stop by the wine shop anytime between 10am and 6pm.
If you want to do a tour of the winery and tasting of the wines and olive oils, booking in advance is recommended. Leave plenty of time after your tasting and tour to take in the sculpture garden which includes works by some of Uruguay’s best-known artists Pablo Atchugarry, Octavio Podesta, Ricardo Pascale, Enrique Broglia and Giorgio Carlevaro.
There are a couple options for visits to choose from, and they need to be booked at least 24 hours in advance:
Gourmet Tour
Visit the Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio winery and olive mill to learn all about the winemaking and olive oil making process. Afterwards there’s a special tasting of the Jose Ignacio wines as well as their O’33 olive oils over a sharing board of local charcuterie and homemade bread, on the terrace overlooking the vineyards.
After the tour and tasting, you can talk a walk around the estate and visit the vineyards, olive groves, organic garden, lake and sculpture garden.
The visit lasts around 2.5 hours and costs US$50 per person
Tasting Tour
You can visit the Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio winery and see the process of winemaking, before returning to the terrace for a tasting of the wines accompanied by their homemade bread and olive oils.
Afterwards, you are welcome to take a tour of the vineyards, sculpture garden, lake and organic garden. The visit lasts around 1.5 hours and costs US$25 per person.
