About Antigua Bodega Uruguay winery
Today the winery is run by the fifth and sixth generation of the Stagnari family with Virginia Stagnari as Director, and her children Mariana and Carlo working with her in the winery taking care of winemaking and commerce respectively.
A major pillar of production for Antigua Bodega Uruguay is on efficiency and sustainability in the vineyard and winery, focusing on making wines with the least intervention possible. “The objective is to make wines in the most natural manner by reducing any additives and avoiding any manipulation of the wines,” explains Head Winemaker Laura Casella.
About the vineyards
With two vineyards, Antigua Bodega Uruguay has 10 hectares of vines planted in Santos Lugares in Canelones and 20 hectares planted in Melilla in Montevideo.
The vineyards have a shallow layer of clay and sand with a pink granite bedrock which has decomposed mica, quartz and feldspar that is between 600 and 800 million years old and a unique formation found in Uruguay. These soils allow for good drainage and the winemaking team believes it gives a mineral edge to the wines.
Part of the philosophy of the winery is the minimise their interference with the soil and vineyard, simply using canopy management, cutting back weeds and using cover crops to look after the vines, allow good air circulation, provide nutrients to the soil and plant, and maintain a healthy natural ecosystem of microflora and microfauna in the vineyard.
Between the two vineyards and following a careful selection process of clones most suitable for each terroir, Antigua Bodega Uruguay has Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Tannat, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Marselan, Cabernet Franc and Syrah planted. All of their wines are exclusively made from their own estate grapes.
About the Antigua Bodega Uruguay wines
With a wide portfolio that ranges from structured Tannat and Merlot wines to fizzy and fresh Pet Nat, there’s plenty to taste at this family winery:
CUESTA DI GRAVA
The youngest line of wines, Cuesta di Grava focuses on good value, fruit-driven wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat.
PEDREGAL
Pedregal is the flagship range which focuses on mainly monovarietal wines made with Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, as well as a couple red blends and a rosé made from a blend of Syrah and Cabernet Franc.
BELLA DONNA
This vibrant and fresh line of wines is all about showing the potential of Uruguayan red wines without oak. It includes a juicy, unoaked Tannat, Cabernet Franc and Marselan, and there’s a Bella Donna Blush light rosé in the range too.
PRIMA DONNA
Another flagship range for the winery, Prima Donna is the reserve line which goes through a few months in oak in the case of the red wines (Tannat, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon), and three months on the lees with regular battonage for the Sauvignon Blanc. These are food friendly wines.
MBURUCUYA
One of my favourite wines of the winery, this juicy red wine is named after the Mburucuyá blue passionflower which is native to South America, and the wine has attractive notes of blue and black forest fruits and wild flowers. A captivating and rather unique blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Tannat and Sangiovese.
OSIRIS
One of the top lines of the winery and always aged for a few years before release, there are two Osiris wines: an Osiris Tannat and an Osiris Merlot, both of which are only ever produced in top vintages for the variety. These are structured, full-bodied wines which age well in the cellar and show the affinity Uruguay has for both varieties.
IL NERO
The icon wine of Antigua Bodega Uruguay, Il Nero is a conceptual wine that was developed over several years and was made in ode of Virginia’s father, Hector Nelson Stagnari. This complex 2009 Tannat has already spent almost a decade in the bottle and will continue to cellar well for at least another decade to come.
About the winemakers
What makes Antigua Bodega Uruguay stand out in the wine world is the female-led winemaking team, with Mariana Stagnari and Laura Lopez taking the reigns of production.
Mariana Meneguzzi Stagnari
Mariana is the sixth generation of the Stagnari family and started studying winemaking in 2004, after which she moved full time into the family winery. In between, she has done vintages in California and Australia.
“We are always seeking our own innovative style, which is both modern and yet reflects what’s happening in the market,” says Mariana.
Laura Casella Lopez
Laura has been the winemaker at Antigua Bodega Uruguay since the beginning of her career in 1988 and has worked with three generations of the family. With over 30 years working with the vineyard, she has unparalleled experience in Santos Lugares as well as Melilla.
“Our philosophy is to appeal to a wide range of consumers in the world, which is why we make wines ranging from well-aged Gran Reserva wines to unoaked, young, fresh wines,” says Laura.
Visiting Antigua Bodega Uruguay winery & vineyards
The winery is open every day and you can visit the wine shop from 9 till 11.30am, and in the afternoon from 1.15 to 5pm.
For tours and wine tastings, you should book in advance and can taste a range of different wines, depending on your preference. The Premium Tasting comes with a selection of local cheese and homemade empanadas, or groups can book ahead of time to have lunch with the family which could be anything from a Uruguayan asado (barbeque) to paella!