Canelones and Montevideo are very much the heartland of Uruguayan wine, with a wide range of vines and wines of all different styles and quality levels. However, it is also home to some of Uruguay’s oldest vines, which can produce some superlative wines that are well worth the extra cost and effort involved in producing them.
Guide to Canelones & Montevideo Wine Region
Wineries
Quick Guide to Canelones & Montevideo
Best Wines to try
Map of Canelones & Montevideo
Guide to Canelones & Montevideo wine regions
Five out of every ten Uruguayans live in Montevideo and Canelones, which are also home to eight out of every ten of the vineyards in Uruguay. Canelones and Montevideo are undoubtedly the most important wine regions in Uruguay today and have been ever since the emergence of Uruguay’s wine industry last century.
It’s a no-brainer as to why the vineyards and wineries were originally set up as close as possible to Uruguay’s capital city, Montevideo. With its main market right on its doorstep, the industry was able to thrive, while keeping transport costs to a minimum.
Canelones effectively envelops the capital of Montevideo, like a large Pac-Man chomping on the capital, which is about a tenth of its size. Rich in meadows, woods and waterways, Canelones is a rural and agricultural region. Although Canelones produces a wide range of fruits, cereals and vegetables, viticulture is its main crop and its wine regions extend right across the province.
Between them, Canelones and Montevideo have over 1,000 different vineyards, which are mainly owned by family wineries or growers. Given this figure, they also, unsurprisingly, have the greatest diversity of grape varieties in Uruguay. The impressive range of grapes, from Nebbiolo to Chasselas, reflects the diverse heritage of producers who have settled in the region.
