Guide to vintages & harvests in Uruguay’s wine regions
Uruguay has some of the more variable vintages in South America. With the main wine regions along the coastline, the maritime climate can range from drought years to heavy downpours and even the occasional cyclone! That being said, Uruguay’s winemakers and viticulturists are extremely well-experienced at the great variation of climate during the harvest and are well-versed in changing their vineyard management based on the changing weather forecast.
“It’s the climate that makes making wine in Uruguay really exciting,” says Bouza winemaker Eduardo Boido. “Each vintage is different and we are always on our toes!”
The major factor impacting the different vintages is rain. Take a comparison between 2018 and 2019 in Canelones, for example: in January 2018 it only rained 35mm, whereas in January 2019 it rained 175mm!
Average temperatures are also important to the character of the harvest, however, temperature ranges are less extreme than experienced in the continental climates of Argentina and Chile. “Unlike many desert terroirs in the New World of viticulture, the climate in Uruguay is similar to the Old World,” explains Bodega Garzon‘s head viticulturist Eduardo Felix. “Every year is different because of the rainfall.”
