Reinaldo de Lucca is a third generation viticulturist and winemaker in Canelones, near Montevideo. He works with his children today making wine in the family winery in the wine region of El Colorado in Canelones, the heartland of Tannat in Uruguay.
In this extract from an interview with Reinaldo De Lucca, he reflects on what it means to be a viticultor and to make wine in Uruguay.
Winemaker reflections of Reinaldo de Lucca
“To really love what you do as a winemaker, you have to love the vineyard.
To make a wine that has life, a wine that can translate, and that shares the experience with all of those who drink it. That is the goal.
Tradition is basic and essential. You need to have the accumulated experience of all the generations. These are the wines you can identify: this wine comes from this country, this place, this person, this vineyard.
These are the wines that have a soul, that have life, that have an identity, a personality. Wines which call you to get to know them. Because that’s what it is all about.
I personally believe that wine is part of our national identity: because it is extracted from the earth, it was born from the bowels of our terroir, from the sun of my land.
Our wine is part of our rebellion. The vine gives you the capacity to free yourself and express everything that is inside you.”
In Spanish
“Para amar en profundidad el que hacer vitivinícola, tienes que amar la viña.
Hacer un vino que tenga vida. Que el vino pueda traducir. Pueda transmitir hacia quienes lo comparten todas las experiencias mías. Ese es el objetivo
La tradición es básica y fundamental. Necesita tener la experiencia acumulada de todas las generaciones. Son esos vinos que tu podes identificar: este vino es de este país, de este lugar, de esta persona, de este viñedo.
Esos son los vinos que tienen alma, que tienen vida, tienen una identidad, una personalidad. Que te llame a conocerlo. Porque de eso se trata.
Personalmente creo que el vino forma parte de la identidad nacional. Porque se extrae de la tierra, nació de las entrañas de ese terruño, del sol de mi tierra.
Nuestro vino es parte de nuestra rebeldía. La vid te da toda la capacidad para liberarte y expresar todo lo que hay dentro de ti.”
Part of an interview series that the South America Wine Guide did in collaboration with Uruguay.Wine
