Pizzorno winery has one of the most innovative portfolios in Canelones with Uruguay’s first carbonic maceration Tannat wines and ice wines. This family producer may be groundbreaking in their winemaking, but they also respect the century-long tradition of the family wine business which is now being assumed by the fourth generation of the Pizzorno family.

 

About Pizzorno winery

Founded by Don Próspero José Pizzorno, an Italian immigrant who arrived in the 20th century, the family winery is now run by the fourth generation of the Pizzorno family. The family mantra is respecting their surroundings and maintaining family tradition while innovating with the times, in order to make the best quality wine.

Carlos Pizzorno is currently in charge of the family winery, and is also Winemaking Director, and he is accompanied by his children and family in the daily running of the winery.

 

About the vineyards

With 21 hectares of vineyards surrounding the winery in Canelones, the Pizzorno vineyards are located on a gentle slope with shallow, clay loam soils with calcareous material. The vineyard is planted with Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Arinarnoa, Marselan, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Moscatel de Hamburgo.

The vineyards are managed in a sustainable manner and Pizzorno doesn’t use fertilizers in the soils. Their vineyard management is focused on doing a significant green harvest and careful canopy management in order to achieve full ripeness and the best quality grapes, as they only use estate fruit in their wines. All the grapes are hand harvested and the winemakers carefully choose the harvest date based on sensorial and chemical analysis of the grapes.

 

About Pizzorno wines

Pizzorno wines cover a wide range of styles and varieties, all focused on premium wines made from grapes in their own vineyard.

PROFECÍA

The first line in the range is the Profecía line which include four wines all made without any oak ageing and focused on fresh fruit expression.

DON PRÓSPERO AND VUELALMUNDO

Next comes the Don Próspero and VuelAlmundo lines with seven different wines including monovarietal wines and blends.

MAYÚSCULAS

Mayúsculas is another premium line focused on fresh wines without any oak, and part of the modern school of winemaking in Uruguay.

PIZZORNO RESERVA

Pizzorno Reserva is one of the winery’s most emblematic lines and includes five different wines which are all aged between six and 18 months in oak, and able to cellar well for several years.

PRIMO

PRIMO is the icon wine of Pizzorno, a rich and sophisticated blend which is taken from the best parcels during that vintage and usually includes Tannat, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot to varying amounts, depending on the vintage.

ARAZÁ

Pizzorno also makes one of Uruguay’s only ice wines! Arazá is made from frozen Sauvignon Blanc grapes and is an intensely sweet and complex wine, aged for a year in oak.

PIZZORNO ESPUMOSOS

Sparkling wines are also important in the Pizzorno portfolio, and their Pizzorno Espumosos range includes three traditional method sparkling wines, all of which are Brut Nature, made for 12, 18 and 24 months on the lees, for a Clásico, Rosé and Reserva respectively.

There are lots of different gems to discover in the portfolio, and Pizzorno is renowned for their Pinot Noir (they produce just one bottle per plant!) and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as their fabulously fresh and fruity Carbonic Maceration Tannat which continues to show the world a totally different face of Tannat ever since they first started making it in 1998.

 

Pizzorno’s wine portfolio is always trailblazing and worth checking out, with innovation aplenty coming from winemakers Carlos Pizzorno, Marcelo Laitano and consultant winemaker Duncan Killiner. Another integral part of the team is Nestor Merino, the agronomist in charge of Pizzorno’s vineyards.

“Our mission is to produce grapes of excellent quality, in order to obtain fine wines in limited series, as a result of an acquired winemaking style that combines art and technology,” says Carlos Pizzorno, who spearheaded the winery’s conversion to premium wines in 1988.

 

Visiting Pizzorno winery, restaurant & hotel

Pizzorno winery is open daily for visits, tastings and lunches, and overnight guests at the posada can linger even longer among their vines. A visit to the winery includes a tour of the cellar and winery in order to learn about the family history, process of making wine and finish with a wine tasting, which can be accompanied by empanadas and charcuterie.

There are four tour options: the Classic tour which includes four wines; the Premium tour with six wines; the Expert tour with a tasting of eight wines; or a special sweet tooth tour with four sparkling wines paired with chocolate. All of the experiences include a tour and a special food pairing.

Pizzorno also has one of the top winery restaurants in the country which offers both a la carte and a pairing menu with three courses served with a special selection of their wines. Many of the ingredients at the winery restaurant come from their own organic garden, and the restaurant is renowned for its pasta and lamb dishes in particular.

If you want to linger for longer among the vines, book your bed at the cosy B&B which has four rooms in the historic family home between the gardens, vines and orchards. Each room is well-equipped with all the modern comforts and essentials, and best of all they each have a private deck where you can watch the sun go down with a glass of wine in hand.

For any more adventurous guests, you can also combine your visit to Pizzorno with a helicopter tour!

 

Video on the health benefits of Tannat and Pizzorno