Colonia
Temperate maritime
The wine country along the Río de la Plata, home of one of Uruguay's oldest wineries and a short ferry ride from Buenos Aires.
Overview
About Colonia
The department of Colonia sits on the north bank of the Río de la Plata, west of Montevideo, and includes Colonia del Sacramento, whose old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its wine story is one of Uruguay's oldest, and the region's cellars and small estates are now a popular day trip from the capital or from Buenos Aires across the river.
Tannat is the most important red here, along with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and white grapes such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are also grown. The estuary and the Uruguay river bring steady breezes, so the summers are cooler and the wines are a little fresher than in the interior.
Colonia is marked on the map.
Uruguay
Shaded: Colonia. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Temperate maritime
Mild and humid, with steady breezes from the Río de la Plata and the Uruguay river moderating the summer heat. Rain can fall through the growing season, so vineyards are managed for disease.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Clay and limestone soils, with rocky ground and good natural drainage on the slopes.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
Uruguay has a national quality category, and Colonia's wines are usually sold by grape, with the department named on the label.
Vino de Calidad Preferente (VCP)
Uruguay's quality wine category, requiring grapes from a single named region.
What's grown here
Grapes
Each grape's page links back here.