Maldonado
Maritime
Uruguay's Atlantic-coast wine country, behind Punta del Este, where granite soils and ocean air give fresh Albariño and finer Tannat.
Overview
About Maldonado
Maldonado is on the Atlantic coast of eastern Uruguay, behind the resort of Punta del Este, and its vineyards are only about 18 kilometres from the sea. It is a young wine region, developed in the last few decades, and is known for Tannat, Albariño and Marselan, along with Pinot Noir and Viognier.
The ocean brings cooling breezes and the soils are granite-based and mineral, and together they give wines with more definition and freshness than those from the warmer inland areas. Pueblo Garzón, a small village with a well-known winery, has become a destination in its own right for food and wine.
Maldonado is marked on the map.
Uruguay
Shaded: Maldonado. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Maritime
Cooler and breezier than the warmer parts of Uruguay, with the Atlantic moderating temperatures and long, mild autumns. Rain can be heavy in summer and autumn, so vintages vary.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Granite-derived, shallow, mineral soils, with clay in the low ground. The rocky soils drain well and keep vine vigour under control.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
Uruguay has a national quality category, and Maldonado's wines are usually sold by grape, with the department named on the label.
Vino de Calidad Preferente (VCP)
The official quality category for Uruguayan wine.
What's grown here
Grapes
Each grape's page links back here.