(English) The birth of Vineyards in Uruguay: a tale of Jesuit Missions, Spanish and Italian immigrants and grapevines brought from France… the TANNAT experience!
Highlights
“TANNAT” is to Uruguay the same as “MALBEC” is to Argentina.
The Tannat is a variety of grape that has grown to be more important in Uruguay than in France, where it comes from. Nowadays, the land planted with this grapevine in Uruguay is greater to the surface found in France.
In the XVIII century the Jesuits established in the north of the Province of Colonia in Uruguay, where they continued their mission and built the national monument “La Calera de las Huerfanas” in 1741. This chapel was located inside the extensive land of an estancia where they planted fruit trees, breed cattle and produced lime. This is where Indians, slaves and priests would gather. After the Jesuits were expelled by the Spanish crown, don Juan de San Martín took the administration of the estancia and found 1500 stocks of grapevine… this is where wine was born in Uruguay… Only 2 kilometers from there, we can now find Zubizarreta, one of the vineyards we will visit in this tour.
The Zubizarreta winery was founded by Pedro Zubizarreta 50 years ago. They grow a 90% of the grapes they process and the other 10% comes from nearby producers. Their more recent wine “Vieja Calera” was named after the old Jesuit Chapel.
The Irurtia Winery will be our next stop. An interesting aspect of this winery is that it is the biggest in Uruguay. It was was born with the arrival of Mr. Lorenzo Irurtia to the region of Cerro Carmelo during the second half of the XIX century. His passion for good wines and dedication to the growth of the vineyards, showed its results in the grape harvest of 1913. The first years of the 1950s, brought very hard times and the time came in which the responsibility of the company was given to Dante Irurtia, who kept on with the management of the vineyard and winery together with his family until these days.
Dates & Costs
| Dates | Arrival# | Depart# | Length | Tour cost *Double occupancy | Optional single suppl. | Group size |
| 2009 | Daily |
2 days / 1 nights |
U$S | U$S | min 2
max 12 |
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| ASK FOR OTHER AVAILABLE DATES FOR CLOSED GROUPS | ||||||
| *Included | *Not Included |
| All accommodations; all meals and mineral water (except tastings where wine is included); English speaking driver guide; all detailed visits and tastings; all specified transfers. | Soft and alcoholic drinks; air tickets, medical insurance; personal expenses & Tips. |
| Pre/post tour extensions in Montevideo, Punta del Este, Buenos Aires/Argentina & Brazil available. Please ask for details. | |
Important Notes
Lares terms & conditions apply.
| A booking is confirmed only upon receipt of the corresponding deposit. |
| We reserve the right to alter the itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control. |
| Appropriate medical insurance is mandatory and the responsibility of each guest/booking agent. |
| Lares reserves the right to use with publicity aims the comments and pictures taken to guests during the tours. |
Day by day Itinerary
Day 1: Colonia - Bernardi Winery – Posada de Los Limoneros
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Ferry to Colonia (not included). Meet and greet the English driver guide at Colonia Port. City Tour in Colonia, visit to Bernardi Winery, a small winery in Colonia known for its artisan production of fine wines and “grappas” elaborated with their own grapes. The “Grappa” is a typical strong italian drink produced with the residue of the different selection of grapes. This is how we have “Grappa Moscatel”, “Grappa Tannat”, “Grappa Merlot”. We will then enjoy lunch at the old city in Colonia. Transfer to Posada de Los Limoneros were we will enjoy a delicious dinner and spend a pleasant night
Day 2: Colonia – Calera de las Huérfanas – Bodega Zubizarreta – Bodega Irurtia
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Morning transfer to “La Calera de las Huerfanas” Visit of the old Jesuit Ruins and then continue trip to Bodega Zubizarreta. Visit of the vineyards and lunch at the winery. Continue trip to Irurtia where we will visit the winery located in Carmelo. Transfer to the port of Carmelo and ferry boat to “El Tigre” in Buenos Aires.
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