The Best Wine Tours & Wineries in Uruguay

Thanks to its size and geography, it’s very easy to visit the best wineries in Uruguay.

There are around 200 wineries here and most can be found in three main wine regions all along the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic coast lines in Uruguay’s top three destinations: Colonia, Montevideo, and Punta del Este.

This guide to Uruguay wineries will be helpful whether you’re planning your entire trip around wine (I would) or if you want to squeeze a few winery tours into your Uruguay itinerary.

Uruguay Wine Tours: Best Tours & What to Expect

Wine tastings at the best wineries in Uruguay are much more complete than you may be expecting.

I remember a wine tasting at one of Texas’ best vineyards (yes, there are good wineries in Texas). It was crowded, with people bumping elbow to elbow at the bar for meticulously measured, miniscule tastings. It was hardly enjoyable and it was expensive, to boot.

I’ve always preferred Argentina’s wine tastings, where I live. They give generous pours to very reduced groups and take the time to explain what sets the winery apart. But Uruguay’s winery visits are even more slower paced than what I’ve experienced in Argentina.

Expect to spend 2-3 hours at each winery. You’ll taste 4-5 wines, full pours, enjoyed slowly with charcuterie or a meal. The winemaker (or even the owner) will meet you and take you around the vineyard and cellar.

It’s an experience.

Uruguay’s best wineries invite you into their home and show you everything they’ve got.

The best wine tours in Uruguay: Plan on visiting no more than two wineries per day. A wine tour is ideal. Work with the experts who know each vineyard personally and can coordinate logistics (including transportation, Uruguay is zero tolerance).

• Wine Explorers Uruguay: Reach out to Veronica and the team at Wine Explorers for a tailor-made Uruguay wine itinerary (whether it’s a single visit or full itinerary). They have been Uruguay’s best wine tours for over 10 years. If you’re in Uruguay long term, they offer twice monthly wine group tours. We went on two wine tours with Wine Explorers and I was grateful for their expertise.

What does it cost to visit Uruguay wineries? It can cost as low as $25-40 US for more basic tours that you arrange yourself directly with the winery. Premium tastings that include lunch or charcuterie will cost between $50-100. For the most prestigious wineries and tours that include transportation (a must with the amount of wine you will try) expect to pay around $150-200.

The Best Wineries in Uruguay

There are three main wine regions to experience the best Uruguay wineries.

• Colonia (Carmelo): The tiny village of Carmelo (one hour west of Colonia del Sacramento, 3 hours from Montevideo) is home to 7 boutique wineries on their wine trail. You can go for a relaxing weekend or even as a day trip like this one from Buenos Aires.
• Canelones (Montevideo): Half of Uruguay’s wineries are in Canelones and the outskirts of Uruguay’s capital city. Visit one or two as part of your time in the city, expect to drive about 10-45 minutes, depending on the winery.
• Maldonado: In the rolling hills outside of Punta del Este, you’ll find innovative, young wineries taking advantage of this region’s unique coastal climate. Spend a few days on the coast or visit as a day trip from Montevideo (it’s just a two hour drive).

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Boutique Wineries in Carmelo

In the Colonia department, the small village of Carmelo is home to seven boutique wineries along their wine route, all within 16 kilometers of each other.

Carmelo is one hour west of Colonia del Sacramento. If you’re tight on time you can visit as part of your day trip to Colonia from Buenos Aires. This private tour will pick you up from the port (or your hotel if you’re staying overnight) and handle everything about your winery visit in Carmelo.

Alternatively, this tour to Carmelo from Colonia includes two wineries for a more full day.

And of course, more is always better so I recommend spending a couple nights in a winery lodge like El Legado to be able to really explore Carmelo’s wineries.

The best Uruguay wineries in Carmelo:

• Narbona: Founded in 1909 on 50-hectare estate by Juan de Narbon, visit the historic estate that underwent a complete restoration in 1990 with vines being planted in 1998.
• El Legado: In the hands of the Marzuca since its 1968 founding, they always focused on high quality or quantity, with Tannat and Syrah vines brought from France. Experience the legacy of the Marzuca family at El Legado’s winery and lodging (book a room at their hotel).
• Almacén de la Capilla: Just a few kilometers outside Carmelo, this winery is run by the fifth generation of the Cordano family. They offer guided tours, tastings, lunches, lodging in a cabin among the vineyard as well as products for sale in their general store.
• Bodega Zubizarreta: Basque immigrant Pedro Zubizarreta and his son founded this family project in 1957. Today the third generation welcomes visitors into their historic Casa de Aitona.
• Bodega Pueblo Tannat: A new winery, Pueblo Tannat was founded in 2023 by Adrián Conde on the same property as his restaurant, El Quincho.

Historic Wineries in Montevideo

Uruguay’s oldest wineries are in Canelones, 40 minutes outside of Montevideo. European immigrants branched out from the capital city, planting their vineyards within a day’s ride on horseback.

Stay in Montevideo (I like this boutique hotel) and take winery day trips to Canelones.

The best wineries in Montevideo:

• Bodegas Carrau: We visited Bodegas Carrau with Wine Explorers, the Carrau family has been making wine for ten generations (originally in Catalonia Spain before Uruguay). They make elegant, high quality wines in limited quantities. A visit to Bodegas Carrau gives you insight to Uruguay’s broader European wine heritage.
• Bodega Bouza: Founded in 1942, Bouza was a pioneer in Uruguay’s wine tourism. It was one of the first wineries in Uruguay to open its doors to tourism. Book a tour and tasting to try their iconic Albariño, a fresh white varietal that is gaining a lot of traction here.
• Bodega Santa Rosa is one of Uruguay’s oldest wineries in the hands of the same family, founded in 1898 by Don Juan Bautista Passadore it is still run by members of the Passadore family. Book a tour and tasting to visit their historic underground cellar.

Innovative Wineries in Maldonado

Maldonado and its surrounding beach resorts (Punta del Este, Jose Ignacio and the like) are upscale and ritzy. This is where the money is and where the wealthy Uruguayans and Argentines go to summer year after year.

But along with miles of beautiful coastline, young and innovative wineries line the rolling hills of Maldonado countryside.

In contrast to Montevideo’s historic wineries, these vineyards are young. Alto de la Ballena was the region’s first winery, achieving their first harvest in 2005.

You can stay along the coast or at a luxury wine resort like Sacromonte Vineyard and Landscape hotel. Take day trips to explore the best Uruguay wineries along the coast.

The 3 Best Uruguay Wineries in Maldonado:

• Alto de la Ballena: Pioneers in Maldonado, Alto de la Ballena was the first winery to bring winemaking back to this region. It’s a rustic winery without the pretension you may expect from a winery that makes such exquisite wines. In the warmer months your tasting and lunch will be from the hilltop decks with expansive views of the vineyards and the Atlantic. We visited in winter with Wine Explorers (click to book a Maldonado winery tour) and enjoyed a cozy tasting next to the tanks. It was fantastic, their famous Tannat-Viognier blend is alone worth the trip.
• Viña Edén: A modern winery in Pueblo Edén, it is one of the most scenic and contemporary wineries in Uruguay, offering vineyard tours and tastings like this, and a restaurant overlooking the valley.
• Bodega Garzon: Garzon is easily Maldona’s most internationally recognizable winery, founded by Argentine entrepreneur Alejandro Bulgheroni. It spans across the Maldonado’s rolling hills and is known for its sustainable architecture, innovative winemaking, and premium Tannat and Albariño. Book this tour from Punta del Este.

History of Wine in Uruguay

Uruguay’s wine industry dates back to 1870, when French-Basque immigrant Pascual Harriague first planted Tannat vines in Salto.

Tannat thrived in Uruguay’s humid coastal climate and became the country’s signature grape. Some winemaker’s joke that Tannat actually chose Uruguay, not the other way around.

Uruguay’s wineries went largely unnoticed on the international stage and most of the wine produced was consumed locally.

But recently, that has all changed.

Uruguay’s wineries are now receiving the international attention they deserve, giving some well-deserved competition to neighboring Argentina and Chile.

Wineries here are small-scale and typically stay in the family. Almost all of Uruguay’s 180 wineries remain in the hands of their original founding family, some for 4th and 5th generations (Montevideo’s Bodegas Carrau in Montevideo is in the hands of the 10th generation!).

Uruguay is the fourth-largest wine producer in South America and the only one with an Atlantic climate.

This means more rainfall and moisture – unique challenges for local winemakers. But it also allows Uruguay to produce wines that are notably different from those coming from arid Mendoza or Salta.

Tannat: Uruguay’s Signature Grape

Tannat is Uruguay’s flagship grape.

It has a reputation for being one of the world’s most tannic grapes, which can result in a robust, astringent wine (especially when young).

Early Uruguayan Tannat was known for being a rustic and intense table wine favored by gauchos and rural workers who traditionally drank wine with their meals. It was not an easy wine to drink.

Over the past few decades, however, advances in viticulture and winemaking have transformed Tannat into the elegant, internationally acclaimed wine Uruguay is known for today.

Read More

• Uruguay Itinerary: Our 1 Week Uruguay Road Trip
• Day Trip to Colonia del Sacramento from Buenos Aires
• The Best Things to do in Uruguay
• Argentina’s Wineries & Wine Regions – Read all of my guides about Argentina’s best wineries and wine regions