Maldonado
wine tasting tours and winery visits

Located in southeast Uruguay is the elegant and glitzy beach resort town of Punta del Este. The upscale resort city attracts wealthy Argentines and Brazilians who flock to the high-end restaurants, extravagant hotels and beautiful coastal shores. Celebrity spotting isn’t too hard to do here either. The aboundance of things to do in Punta del Este is sure to keep you entertained for days on end, like the extraordinary Conrad Hotel for example, (the only one in South America) famous for its casino.

But aside from the endless shops, galleries, gorgeous beaches and popular handicraft market, the relaxing resort town of Punta del Este is also an ideal place for wine lovers and foodies. Make Punta del Este your base and drive just an hour away to find the impressive Bodega Garzon. It opened in 2016 and boasts an amazing 220 hectares of vineyards. The winery is positioned atop a mountain range and is absolutely breathtaking. It grows about a dozen grape varieties with some of the favourites being Albariño, Cabernet Franc and, of course, Uruguay’s treasured Tannat. Foodies must flock to the Michelin-starred restaurant set up by executive chef Francis Mallman. The menu is phenomenal.

Wine holidays here are a must, especially if you’re in Uruguay, a country that produces around 20 million gallons of wine each year - which is nearly double the volume of Oregon’s winemakers. Maldonado is the newer wine region in Uruguay and offers the finest wines. One musn't come, then leave without trying their signature variety - Tannat.