LATITUDE
LONGITUDE
subregions
Litoral Sur borders the Río Negro department to the north, the Center region to the northeast, the Metropolitan region to the southeast and the department of Montevideo to the south. This wine region encomapasses the departments of Colonia and Soriano.
According to an INAVI report, in 2022, this region had 77 vineyards. Most of these were located in Colonia, a department with 74 vineyards planted on 299 hectares. This made it the region with the third largest number of vineyards planted, representing 6.6% of the vineyards in Uruguay. The remaining three vineyards were in Soriano, planted on 3 hectares.
Regarding the most planted grapes, they are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Tannat and Ugni Blanc. The distinctive terroir of this region gives birth to elegant wines with a hreat character.
Vineyard Hectares
WINERIES
Nestled in the southern part of Uruguay lies the renowned Litoral Sur wine region, a vital hub for Uruguayan viticulture. Its landscape boasts a mesmerizing blend of rolling hills, lush green valleys, and meandering rivers, painting a picturesque scene for wine enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.
As you traverse through the undulating terrain, you'll encounter sprawling vineyards bathed in the warm sunlight, where rows of grapevines stretch endlessly towards the horizon. The proximity to rivers not only enhances the scenic beauty but also provides a favorable microclimate, crucial for grape cultivation. The gentle breeze that sweeps across the landscape carries with it the whispers of history and tradition, as winemaking has been a cornerstone of this region for generations.
In Litoral Sur, every vista tells a story of passion, perseverance, and a deep-rooted connection to the land. It's a place where nature's bounty meets human ingenuity, resulting in the creation of exquisite wines that reflect the unique terroir of this captivating region.
The Litoral Sur wine region of Uruguay experiences a temperate climate, strongly influenced by its proximity to the Uruguay River and the Rio de la Plata. The area receives annual rainfall ranging from 800 to 1,200 mm, creating ideal conditions for viticulture. The soils in this region are diverse, featuring calcareous, clayey, silty, and sandy types, enriched with sedimentary deposits from the rivers. This combination of climate
The Litoral Sur wine region of Uruguay benefits from a temperate climate influenced by the Uruguay River and the Rio de la Plata. These climatic and soil conditions are ideal for cultivating a variety of grape types, particularlyhelping to the slow ripening of Cabernet Sauvignon, which develops rich organoleptic qualities in the wines.
The Litoral Sur wine region of Uruguay boasts diverse soil types that are key for the distinctive characteristics of its wines. Here's an overview of the main soil types found in this region:
Because the wine industry in Uruguay is relatively young, the Litoral Sur region does not yet have regional sustainability programs. However, it does receive incentives from a national program focused on the production of certified grapes: the Sustainable Viticulture Program, developed by the National Institute of Viticulture (INAVI).
This program seeks to guarantee both the origin and traceability of the grapes used for wine production, to ensure that all grapes are produced using sustainable practices.
Among the practices assessed by this program are:
It should be clarified that this program also certifies wineries, although it only assesses whether or not grapes from certified vineyards are used.
The Litoral Sur wine region of Uruguay is conducive to the cultivation of various grape varieties, each with specific agricultural and climatic needs that contribute to their successful growth and development.
The Litoral Sur wine region of Uruguay is celebrated for its refined wine styles. This region is particularly known for producing high-quality Tannat and Ugni Blanc wines, añthough the wine that distinguishes this region from the rest is Cabernet Sauvignon:
Together, these wines represent the diversity of the Litoral Sur's wine production, each wine offering a unique taste of the region's rich viticultural heritage.
This wine region has a very interesting history linked to viticulture. Already in the first wine records of 1898 the region represented almost 15% of the viticulture in Uruguay, thanks to its 836 hectares of vineyards distributed among the departments of Colonia, Soriano and San Jose. However, between 1898 and 1930 there was a curious fact: while the cultivated area of vineyards increased by 40%, the area it represented in Uruguay decreased by 10%, which indicates that it did not have as significant progress as other regions. This also translated into a decrease in the participation in the total volume of wine produced: for example, Colonia, which until 1898 represented 11% of the total production, saw this number reduced to 4% until 1930.
However, from 1930 until the end of the twentieth century, the region managed to have a gradual growth, to position itself as the second most important region for the wine industry, which allowed it to have, for example, during 2022, 110 vineyards, of which 74 were concentrated in Colonia and 3 in the department of Soriano.
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