In the midst of an exceptional context, in Uruguay we will not only remember this year for the pandemic we are facing worldwide, but it will also represent the year that gave us the best grape harvest in the last 20 years.
This was announced by the National Institute of Viticulture (INAVI), an exceptional year not only for the quantity, but especially for the quality of the grapes harvested. Some 93 million kilos of grapes were harvested, 9% more than in 2019, this amount will allow the production of around 68 million liters of wine. This encourages the production of very good wines, both white and red, young with a good chromatic profile and wines for ageing with the right balance of maturity.
This will also be an opportunity to strengthen the positioning of Uruguayan wines abroad. Uruguay has been working for years to gain a place in international markets, and as the president of INAVi, José Lez, explains, “the world does not consume our national wines because they come from Uruguay, they do so because they are good. That is the niche we want to continue betting on and promoting.” Lez concludes that “the good news is that this harvest allows us to follow our roadmap, continue betting on exports and consolidate the domestic market.”
What were the conditions that allowed this exceptional harvest?
The main factor that promoted this unique harvest was the climate. Although Uruguay has a privileged climate for winemaking, the weather conditions recorded in each season favored an ideal formation of the grapes.
Fernando Pettenuzzo, president of the Association of Oenologists of Uruguay (AEU) explains that this season the conditions were perfect for harvesting exceptional grapes: “Starting in December, when rainfall began to decrease and a drought set in throughout the territory, the plants had to start working harder to find nutrients and moisture, and that leads to a smaller fruit size, a fairly high sugar content, balanced acidity and a low pH. All of that, oenologically speaking, is a kid’s dream.”
What can we wine enthusiasts do to take advantage of this historic opportunity?
It is clear that the wines made from this vintage will be truly memorable. Pettenuzzo explains that “they will be wines to keep, to mark, to leave in our cellar and say I have wines from the 2020 vintage.”
Another factor to take into account is that all our table wines will be great wines this year, it will be a pleasure for the consumer to have a top quality wine for the same price. Eduardo Felix, who is in charge of the vineyards at Bodega Garzón, explains that “the harvest was so good that in the segment of more accessible wines, there will not be class B or class C, there will be all A”, that is, wines of very good quality.
How can we taste the difference in quality that experts predict for this harvest?
The best way to do this is by comparing this vintage with the previous one, which is why this is the ideal time to go out and buy our favorite varietals from the 2019 harvest, save them and compare them with those from 2020.
By having both varietals at home, we can uncork them experimentally, start comparing and looking for differences. This will give us a unique tasting experience.
