A warm welcome from Uruguay
Welcome to our new web-site. I hope you now find it much easier to get a clear idea of the wonderful selection of wines that we have available – and which is constantly changing.
I am writing this from Uruguay, the little sister of South America, when you put her beside her big brothers Argentina and Chile as far as wine production is concerned. Our people in this country are the Carrau family, who first started making wine, just outside Barcelona over two hundred and fifty years ago and moved to this country in 1930.
The main grape of Uruguay is the Tannat, which makes full-bodied red wines that are an ideal accompaniment to the national dish, grilled beef: more beef is eaten per head of population here than in any other country in the world! However there are also wide plantings of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as most of the other common varietals.
Whilst Uruguay is mainly a soccer country – they are currently the soccer champions of South America – rugby is played quite widely and there was much sympathy for Wales’ defeat at the hands of France. (The population of Uruguay is similar to that of Wales, though it is about a third bigger than England.) The national team is known as Las Teras, or the Lapwings, and they can beat all the other countries on the continent but the Pumas. This morning I went to watch a schools match Christian Brothers, the regular champions, against Monte VI, and much to everyone’s surprise, the latter team won 38-15: good rugby, but terrible refereeing! Fortunately, my host’s son was playing prop on the winning side…
Welcome again to our new web; I hope you enjoy the wines there.
Christopher Fielden.
