New Vines from Uruguay.

• Author: Luxner, Larry

When a connoisseur mentions South American wine, consumers think of Argentina, Chile, or Brazil--rarely Uruguay. Fernando Deicas, president of Establecimiento Juanico, would like to change that. His company recently signed a joint venture with French distributors William Pitters and announced it would invest $1 million to buy land to boost production of a little-known variety called Tannat Merlot.

Introduced to Uruguay in 1870 by Don Pascual Harriague, the variety adapted beautifully, and today Uruguayan production of Tannat Merlot has surpassed that of its French counterpart.

"Tannat lets us offer something distinct to the world, a wine with its own personality," says Deicas. "It's very important in an age where people are tired of the same varieties and the same tastes."

Establecimiento Juanico--one of eight Uruguayan wineries that ships its products abroad--accounts for 45 percent of the country's total wine exports. The company's main red varieties are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noire, and Tannat. Its white varieties include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chenin, French Colombard, Muscat de Frontignan, and Viogner.

"Uruguay started emerging strongly into the world wine market in the 1990s," according to INAVI, a Montevideo-based wine cultivation institute established in 1987. "The introduction of new vine strains in the 1980s, in addition to more open...