30% of Uruguayan grapes will be sustainable

By 2023, more than 30% of Uruguay’s wine production will be certified by the National Sustainable Wine-growing Program, and some 30 wineries will be able to identify their wines with the Sustainable Wine-growing Uruguay Certified seal, issued by LSQA (LATU + Quality Austria).

According to information from the Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura (INAVI), 162 vineyards will be certified in 2023, representing 1,846 hectares of vineyards and 31% of the total planted in the country. At the same time, 30 wineries are expected to produce wine with certified sustainable grapes, which will allow the use of the seal on their bottles.

So far this year, Uruguay has exported more than six million dollars of wine, three and a half million went to Brazil, and more than one and a half million to the United States. Other significant destinations were the United Kingdom, Poland, and Mexico. Uruguayan wines have won international awards reinforced with technology applied to sustainable and quality production, allowing all wine-growing establishments to be geo-referenced.

The history of wine in Uruguay is more than 250 years old. Located between latitude 30° and 35°, like most wine producers, the country enjoys a privileged geographical location with a subtropical and humid climate that helps production. It is identified by its unique and characteristic Tannat grape variety, which produces an elegant, intense, and characterful wine that pairs excellently with meat, another of the country’s flagship products.

Sustainable grapes

“The objective of the program is to make transparent the production processes of the grapes with which the wines are made and to guarantee to the consumer that production protocols have been followed that seek to care for the environment, working conditions, and the obtaining of innocuous raw material, without neglecting the economic viability of the undertakings, fundamental bases that enclose the concept of sustainability of the production process,” explains INAVI.

As a result, Uruguayan wines are making progress in sustainability standards with a certification that guarantees traceability and compliance with pre-established processes.

The National Sustainable Wine-growing Program seeks to promote environmentally friendly viticulture, encouraging more careful management practices that reduce the environmental impact and maximize health and safety in working conditions.

The new licensing of the Uruguay country brand under LSQA certification, which highlights the values of sustainability, leadership, and management that distinguish the country and enable companies to position their products better abroad, is now operating along the same lines. Among the first licensees was the Uruguayan winery Garzón, one of the leading wine exporters in the country.