Alto de la Ballena

Alto de la Ballena is located in beautiful Uruguay, which has its very own maritime wine landscape nestled between Brazil and Argentina between the 30th and 33rd parallels south. With coasts on the Atlantic Ocean and the Río de la Plata, the topography is characterized by rolling plains and low mountains. The temperate climate is very suitable for winegrowing, and not only for Alto de la Ballena. Uruguay's wine-growing regions enjoy the best conditions, as do the best wine-growing regions of the southern hemisphere (Chile, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia).

Alto de la Ballena, right on the Atlantic Ocean, not far from Montevideo, inscribes itself in a winemaking tradition that dates back to the 19th century. Alto de la Ballena is located in the southeast of the country, in the department of Maldonado, very close to the sea and to Punta del Este, the most important tourist center of the country.

The history of Alto de la Ballena

in 1998, the couple Paula Pivel and Alvaro Lorenzo decided to create a small winery in the department of Maldonado, in the southeast of Uruguay.

With no experience other than that of consuming good wines, they set out to find a place that combined the ability to grow grapes, beautiful landscapes and a good location. The selection of the terroir, taking into account the topography, soil and climate, was crucial to achieve excellent quality grapes, essential for the production of quality wines at Alto de la Ballena.

Several months of research, consultation and studies bore fruit. In 2000, they acquired almost twenty hectares in the Sierra de la Ballena, just a few kilometers from the sea and Punta del Este.

The first vineyard of Alto de la Ballena was planted in the spring of 2001 and in the following years it was expanded to 8 hectares. The vineyards are planted with

• Merlot
• Tannat
• Cabernet Franc
• Syrah
• Viognier

The first harvest took place in 2005 and the first wines were released in 2007.

Today, Alto de la Ballena wines can be found in specialty stores, gourmet establishments and in the best restaurants in Uruguay, especially in Montevideo and Punta del Este. In addition, the fine creations of Alto de la Ballena have made it as far as Mexico, Brazil and Sweden, the United States, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Argentina.

A decision for life

When Paula and Alvaro founded Alto de la Ballena, they chose their own lifestyle, their own path. They combined their entrepreneurial career with their vocation for wine and conceived a small agro-industrial and thematic tourism project. With this pioneering act, they revived the lost winemaking tradition of the department of Maldonado, founded by Francisco Piria more than a century ago.

A few years later, new businesses have sprung up in the region, in the Sierra de las Ánimas, in the Sierra de Carapé, in the Garzón hills and in the Pueblo Edén area. Small and family-run wineries, as well as important foundations of prestigious large companies, ensure that Maldonado is associated with the great wines of the country.