VIDEO: Wine Review: 03/07/2026 - Ep.34: Bodegas Y Vinedos Alto de la Ballena Reserva Red Blend 2018
- DoctaDrake
- Mar 7
- 2 min read
Follow the link below to watch the video for this wine review:
History:
In the late ’90s, Paula Pivel and Alvaro Lorenzo set out to build something small but meaningful in Maldonado, down in southeastern Uruguay. They weren’t industry veterans, just people who loved good wine and wanted to create a place where great grapes and a beautiful landscape could come together.
They spent months studying the land, looking for the right mix of soil, climate, and topography. That search eventually led them to nearly twenty hectares in the Sierra de la Ballena, just a few kilometers from the ocean and Punta del Este.
They planted their first vines in 2001 and kept expanding until they reached eight hectares planted to Merlot, Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Viognier. Their first harvest came in 2005, and by 2007 their wines were officially on the market.
Today, Alto de la Ballena has grown into a respected boutique producer. You’ll find their wines in top restaurants and specialty shops throughout Uruguay—especially in Montevideo and Punta del Este—and they’ve begun expanding abroad, with placements in Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, and soon the U.S., Belgium, Switzerland, and Argentina.
A Choice of Life:
When Paula and Alvaro launched this project, they weren’t just starting a winery, they were choosing a whole new way of living. They blended their business backgrounds with a growing passion for wine and built a small, hands‑on venture that tied together agriculture, winemaking, and a bit of destination tourism. And to do it right, they picked a pretty remarkable spot: the Sierra de la Ballena, just outside Punta del Este.
Their work ended up reviving Maldonado’s long‑lost winemaking tradition, something first sparked by Francisco Piria over a century ago. And they didn’t stay alone for long. Over the years, new producers have popped up across the region, from the Sierra de las Ánimas to Carapé, Garzón, and around Pueblo Edén. Today, a mix of small family wineries and major agro‑industrial players has helped put Maldonado back on the map as one of Uruguay’s top wine regions.
Here is their website to check out their portfolio:
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