alto de la ballena vineyards

We made an appointment with Paola by email to visit the vineyard on a Saturday. Coming from Punta del Este, it takes about 30 minutes to reach the vineyard. The Ruta 12 exit from the Ruta Interbalnearia is well-marked but make sure you measure 16.4 km to reach the entry gate. We found the gate with the Alta de la Ballena sign to be locked but we entered at the next gate to the south which was labelled "El Piñón" and travelled past one intersection of dirt roads until we found signs directing where to park. The view from the rustic tasting deck is lovely, Paola is friendly and knowledgeable, and the wines and cheeses were perfect. Our 7-year-old was treated to some fresh grapefruit juice while the adults enjoyed the wines (there was no charge for him). The tour made a very welcome change from the crowds on the peninsula and on the beaches. I found the prices reasonable too. I definitely recommend you take the time to book a visit at this lovely small winery.

We did a private tour with one of the owners, Paula. It was great, we learned a ton and drank so much wonderful wine. I had found Tannat, Uruguay's regional wine a little acidic for my palate but they had some wonderful blends of it that I loved. Paula gave us a wonderful tour of her property in English, she was clearly very intelligent and was super friendly. My only warning is that it cost us $50 usd each way to cab it there from downtown Punta del Este. You are probably much better off renting a car.

After visiting 10 wineries in Uruguay , Alta de la Ballena was one of my very favorite experiences. The view from the remote hilltop tasting room was stellar and all of the wines were delicious. The owners took us on a walking tour of their vines. Lovely lovely day!

My wife and I were very, very lucky to get a private tour and tasting with Paula on our recent visit to the Punta del Este region. . . . . Some of the (many) best parts:* Wonderful Host -- As noted in numerous previous reviews, Paula is a gem. A former investment banker from Montevideo, she and her husband started Alto de la Ballena from scratch in 2000, and her passion for it is infectious.* Excellent Wine -- The tastings feature anywhere between 4-6 wines, and they are all damned good. Rose, Tannat, and many more. Personally, I loved the Merlot (the taste, per Paula, is infused by the limestone upon which the vines rest), and brought some back to the US with us. . . . Paula also provides a diverse array of bread and cheeses, too. * Learning Experience -- Paula brought us to her vines and took the time to explain to us how the wine making process really works, leveraging her personal experience to cover topics ranging from grape growing strategies to production challenges. * Beautiful. Absolutely Beautiful -- You well never find a more perfect spot then the tasting deck, which overlooks not only the vineyard but also a nearby lagoon. Schedule your tour/tasting during sunset if you get a chance.Definitely visit Alto de la Ballena, and buy some wine! You won't regret it.

Alto de la Ballena is strikingly beautiful. We toured the vineyard in a very small group with one of the owners, Paula, who speaks excellent English. She's knowledgeable and pleasant, and the wines are delicious...especially the Tannat Viogner blend. The drive out and view are spectacular. We enjoyed the visit very much.

Simply put: if you are around Punta del Este, don't miss this tour. Tips: 1) Choose at least the 5 glass tasting. Comes with cheese platter (the blue cheese and brie are the delicious, and from a local shop down the road); 2) give yourself some time in case you get lost. We got lost and showed up about 40 minutes late; 3) try to go during sunset, and choose this sunset instead of drinks at Club Hotel Casapueblo on Punta Ballena (if you can't do both).

The Alto de la Ballena vineyard is the best thing in Punta del Este. Forget about all the "miami" style, snobish and arrogant tourists of Punta and go to Alto de la Ballena. The vineyard is on a hill and the place where the tasting occurs is on the top of it, so the view is incredible. The wine is very good. They are a small, family winery, and Paula, one of the owners, is the person who welcome you. She is very passionate about it.

We hardly ever bring alcohol back from an international trip (too much trouble plus potential luggage charge), but we brought 5 bottles back because it's not yet sold in the US. Great wine paired with some great cheese as well!

If you ever have the chance to enjoy a dinner paired with their wines at Alto de la Ballena you should not miss the opportunity. The chef does an amazing job on all the dishes, featuring local food, and the desert is not to be overlooked either. Naturally all this is to show off the wines, which indeed it does to great effect.

We read about Alto de la Ballena on TripAdvisor and had to check it out for ourselves. Because it was late in the season, we were worried it would be closed to tours, but one e-mail to Paola resulted in a reservation for a tour and tasting within 24 hours. My friends and I could not be more pleased. The tour was small and intimate -- only five of us -- with a brief walking tour and great history of the vineyard and the wines. We tasted five wines along with a beautiful selection of cheese and bread. The views of the hillside were amazing, a nice change from the beach and sea pictures I had taken on other days in Punta del Este. You don't have to be a wine snob or an expert to enjoy this visit, but even the most discerning wine enthusiast among my friends was well satisfied with the wines.

Paola and Alvaro are lovely and its amazing to hear their story. And tasting their wines in their hilltop tasting room? It doesn't get much better.

a gorgeous drive out from Punta Del Este and a beautiful winery. the tour and tasting was wonderful and the wines are fabulous. we thought we'd come home with some malbecs from Argentina, but we used our allotment to bring these fabulous Uruguayan wines. a great afternoon.

We visited here as part of The Wine Experience tour. A lovely winery and the winemaker, Solidad , is very knowledgable and so friendly. We felt very welcome.

We first heard about the Alto de la Ballena (literally: high of the whale) winery from a visit to the tourist information booth on Punta del Este’s beachfront road. Even the concierge at our hotel had no idea it was open to visitors. Not surprising, because this little gem doesn’t appear to receive many guests. When my wife and I showed up for our reservation at four in the afternoon, we made up half of the company which provided us with a very personal interaction with Paula Pivel, the lady who started the vineyard with her husband, Alvaro Lorenzo, in 2000 after spending considerable time looking for the perfect terroir – the French wine term which loosely translates to the “placeness” where the precise combination of soil, climate, sun, and proximity to the ocean breezes and moisture offer the ideal growing conditions for certain grape varietals. The modest vineyard of eight hectares (just under 20 acres) is planted with Merlot, Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and white Viognier rootstock imported directly from France. We were treated to five of their creations, of which two clearly stood out: Their Merlot received the prestigious silver medal at the Mondial du Merlot 2010, and my personal favorite: the Tannat-Viognier, a unique blend of 85% Tannat (Uruguay’s “national grape” -- a taste I find a bit overwhelming) blended with 15% Viognier, a relatively rare white grape grown almost exclusively in the northern Rhône regions of France.There’s no formal tasting room at Alto de la Ballena. Paula poured and shared the winemaking process for each selection on a simple hilltop deck that provided unobstructed views of the vineyards and surrounding countryside. The wines were accompanied by a variety of locally made cheeses (made by Nonno Antonio, an out-of-the way cheese factory that sells directly to the public) which included a surprisingly tasty Reblochon and an ultra-creamy Petit Suisse. Although Alto de la Ballena wines are just beginning to enter international distribution channels, they can be enjoyed at selected restaurants throughout the Punta del Este area. They are a bit pricier than some of the other offerings, but both their Merlot and Tannat-Viognier are well worth seeking out. Your best value is buying a bottle or two directly from the winery.Tip: When you arrive at the gates that cryptically display a sign, “El Piñon,” you may well find them uninvitingly shut – as we did. Simply open both sets of gates and close them behind after as you drive through. For a route map from Punta del Este, see: http://altodelaballena.com/pdf/como_llegar.pdf.

Degustación y almuerzo de 70 personas. Espectacular el servicio, el clima, y sobre todo el lugar.Las fotos que compartí son desde arriba donde se hacen las degustaciones.