Attendees Experience Local Cuisine and the Terroir Behind Premium Wines Made with Integrity
GARZÓN, Uruguay (March 25, 2020) – Bodega Garzón, a family-owned, state-of-the-art winery located in the idyllic countryside of Garzón, Uruguay, and founded by international vintner Alejandro P. Bulgheroni, hosted a special harvest festival celebration blending vineyard and winery experiences, outstanding cuisine and the local beauty and charm of Garzón on Saturday, March 7, 2020. Named ‘New World Winery of the Year’ in 2018 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Bodega Garzón is the first in the world to achieve LEED silver certification for its entire facility. Its harvest festival bears testament to a vision – led by Bulgheroni and guided by influential international winemaker Alberto Antonini – of placing innovation and nature in harmony, evoking the soil’s energy and reflecting it in delicately nuanced, distinctly Uruguayan wine. The March 7 event showcased the harvesting and reception of grapes, a winery tour, dramatic presentation of open-flame cooking by internationally acclaimed chef Francis Mallmann, and a candlelit communal meal in which Chef Mallmann, Bodega Garzón’s Executive Chef Ricki Motta, and a talented team served an exquisite menu to over 300 guests in the Plaza de Pueblo Garzón.
“Here in Garzón, we always have our sights set on the winery’s bright future. Given what we learned during the harvest festival, the 2020 vintage will have outstanding quality, so we look forward to sharing with Bodega Garzón supporters and beyond,” said Christian Wylie, managing director of Bodega Garzón.
Attendees kicked off the festival by participating in the harvest, exploring vineyards where exceptional soil based in granite provides the energy, minerality, tension and elegance in Bodega Garzón wines. The property is divided into over 1,000 individual blocks that follow the vineyard’s topography, each one having its own microclimate, with different orientations, sun exposure and soil characteristics. Vines are grafted in a complex way in harmony with the heterogenous environment, with surrounding elements of woods, palms, rocks and grasses providing a natural balance for the grape and development of aromas. Geared toward enhancing biodiversity and blending into the immediate environment, the winery itself is designed as faithful to the land, built from local stone and glass and with sweeping views of vineyards, rolling hills, ponds and fields from where it is sits atop a rocky outcrop, tucked into the hills. Fully immersed in this natural environment and surrounded by native forests and palm trees, festival guests carefully cut grapes under the technical instruction of Bodega Garzón’s agricultural engineer Eduardo Félix.
After exploring the vineyards and learning how the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and ocean breeze influence creates ideal conditions for the maturation and high-quality of the grapes, guests enjoyed a guided tour inside the winery for an unveiling of the winemaking process. The winery’s enologist, Germán Bruzzone, explained each step, from the moment the grape enters the building to its vinification. At Bodega Garzón, which is the first sustainable winery outside of North America to achieve LEED Certification and the first in the world to achieve LEED certification for the entire facility, across winemaking and hospitality, each stage of this process is carried out in accordance to the most rigorous standards, using innovative techniques for the protection and efficiency of energy resources.
Toward the end of the afternoon, the visitors were welcomed by the Bulgheroni family in the square of Pueblo Garzón, where celebrity chef Francis Mallmann showcased the Seven Fires technique of his open-fire cooking method, inspired by the Argentine gaucho way of grilling. Mallmann created the menu concept as Culinary Director at The Restaurant at Bodega Garzón, a restaurant embodying the spirit of Uruguayan culture and purity of the land with its showcase of local flavors and ingredients capturing the spirit of each season. The restaurant’s Executive Chef Ricki Motto joined Mallmann and a team of chefs to serve festival attendees a delicious feast paired with Bodega Garzón’s wines. The night culminated with a highly sensorial experience lit by candlelight and the glow from Mallmann’s fires. Blending food, wine, and local culture with the magic of Garzón, the harvest festival was a unique experience enjoyed by visitors from all around the globe, signaling another milestone success for a winery that continues making history in Uruguay and beyond.
About Bodega Garzón
Bodega Garzón is a family-owned, state-of-the-art winery located in Garzón, Uruguay and pioneered by Alejandro P. Bulgheroni, producing premium wines from estate-grown, sustainably farmed grapes. The winery’s inauguration in March 2016 represented a major milestone in Bulgheroni’s quest to elevate Bodega Garzón to world-class status and establish the winery as one of the leading South American producers of premium wines. Leading the charge in winemaking innovation, varietal experimentation, and sustainability, Bodega Garzón is focused primarily on Tannat, Uruguay’s national grape, but works with many other varietals and clones and is one of the few producers of Albariño in the country.
Bodega Garzón sets new benchmarks for elegance of design, modern technology, and sustainable practices as the first winery outside North America to comply with the strict requirements set by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), and the first winery in the world to earn LEED certification for its entire facility, including winemaking and hospitality.
Bodega Garzon also boasts an exclusive, members-only venue that goes far beyond the wine experience, South America’s newest private club The Garzón Club. The Garzón Club’s members gain access to incredible experiences including the opportunity to join Garzón Tajamares, the exclusive PGA TOUR preferred 18-hole golf club designed by Masters and U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera; educational seminars on creating a proprietary wine from famed winemaker Alberto Antonini; private dining privileges at The Restaurant at Bodega Garzón conceived by celebrity chef Francis Mallmann; unrivaled access and private tastings at any of the Bulgheroni Family Portfolio wineries including Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate (St. Helena, Napa Valley, California), Renwood Winery (Sierra Foothills, Amador County, California), Bodega Vistalba (Mendoza, Argentina), Bodega Sarmiento (Chubut, Patagonia), Dievole (Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy), Podere Brizio (Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy), Poggio Land (Montalcino, Tuscany), Chateau Suau (Capian, Bordeaux, France), and Alkina Estate, Greenock, Barossa Valley, Australia); and future hotel, beach and equestrian developments. For more information please visit www.bodegagarzon.com.
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