Estate Information:

Pisano belongs to the group of small family vignerons with an artisan tradition of making wines that reflect the character of the land and the people who make them. Family hands cultivate the grapes, taking away excess crops in productive years, taking leaves away to expose the bunches to the sun for better maturation and skin color. Small quantities of each variety allow waiting the perfect maturation to the last day. We begin picking the early maturing varieties the 10th of February and by the beginning of April we collect the last ones.

The Family Vineyards grow on clayish and calcareous soils close to the Rio de la Plata, 25 km north of Montevideo, 34° southern-latitude, benefiting from a sunny and cool Atlantic climate. We cultivate and harvest by hand 15 hectares (37 acres) of low yielding high-density Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines, besides some Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer. In very limited quantities we grow Sangiovese (Brunello di Montalcino clone), Moscato Giallo, and other Italian varieties. New plantings of Syrah, Pinot Noir and Viognier are not yet in production.

The cellar equipment has been deliberately kept basic, reflecting a philosophy of simplicity as opposed to excessive sophistication. We believe in keeping wine making as natural as possible with low sulfur dioxide levels and minimal handling. Our biggest concrete epoxy coated vat is 20.000 litters, but we normally ferment in 10.000 litter tanks. Coldwater refrigeration running through stainless steel spiral hoses cools the must allowing us to keep floral and fruity aromas of the grapes. We believe in judicious use of new oak, just enough to condiment and complement natural character of each grape. Being careful not to mask the delicate fruit aromas and flavors our terroir produces. The filling and corking of the bottles is done manually with small machines as a way to permanently inspect the high quality we aim for. After six months minimum of bottle age, labeling and packing are done by hand immediately prior to dispatch. Our Family produces only 200,000 fine handcrafted bottles a year, locally and internationally awarded at OIV sponsored contests.

More than three centuries of grape growing tradition in the old Italy back up the Pisano Family in the noble task of producing fine handcrafted wines of high quality. In Uruguay history begins in 1870 with Francesco Pisano. Today the Pisano Family Winery is one of the most prestigious in our country. We produce flavorful, long lasting wines with distinctive Uruguayan character, oriented to the high quality niche of the market.