The name TanTerrra is derived from a combination of “Tan” from the word Tannat, which itself is derived from the word tannins, and “Terra”, which is Latin for “earth”.
TanTerra is owned by three partners, all wine lovers that found surprise and intrigue when they discovered Tannat and the unheralded terroir of Uruguay. We began our journey, like most, with our familiarity and education with wines from the legendary terroirs of the world.
After some years we began to seek out new wine experiences; new horizons for our palates. Like you, we were introduced to “new” terroirs that have more recently taken the world stage such Barossa Valley, Coonawarra and McLaren Vale in Australia, Paarl and Stellenbosch in South Africa and Priorat in Spain.
More recently, the wine world has discovered “new” varietals from “new” terroirs including Malbecs from Mendoza, Argentina and Carmenere from the Casablanca, Maipo and Rapel Valleys in Chile.
These varietals have been around for centuries, as have the terroirs from which they originate, but only in the past few decades have advances across the fields of methodology and growing practices, combined with innovations in equipment and processes, enabled wines from these regions to achieve the taste profiles, quality levels and structure that are demanded by wine enthusiasts and consumers around the world today.
The road to TanTerra began in 2003, while visiting Uruguay, where we were introduced to the big, powerful Tannats and the famous and flavorful free range beef of Uruguay. Finding a “real gem” among the many vintners in Uruguay proved to be a daunting task, as most of the wineries there produce wines for domestic consumption that are, typically, not of export quality, nor do many of them possess a taste profile that is appealing to palates that are not acclimated or accustomed to such strong, prolific tannins and the highly astringent qualities that are common and characteristic of those wines.
So we set out on a mission of discovery, to find the best winemakers and stewards of Tannat. The result of six years of discovery, discussion and development is these methodically hand crafted luxury cuvees of Uruguay, brought out of the country within the brand family named TanTerra.
After years of development and constant labor we have arrived at wines that achieve that we sought: an exceptional and unique balance between strength and grace that delivers a new kind of wine experience.
Together, the grape and the earth have taught us how to craft perfectly balanced wines that deliver a magnificent blend of the prolific power of Tannat and the deep concentrated flavors and supple complexity that are the benchmarks of great classic wines from around the globe.
Our goal is to bring these new wine treasures to you and wine lovers the world over. We hope you enjoy them.