Uruguay Recognizes Wine as Living Culture

Uruguay has formally recognized wine as a “living culture” in a cross-government move that brings together cultural policy, industry planning and diplomacy in an effort to reshape how the country presents one of its most important agricultural sectors.

The declaration was signed on April 22 at Palacio Santos in Montevideo by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura, known as INAVI. The program, called Vitivinicultura como Cultura Viva del Uruguay, is meant to move wine beyond its role as a product for domestic consumption and exports and place it within a broader framework of heritage, landscape, community and national identity.

Officials said the initiative is designed to create a long-term agenda that can be carried across ministries and institutions rather than remain a single-sector campaign. About 200 people, including members of the diplomatic corps, government officials and institutional representatives, attended the ceremony where the Declaración de Palacio Santos was signed.

Diego Spinoglio, president of INAVI, said the government wants to use cultural diplomacy to project the program abroad and position Uruguay as a reference point for other wine-producing countries. He said the effort would only succeed if it had broad support from cultural institutions, local communities and the wine industry itself.

INAVI will serve as the technical and sector coordinator, working with wineries, growers and local communities. The agency’s role is expected to include helping define how the program is implemented on the ground and how it connects with producers across the country.

The initiative has also received backing from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine. John Barker, its director general, said Uruguay’s commitment to promoting wine culture stood out within the organization’s membership and could offer lessons for other countries working on cultural heritage policy.

The declaration comes as INAVI’s new leadership pushes a wider restructuring of Uruguay’s vineyards. The agency is encouraging growers to replace higher-yielding varieties such as Moscatel de Hamburgo and Ugni Blanc with grapes more closely associated with fine wine production, including Tannat and Albariño. Officials are offering technical guidance and support for winery investment as part of that shift.

Nicolas Monforte, INAVI’s vice president, said the country could see about 1,000 hectares replanted over the next five years, equal to close to a fifth of Uruguay’s vineyard area. If completed, he said, it would be the largest conversion period for the country’s vineyards since the 1990s.

The strategy is aimed at reducing reliance on table wine for the domestic market and increasing production of wines with stronger export potential. That goal is tied to another reality of Uruguayan wine: more than 70% of vineyards are smaller than 10 hectares and family-run, making financial sustainability a central concern for many growers.

By linking culture policy with vineyard reform, Uruguay is trying to present wine not only as an economic sector but also as part of its public identity at home and abroad.