Tannat is the most planted grape variety in Uruguay : a bold, red grape of southwest France that found its spiritual home in South American soil. Yet Tannat was slower to catch in terms of worldwide recognition. This is partly because of production volume, but mostly due to winemaking practices that tended to result in overly-extracted wines, which exacerbated Tannat’s highly tannic structure.

With a generational shift among winemakers in the past decade or so, however, “Uruguayan wines are primarily in the profile of what the consumer seeks today,” says Evan Goldstein, a master sommelier and president of Full Circle Wine Solutions. These wines are “fresh and bright, due to the majority of wine country’s proximity to water, and showing a nice stylistic mix of the traditional—led by multigenerational family wineries—and the new younger generation’s approaches,” Goldstein says. Innovation in the realms of carbonic maceration, natural wine, pét-nats, amphorae and blending are also on the rise.

All told, exports of Uruguay’s wines have increased fourfold over the past 20 years, according to data shared by Uruguay Wine. Similarly, bottle production has increased over bulk wine production, with 10% of its output making its way to North America.

While there’s less need to travel to get a taste of Uruguayan wine these days, it’s still worth the flight. Montevideo, where a majority of Uruguay’s winemaking takes place, boasts what few wine regions can: the cultural and gastronomic vibrancy of a capital city coupled with beachfront access.

“Not to mention the great beef—the best on the continent,” says Goldstein. “And virtually always a seamless match for their ample amounts of Tannat and Tannat-based wines.”