At the foot of the stunning Andes mountain range, in the Los Chacayes region of the Uco Valley, Mendoza, one finds Bodega Casa de Uco, a project that encompasses a winery, a luxury hotel and a real estate business. The estate has become a wine industry leader in the fields of sustainability, technological innovation and respect for nature. The philosophy of the Casa de Uco project is to achieve the purest and most natural expression of the distinctive terroir that is their home.
Working sustainably while respecting the natural resources of the eponymous valley is one of their main goals. Thus the Bodega Casa de Uco Plan is to conserve their surroundings, respecting the local flora and fauna. It’s no coincidence, say the project’s leaders, that their flagship wine is called Flora y Fauna and that Salvaje (wild) is their bestselling line, allowing them to combine respect for local nature and their vocation for working in as pure and natural way as possible.
Bodega Casa de Uco: a refuge of sustainability and innovation in the heart of the Uco Valley
Bodega Casa de Uco enjoy a privileged location just two miles from the main mountain range. The soils of the Uco Valley were formed by mountain erosion and are very rocky, making them ideal for viticulture. In the 19th century, the region was a crucial pass for trade across the mountains between Argentina and Chile.
The Bodega Casa de Uco ecosystem encompasses vineyards, a boutique hotel and real estate investment opportunities. This diversification makes it possible to offer a range of unique experiences to visitors, from wine tasting to luxury accommodation in the middle of the vineyards.
Since it was founded, Casa de Uco has adopted responsible agricultural and oenological practices. They received organic certification in the vineyards in 2012 and in 2016 at the winery and work tirelessly to meet the strictest international standards, such as those set by the USA and the EU. This means that the entire process, from production to sale, must be organic, including storage and distribution.
Care for resources
The Mendoza region, where the Casa de Uco is located, is facing significant challenges in the realm of water management. The winery uses drip irrigation to maximize the efficiency of their water use and also has a reservoir system to store water from snowmelt. “At Casa de Uco, water is 300 meters below the surface and the available flow only allows us to water the 72 planted hectares of vineyard. We wouldn’t be able to plant any more for irrigation from this well even if we wanted to,” says Germán Frenk, Winery Director at Bodega Casa de Uco.
In addition, the winery and hotel are equipped with solar panels that reduce energy consumption. The winery architecture is designed to take advantage of natural light to minimize the need for artificial lighting and makes use of the natural slope of the ground. The winery has won several prizes for its sustainable architecture and tourism such as the Best of Wine Tourism award. These honors highlight not just the beauty and functionality of the installations but also their commitment to sustainability.
Casa de Uco are also implementing a waste management program based on the three Rs: reduction, re-use and recycling. Organic waste is composted and recyclable materials are donated or creatively reused.
Technology and work with native yeast
Casa de Uco stand out for their innovative use of technology in the vineyard and during the winemaking process. The winery uses native yeasts isolated from their own vineyards, allowing for more natural and controlled fermentation and preserving the authenticity of the terroir. In addition, they have developed a system to monitor the soil and water levels for precise resource management.
“We also have a facility where we grow our own seedlings from our own vineyards to replace plants that break, fill gaps, and to restock the plants.”
For Frank and everyone at Casa de Uco, it’s a matter of continuous improvement. “We’ve been working to organic standards for over three years to obtain 100% organic certification. That’s our challenge this year. That doesn’t mean that we sell all our wines as organic but we do believe that it’s the right way to work.”
They’re currently in the process of obtaining sustainability certification under the Bodegas Argentinas protocol, which will open new opportunities in demanding international markets such as Scandinavia. “We’ve fulfilled good manufacturing practices and are HACCP certified,” says Frank.
So, Casa de Uco don’t just offer high quality wines that express the purity of the Uco Valley but are also leading by example in the areas of sustainability and innovation. That commitment does not just benefit consumers and the environment but also strengthens the local community, ensuring an integrated, sustainable future for everyone.
