Uruguay is not the first country that comes to mind when you think of olive oil. It should be. The department of Salto has emerged, quietly and without much fanfare, as one of South America's most interesting olive-growing regions — and the oils being produced here are beginning to attract serious attention from buyers in Europe and North America.
The key is the climate. Salto sits at a latitude roughly equivalent to South Africa's Western Cape — hot dry summers, cool winters, low humidity. The same conditions that produce great olives in Andalusia and Tuscany. Add to this the extraordinary mineral quality of Uruguay's soils, and the result is an olive that expresses itself with unusual clarity.
The predominant varieties are Arbequina and Picual, both brought from Spain. The harvest runs from April to June, when the countryside around Salto is at its most beautiful — golden light, cool mornings, the smell of cut grass and pressed fruit in the air. Several estates offer visits and tastings.