Martina Litta is the Foreign Trade Manager of INAVI, Uruguay’s national viticulture institute. In this interview, Amanda Barnes discovers what brought Martina into the world of wine and why she gets excited when she meets someone trying Uruguayan wine for the first time.
What is your first memory in wine?
The first memory that comes to my mind is being very young, around five or six years old, and being at school learning about how wines are produced and all the processes from the vineyards to the wine glass. We received visits from a family winery in Montevideo, as the family’s children were in the same school and class, and at the end of the school year, we got to tour the winery.
What is interesting about working with Uruguayan producers in the international market?
What I find most interesting and amazing is seeing how wine people are always surprised by the quality of our wines. I like to see their faces when we do an event or we have trade and press try Uruguayan wine for the first time.
Uruguay is still relatively unknown in many markets, so watching people try our wines for the first time, and not expecting the quality that they find in the glass, is really gratifying.
Have you seen interest in Uruguayan wine grow over the years? Is there interest in any particular region or variety?
Yes, interest and knowledge about Uruguayan wines has been growing a lot over the years. Brazil and United States are our main export markets, but we also are doing very well in other markets including the UK, Sweden, Russia, Mexico, Poland, Canada, Japan and Paraguay.
What’s coming up for INAVI in 2023 that members might be interested in?
As we are every year, we will be present in ProWein Dusseldorf at stand 13A56 (Hall 13). We will also be hosting a great event in London hopefully in March… we’ll keep you posted!
And likely we’ll be back in the US soon, touring different major cities. It was nice to meet some members in Boston, DC and New York earlier this year. We will also be in ProWine São Paulo in case anyone wants to meet us there!
And, of course, members are always welcome to visit us in Uruguay 🙂
When you aren’t working on promoting Uruguayan wine, what do you like to do in your free time?
I love to be outside, in nature. I also read a lot, and really enjoy being with my friends and family. Cooking is also one of my favourite hobbies.
You can find out more about Uruguayan wine and INAVI at Uruguay.Wine
Photo: Martina Litta with Uruguay Ambassador Fernando Sandin Tusso (Left) and President of INAVI Ricardo Cabrera (Right)