Gone to pot, and now ready to climb the grape vine

A viticultural minnow is ready to take on its larger vino cousins

Is that dot of a country called Uruguay in the process of becoming a media darling or what? Recently The New York Times listed one of its wineries as one of 52 must-visit places in the world this year, and a couple of years ago The Economist magazine bestowed on it the title of Country of the Year.

First a bit about that title. The British magazine reasoned that if other countries cared to emulate some of Uruguay's accomplishments - it cited gay marriage and the legalization of the sale and consumption of cannabis - the world might be a better place. The magazine also referred to the country's laid-back president, who, it seems, lives in a very simple house and drives a VW Beetle.