There is a life, indeed there are many lives after football. He knows something the former striker of Inter Milan and the Uruguayan national team Alvaro Recoba, called El Chino (Chinese) for his appearance that the slightly almond-shaped eyes make it seem of oriental origin. After hanging up his boots (officially in 2016 at the age of 40, but he left Inter in 2007 and Serie A in 2008), the extremely talented Uruguayan playmaker has dedicated himself to many things, all worthy of note.
First he founded a completely green film production company, "Ecocinema", which makes and projects films around South America only thanks to solar energy, helping to spread socially engaged content in disadvantaged areas; then he turned into a food and wine entrepreneur, opening the restaurant "Il Giardino" in Montevideo and then became CEO of “Chino Recoba Wines”, the line of wines that carries its brand for Uruguay and for the world.
El Chino continues to deal with football only marginally: in July 2020 he was appointed by his country's football federation as director of international relations. However, Recoba, in his many guises, will not only be an ambassador for football: his latest great passion, wine, is about to arrive on the Italian market.
The official announcement was made by the left-handed former footballer, via his social channels: "I am very happy to tell you that my wines will soon be sent to Italy, with a special label for Italy", he wrote on Instagram. “Chino Recoba Wines” is a 100% Uruguayan winery, which wants to enhance the local tradition, young (the wine arrived in Uruguay only in the second half of the nineteenth century, with European immigration) but no less promising, and at the same time "inspired" by the career of its founder.
The wines produced for now are two reds: a Tannat 2017 Antigua Bodega it's a Cabernet-Sauvignon 2016 Establecimiento Juanicó. The first is described as follows: “intense purple color with purplish reflections. On the nose stand out aromas of red fruits, preserved quince and notes of chocolate, coffee and vanilla. In the mouth it has smoky notes. Its balanced acidity, volume and structure give it a long and persistent finish. Shallow sandy clay on pink granite”.
These instead are the characteristics of the second: “intense purple colour, with little evolution until 2016. Aromas of fresh blue fruit, peppers and some aromatic herbs. The concentration of grapes is noticeable on the palate, with sweet tannins and a long finish. The grapes come from the center of the village El Carmen, Durazno”.
