The list of names of wine makers and agricultural engineers that made enormous contributions to the industry is very long and would far exceed the margins of this article. Some of them gained public notoriety, but many others have worked silently contributing to the creation of what makes us proud today. In this article we would like to highlight some of icons of the industry, as well as young professionals who are giving the industry new imprints.
Let’s start with a little history.
The first vines arrived in Mendoza at the hands of the Spanish priests. They were planted around the churches for preparing wine for the Holy Mass. In time, the winemakers were the ones who designed what are today some of the most recognized wines on the planet.
Michel Aimé Pouget kicked things off. Born in France in 1821, he was an agricultural engineer who settled in Mendoza in 1853, at the invitation of Mendoza Governor Pedro Pascual Segura. Together with Justo Castro, they planted numerous grape varieties from France. Among them was Malbec, today the flagship variety of Mendoza and Argentina.
Malbec was very popular with the old winegrowers because of its high yield, health and the good color. During those years, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento gave a great boost to the viticulture of Mendoza, creating the Quinta Normal, the first agriculture school of the area with Michel Pouget as head of the project.
Later on, in 1897, the Ministry of Public Education of Argentina created by decree the School of Viticulture of Mendoza where the first wine professionals of Argentina and Latin America graduated from. Since 2005, Mendoza celebrates the Winemaker’s Day on May 5, which is the date of the signature of that decree.
Legacy, influences and modernization by contemporary winemakers
Raúl and Roberto de la Mota –father and son- are some of the emblematic characters of winemaking in Argentina. Raúl was the first winemaker in the country to make make wine by variety. He was recognized worldwide as the best Argentine winemaker of the 20th century. He was convinced that innovation is the key to produce good wines. Roberto earned his own name among the best in the country’s winemaking and was the responsible for establishing Terrazas de los Andes as a great winery of high-end wines.
More than 30 years ago, when nobody spoke about terroir in Argentina, a group of producers from Luján de Cuyo, led by Roberto, created the first Controlled Designation of Origin (DOC) in Argentina and America, with a focus on Malbec. Today, these “guardians,” with a renewed spirit and vision, continue the task of preserving the identity of this region and variety.
From a younger generation, the work of Alejandro Vigil shines with a bright own light. Perhaps the most recognized winemaker on the continent, he is currently responsible for the wines of Catena Zapata and of El Enemigo. His creativity and precision in the vineyards and the winery, has been transferred to the kitchen of his Casa El Enemigo Restaurant, awarded with a recognition from the Michelin Guide.
Women and their role in Mendoza’s wine industry
Women are also protagonists of the wine industry in Mendoza. Many of them have been inspired by Susana Balbo, the first female graduate in oenology in the country. Susan leads the winery that bears her name, where she works with her children and a great team led by Edy Del Pópolo, one of the most renowned agronomists in the region.
Nowadays, more and more women are entering the world of Mendoza wine, some of them leading teams in large establishments like Ana Paula Bartolucci, who in 2024 became the new Chef de Cave of Bodega Chandon Argentina.
For Bartolucci, winemaking in Mendoza has already come a long way, because wine and its industry are already part of the roots of the province. They are part of its culture and tradition. “I think that in our history, adapting and being able to keep innovation in mind has been very important, because that is what allows us to continue studying and improving what our soil gives us. In the end, we want to translate what Mendoza is into a glass of wine,” concluded Ana Paula.
Text and Photo Credits: EMETUR, Tourism Board of Mendoza