Sommeliers Turn Winemakers #1

Sommelier Agustina de Alba on making her first wine.

The fact that she has twice been anointed Argentina’s top sommelier – first at the tender age of 20 then, again, four years later – shows the depth of Agustina de Alba’s commitment to her profession. 

Agustina de Alba and Juampi Michelini.
Agustina de Alba and Juampi Michelini.

Managing front of house at Aramburu since its 2011 opening – a Buenos Aires establishment ranking 14 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014 list – she has also designed wine lists for sister restaurant Bis as well as Harturo in Recoleta. Agustina’s first foray into winemaking is Blanc de Alba, a white blend made in collaboration with Zorzal Wines’ oenologist Juan Pablo Michielini.

Departures: How did the idea of making your own wine emerge?

Agustina de Alba: The truth is, I never intended to make my own wine! It was a natural progression, which worked out with winemaker Juan Pablo ‘Juampi’ Michelini. We got talking about our ideal wine and we both said we’d like a white blend, as strong as a red and that is versatile yet complex. That’s when we said: “We have to make a wine together.”

For the rest of this piece, please visit Departures.

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