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. 

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.