Wines of Argentina Celebrates 20 Years
This month, Argentine wine lovers had a very important cause for celebration. On May 15th, Wines of Argentina celebrated its 20th birthday and hosted a gala to benefit the CONIN organization that serves malnourished children in Latin America.
Photo courtesy of Wines of Argentina.
Susana Balbo, president of WofA, presenting Dr. Albino, president of CONIN with a donation.
Twenty years ago Argentina was little more than a country nearly falling off the map in terms of wine production. No few knew the name Malbec and even fewer knew that high quality wine could come out of the Andean dessert.
Over the past two decades, Argentina has nudged itself out of the margins and has, quite literally, claimed its place as an International Capital of Wine. Wines of Argentina (WofA), a small team with a surprisingly young median age, is an organization fiercely dedicated to helping Argentine wines earn the recognition they deserve.
But that has been no small, nor simple, feat. It has required the collaboration and dedication of wine lovers within and without the WofA organization. Since 1993, Wines of Argentina has positioned the collective “Argentine Wine” brand in markets at home and abroad.
And on one particularly chilly night in mid-May, their twenty years of effort was recognized by the industry it so fervently supports. Hosted in the heart of the Escorihuela Winery more than 200 guests – including local winery owners, wine professionals, and entrepreneurs – dressed in their finest, settled into an elegant evening of mingling, dining, and swirling through some of Mendoza’s finest wines. After all, only at such an event would wine-stained smiles and black tie attire be nothing more than par for the course.
Photo courtesy of Wines of Argentina.
The ceremony recognized the efforts of the past 20 years of WofA leadership, loudly applauding the efforts of each past president: Eduardo Garat, Roberto Luka, Alberto Arizu, and Susana Balbo, current president of the organization.
“20 Years Ago, 12 wineries began working chasing a dream. The dream was to create the ´Argentina´ wine category. Today, wines of Argentina has over 200 members and 5% of the world market share, results made possible by the excellent work of successive executive committees, the group of professionals who make up the management team, and deep dedication to service that unites all entrepreneurs who make up this organization,” said Susana Balbo, President of WofA.
Photo courtesy of Wines of Argentina.
The current Wines of Argentina team with past presidents of the organization.
Photo courtesy of Wines of Argentina
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