Winery Profile: Dominio del Plata

When Susana applied to study enology, no woman had ever earned a degree in winemaking in Argentina.  In 1981 she graduated as the first female winemaker in the country, and just for added flair she did so with honors. It was an untraditional path for a young woman from a very traditional Italian family.  But it was also the path that would take her, years later, to a winery all her own: Dominio del Plata.

What began as Susana´s vision quickly turned into a family affair: her son and daughter, Jose and Ana Lovaglio, joined her team and now work as winemaker/ export manager and marketing manager.  Located in the Agrelo region of Luján de Cuyo, today the winery produces over 2 million liters destined for 36 different international markets, with most of the juice winding up in hands of wine drinkers in the US, Canada, Brazil and the UK.

Dominio del Plata´s wine portfolio features four distinct wine labels.  Though the myth says otherwise, deciphering a winery´s portfolio of wine brands is as much about personality as it is about price.

Crios is Dominio´s entry-level line, featuring primarily young, fruit-forward varietals. The BenMarco line is one step up, and features wines aged in the winery´s collection of 200 oak barrels, and fits into a more traditional Argentine wine style (strong concentration and up-front fruit aromas).  The wines that carry Susana Balbo´s name however, are an extension of her elegance, with high concentration, complexity, and finesse.

On the top shelf, sits the iconic line: Nosotros, “We”, and with mature notes of a robust and complex Malbec, the wine pays homage to the many hands, hearts, and minds that are work behind the scenes.  Such a big undertaking could only have been accomplished by such a powerful wine.  And it´s delicious to boot.

“The idea is that the wine consumer understands the difference between a 50 peso wine and a 600 pesos wine; that they understand how we produce different wine styles here at the winery and the difference our decisions make,” says Leticia, manager of hospitality and tourism.

To accompany their ample wine portfolio, Susana and family established an elegantly quaint restaurant, Osadia de Crear, which literally means “dare to create.”  The restaurant offers a variety of dishes inspired by the intersection of Argentine and Mediterranean cuisines.  On the menu are items such as Caprese salad, roll of suckling goat, and a cheese and sweets dessert plate, which features a contrasting collection of traditional Mendoza flavors.  Head Chef Jose Cacciavillani also offers a picnic option that wine lovers can enjoy right in the vineyard itself.

And the picnic goers are truly onto something.  After a tour through the 4 wine brands and a delicious bite to eat at Osadia de Crear, the perfect place to finish the day is sitting in the midst of the vineyards.  With a glass of wine in hand, only there can a wine lover appreciate the tenacity, elegance and raw potential of the grapevine – a story that eerily parallels the life of the woman winemaker who created so much.

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