Susan Balbo is the first woman winemaker in Argentina. She manages her own vineyard in Mendoza and has gained international recognition.

Susan Balbo Winemaker in Mendoza

The international recognition of my wines is my greatest success as a winemaker, the fruit of my efforts and of many years of hard work. I can say that my business is like my third child, a dream come true.

– Susana Balbo

A CAREER PATH CHOSEN BY DEFAULT

Born into a traditional family, Susana initially renounced her destiny. When she was young, she wanted to study Nuclear Physics at Bariloche. But her parents were opposed to this – at the time – unconventional preference and refused to allow her to leave Mendoza. By default, she found herself pursuing a career in the family wine business. She was the first woman to study viticulture and oenology in Mendoza and thus, fell in love with the world of wine.

 

AN EXCEPTIONAL CAREER

In 1981, Susana was awarded her diploma in oenology and began her career in the vineyard of Michel Torino, in the town of Cafayate in the Salta region. She took on the development and promotion of the Torrontes grape variety. Following this, she continued her career, working for several renowned vineyards, such as Martins and Catena Zapata.

In 2012, she was recognised as one of the World’s “Most Influential Winegrowers” by The Drink Business magazine. Later, in 2015, she was awarded “Woman of the Year” by the same magazine. More recently, in 2018, she was again honoured by the magazine which included her in their list of the “10 Most Influential Women in the World of Wine”.

 

INTERNATIONALLY EXPERIENCED

Throughout her career as a winemaker, Susana has worked internationally. She was the first Argentinian woman to be hired as a consultant by a variety of worldwide winemakers: from Spain and Italy through Chile and Brazil and on to Australia and California. This variety of experiences has enabled her to always stay ahead of the curve in terms of market trends and the emergence of new types of wine.

In 1999 her professional experience culminated in the creation of her own company, Susana Balbo Wines, the realisation of her long-held dream of owning her own cave and creating her own wines.