We have our roots in Patagonia and in the wine industry that dates back over 150 years. Coming from two very different origins, Bodega del Cuarzo seems to be the synthesis of those two powerful forces. On my grandmother’s side, Melchor Concha y Toro started her winery in 1883, and just a few years later, in 1875, José Menéndez had begun his wool production and shipping company in the distant Patagonia. The stories of how these two individuals worked hard to create their businesses intertwine in dinner conversations throughout the generations. I have come to believe that the coincidence of these two pioneers, who were thousands of miles apart but nearly at the same time successfully developed their enterprises, was the mysterious merging force that led to the creation of Bodega del Cuarzo.

Patagonia was the place where we spent summers during my childhood and where I traveled many times in my youth. It was always a place where I truly felt at home. Amidst the windy flat hills, vast open spaces, and towering mountains where distances are only surpassed by an infinite sky, the idea of establishing a winery gradually began to materialize. My career in the world of wine began when, at a young age, I joined Dr. Nicolás Catena’s winery and discovered alongside him the fascinating world of wine that has become my life. I learned from him all the intricacies of cultivating the best grapes, producing the finest wines, and above all, never giving up in the pursuit of excellence.

From wine distribution, the next logical step for our company was to find a unique place to create a new winery. A place where we could produce something truly exceptional. Almost by magical coincidence, the puzzle pieces fell into place.

Viñedo Araucana, where the soil glows on the southern bank of the Rio Negro. That glow originates from a unique process. When it rains, the canyons fill up and the runoff releases the quartz captured in the cliffs. As always in Patagonia, the wind does its part: it scatters the pulverized quartz at the foot of the cliffs as it brushes against other stones. It is where the soil shines that the winery is settled.

Ribera del Cuarzo takes its name from this unparalleled phenomenon.