Since it first arrived in Argentina, Sommellerie has proved fertile ground for the development of new women professionals in the industry. And they were a great success from the beginning, as the careers of Marina Beltrame, Flavia Rizzuto, Paz Levinson, Valería Gamper, Agustina de Alba and the most recently named Best Sommelier in Argentina, Andrea Donadio, to name just a few women sommeliers from Argentina, go to show.
The above are just a few of the many notable women sommeliers from Argentina who are also key to the work of Women of Argentina, a WofA initiative aimed at raising the profile of the women of the sector, bringing together a range of activities whose goals are to improve equality, inclusiveness, gender support and the prevention and eradication of violence against women.
12 women sommeliers from Argentina
Judith Barengo
Originally from the province of Córdoba and passionate about promoting wine, Judith is on the sommelier staff of Norwegian Cruise Lines, working at the cruise ships’ restaurants and arranging on board tastings. Thanks to her training as a presenter, she spent nine years on the radio program “Más Vinos que Nunca” (More Wines than Ever) – the winner of a Martín Fierro Federal award – and in 2021 presented wine spots on the Telefé Córdoba channel.
Juliana Carrique
Juliana moved to Europe at a very young age to work in the gastronomic big leagues. A graduate of the Argentine School of Sommeliers, in Buenos Aires she worked with Gonzalo Aramburu until moving on to Mirazur, chef Mauro Colagreco’s restaurant, before going to Copenhagen to work at 108, a restaurant linked to the world-famous Noma. Today she oversees the wine list at Barabba, a restaurant that focuses on natural wines with their own Argentine wine importer, TrEs Vins Imports.
Gabriela Flores
Originally from Salta and trained as a journalist and sommelier at the Wine Institute, Gabriela is a wine and gastronomic promoter, focusing especially on the flavors and aromas of the Calchaquí Valleys (Salta). A lover of local wines, every week she makes recommendations on Radio Mitre in Salta, for the El Repasador program, and organizes tastings.
Delvis Huck
After working at several of Argentina’s best restaurants, Delvis has become one of the country’s most respected sommeliers. She has worked as a waitress and manager at Aramburu, as a sommelier at Elena (Four Seasons Buenos Aires), took an internship in France under Michel Bras and returned to Buenos Aires as Head Sommelier at the Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt.
Today, she is the sommelier at FRANCA, one of the best new restaurants in Buenos Aires, and is a teacher on the sommellerie course at CAVE. In 2022 she was a finalist in the Best Sommelier of Argentina competition.
Bárbara Jones
Bárbara didn’t think twice when the opportunity to leave behind her job as a dental technician to study at the Argentine Sommelier School came up. She earned her degree in 2008 and since 2011 has been the Academic Coordinator at the same school. Since then, she has trained dozens of sommeliers who collectively have changed the gastronomic, hospital and winery scene in Mendoza and other wine producing regions in Argentina for good.
Eugenia Loria
After committing to sommellerie and high-end gastronomy in Mendoza, Eugenia has established herself as a major figure in the wine business. Soon after she earned her degree as a sommelier, she opened Ceibo, one of the most famous restaurants in Mendoza, which focuses on ensuring that the wine pairings and wine list work in perfect harmony with the menu.
She then opened Santa Almacén, Pecador Bar and the speakeasy Terracita, always with an eye on providing the best possible service. A Certified Sommelier at the Court of Master Sommeliers, she teaches at EAS-Mendoza is a secretary of the Argentine Association of Sommeliers.
Valeria Mortara
Valeria is the current vice-president of the Argentine Association of Sommeliers. A graduate of CAVE, where she was also a teacher, she took the Advanced Certificate at WSET and travelled through different wine regions across the world. She also took numerous internships in Europe.
This notable member of our group of women sommeliers from Argentina has acted as Head Sommelier at the Faena Hotel and since 2018 has run the wine program at Anchoita, a restaurant that boasts one of the most interesting cellars in Argentina. She has published the books Reporte Vino Argentino (Argentine Wine Report) and La Guía del Vino Argentino (A Guide to Argentine Wine) and is also one of the organizers of Comilona, a nomadic food festival focusing on Argentine wine and cuisine.
Flor Rey
Making a name for yourself in the Peruvian gastronomy industry as an outsider is no easy task, but Flor Rey has done so brilliantly since she moved to Lima in 2011. Having earned her sommelier degree at the EAS, her first encounter with Peruvian cuisine came at the Buenos Aires branch of Astrid & Gastón before she went to the capital of Peru to join the team of sommeliers at Virgilio Martínez’s Central restaurant.
In 2014 she took on the role of Head Sommelier at Maido, which has been named the best restaurant in Latin America on more than one occasion. Her professionalism and brilliant performance have seen her named as Best Sommelier in Peru on more than one occasion.
Marcela Rienzo
It takes talent to get the mass media to pay attention to wine. Marcela, as the sommelier on the successful Argentine TV program Cocineros Argentinos, has done that and more. Before working on the show, Marcela was a sommelier at a range of different wineries while also working at different institutions, employing her expert training in sommellerie and gastronomy.
She published the book Chin Chin, el vino es fácil (Cheers, wine is easy), a wine guide written together with Elizabeth Checa and Fabricio Portelli, and founded Spiritu, the first kit of Argentine wine aromas. lso, Marcela Rienzo is the new President of the Argentine Sommelier Association.
Lorena Rodas
In addition to working as a sommelier, Lorena is an entrepreneur in the world of wine and is also the creator of two of the most high-profile wine events in Salta: CalchaquiWineTasting gathers together the top oenologists of the Calchaquí Valleys for a tasting unprecedented in the northwest of Argentina. The Fevinar fair, meanwhile, enjoyed a successful beginning in 2022, bringing together a range of different wine lovers from across the province to enjoy labels from all over the country.
Camila Torta
New generations of sommeliers, especially women sommeliers from Argentina, have managed to make the profession a little less stuffy. This is certainly true of Camila at Cava Anchoita who has combined the knowledge and experience she obtained at CAVE with great charm and a flair for the dramatic. Cami isn’t just a leader among wine communicators, she is also an inspiration to young people, showing them what an exciting profession sommellerie can be.
Ailín Vides
Originally from Neuquén, a viticultural bastion in Patagonia, Ailín studied sommellerie, which gave her the tools to share her passion for wine across her home province. She started out at Familia Schroeder, where she connected with viticulture, and also worked at specialized wine stores across the area. Today, she is studying oenology and biodynamic viticulture while she makes her first wines, which she hopes to release toward the end of 2023.
