Chief winemaker: Dr Rodolfo Griguol

La Riojana’s team of seven winemakers is led by Dr Rodolfo Griguol, who has not only worked with the winery since 1984, but grew up on the co-operative as his father was one of the original members, becoming general manager in 1940.

“I have spent my life in this co-operative, right from playing in these yards as a child, to taking the role of head of winemaking over 30 years ago.”

Rodolfo has gone on to become one of Argentina’s most significant winemaking figures. He is, for example, known as the “King of Torrontés” such is his responsibility in helping to make nearly half the country’s total Torrontés production.  One of his key achievements was to develop an ecotopic yeast for the production of Torrontés Riojano wine.

Rodolfo is the first winemaker in Argentina to hold a doctorate in winemaking, which he gained at the Juan Agustin Maza University in Mendoza, Argentina after studying for a biotechnology postgraduate degree at the University of Caixas Do Sol in Brazil.

His winemaking philosophy is to produce wines with great varietal expression from the best quality grapes.