The invitation read:
Join us for an intimate lunch and tasting with José Zuccardi,
Director of Familia Zuccardi and one of the leading figures behind
Argentina’s rise as a world-class wine region.
Discover the wines that have helped establish Familia Zuccardi as an
internationally acclaimed benchmark for terroir-driven winemaking
from Mendoza’s Uco Valley.
In September I had the honour of meeting José Zuccardi, spending about a half an hour chatting privately, before joining the other guests for an excellent wine pairing lunch featuring the wines of Zuccardi.
In a word “gentleman” comes to mind when I describe José Zuccardi. A soft spoken but determined spokesperson for his family’s winery. We tend to toss around the word “passionate” a lot when describing many things about wines but still it is the one true word that capsulizes the personality and intensity of Zuccardi.
In 1963 when Engineer Alberto “Tito” Zuccardi, obsessed with the constant fight against the desert in Mendoza, planted the family’s first vineyard to showcase the advantages of a new irrigation system he had invented.
In 1985, his son José Alberto assumed responsibility for leading the family business.
In 1990 José Zuccardi took on the role of Director of Familia Zuccardi.
In 2016 José Zuccardi is awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the International Wine Challenge.
Zuccardi is not only accomplished but he is the unwavering stewart of the winery and the region. Passionate about everything the winery represents. Zuccardi travels extensively throughout the year reminding wine lovers and wine professionals that success is born of hard work and determination.
Zuccardi’s pride is well deserved for not just his, and his father’s accomplishments, but for the continued success of the winery as it passes through to the third generation.
Nothing is taken for granted. Excellence is earned. Zuccardi carries with him a beautiful, bound book that chronicles the history of the winery and the rugged land that encompasses the Zuccardi winery in the Uno Valley. The Zuccardi Valle de Uco winery is defined by a dramatic, high-altitude mountain desert landscape tucked away in the foothills of the Andes Mountains.
An interesting story from the book The “story of the son and the vineyard of rocks” describes how Sebastián Zuccardi, son of José, established Finca Piedra Infinita (Infinite Stone) in Paraje Altamira, located in the high-altitude Uco Valley of Mendoza. Driven by intuition, he ventured into a completely untouched, wild section of Paraje Altamira at 1,100 meters above sea level.
To plant this vineyard, Sebastián and his team had to battle the landscape, physically digging up and moving more than 1,000 truckloads of massive stones just to clear enough room for the vines to take root.
It comes as no surprise, after even such a short time spent in the company of José Zuccardi, that the success is shared proudly with community, region, and country.
Zuccardi is quick to give credit to the many local people in the community that are employed at the winery. Proudly he tells me that all the workers have either already accomplished the level of senior matriculation or are currently working on their studies with a goal of all workers to have completed high school. The winery is a part of the community it serves and employs and takes its responsibility very seriously.
A multi-award winning winery producing wines of excellence.
Wine Awards
Ten perfect wines in just six years: a milestone that establishes Zuccardi Valle de Uco as a benchmark for Argentine wine worldwide. A complete list of the wines, vintages and critics who have bestowed this historic recognition:
Visits & Tastings
Visitors can tour the spaces of the winery and experience walking through the vineyards, discovering the characteristics and particularities of the different soils that give the wines their unique identity.
TOURISM: Open Monday through Sunday
TIMES: 9:30 am – 11:00 am – 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm
All programs are by reservation.
Restaurant
The restaurant “Piedra Infinita” opened its doors in March 2016. Located in Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley, in front of the majestic Andes Mountain range.
In this unique mountain and vineyard setting, you can enjoy a course menu made with regional ingredients, featuring a delicate gourmet expression paired with wines of Zuccardi Valle de Uco.
Open Monday through Sunday from 12:30 to 2pm for lunch service. Please inquire about dinner service.
The restaurant can seat up to 50 places.
Winery history, and wine notes courtesy of the winery. Bottle shots courtesy of the winery website. “story of the son and the vineyard of rocks” courtesy of YouTube (Zuccardi) and our conversation. My brief notes (in italics). I received an invitation to attend the lunch and experience the wines and also the pleasure to meet and chat with the most charming, José Zuccardi, Director of Familia Zuccardi.
