“Love, fear, don’t think in failure. Failure doesn’t exist; it’s experience. You just have to try harder,” Susana Balbo said; a powerful message from a woman who has redefined the Argentine wine industry and established a lasting legacy.
Susana Balbo flanked by son and winemaker José Lovaglio Balbo and Louise Hill from Phillips-Hill PR
Susana Balbo, Argentina’s first female oenologist, has been a trailblazer in the country’s wine industry for over four decades. After earning her oenology degree in 1981, she transformed Argentina’s wine scene by working internationally before founding Susana Balbo Wines in 1999. Her pioneering work with Torrontés, an aromatic white grape, gained acclaim and redefined the potential of Argentine white wines.
Balbo’s influence extends beyond her wines, however. She served three terms as President of Wines of Argentina, helping elevate the global reputation of Argentine wine, and her impact reaches into social causes, including roles as a National Congresswoman for Mendoza and Goodwill Ambassador for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
Ageing gracefully
At the heart of the tasting event celebrating her 25 years of winemaking was a vertical tasting of eight vintages of her Signature White Blend. This blend, a combination of Torrontés, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc, reflects Balbo’s passion for white wines and her belief that Argentina’s whites, especially those from high-altitude vineyards, have excellent ageing potential.
“I believe Argentine white wines have the ability to age beautifully,” Balbo explained during the tasting. The wines, sourced from vineyards in the Uco Valley, are known for their minerality and unique saline notes, qualities drawn from the region’s calcium-rich soils.
She shared the personal history of her Torrontés vines, which she sourced from Cafayate – cuttings from a vineyard once belonging to the grandfather of her friend Jose. These vines held special meaning for her, representing the ideal Torrontés. After transplanting them to Mendoza, they became central to her premium white wines, blending her Cafayate roots with her vision for Mendoza.
Her innovations, like her barrel-fermented Torrontés, were developed over years of trial and error. The barrels used for this are toasted using water and steam, which retain the grape’s aromatic integrity while enhancing texture. “The goal is to bring out the wine’s texture without overwhelming it with oak flavours,” she said.
Balbo’s journey from Argentina’s first female winemaker to her role as a single mother overcoming many challenges was one of resilience. During a financially difficult period in Cafayate, she even made and sold pyjamas with local nuns to support her family when she was unpaid for her winemaking work. “I was the head of my family,” she said, describing how she supported her children and sick husband through hardship.
The pandemic brought further challenges with the 2020 vintage. “We turned the winery into a hotel,” Balbo recalled, as her team lived on-site during lockdowns to ensure the harvest went ahead, demonstrating their dedication despite logistical difficulties.
The tasting event concluded with the unveiling of her 25th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon, a limited-edition wine aged for 24 months in oak, showcasing her skill in crafting complex reds. “Cabernet Sauvignon is challenging, but I love it because it pushes my skills as a winemaker,” she noted, reflecting her passion for mastering the grape’s complexities.
As her wines continue to gain recognition in markets like the U.S., Brazil, and the UK, Balbo remains focused on quality and innovation. “For me, it’s about delivering quality every year. If we can’t maintain that, I prefer not to release the wine,” she emphasised.
This celebration of 25 years in winemaking underscores Susana Balbo’s lasting influence in both Argentina’s wine industry and the global wine scene. Through her leadership, dedication to innovation, and resilience, she continues to set the standard for what Argentine wines can achieve.
A journey of resilience and innovation
“I started three new companies in the last three years.” Balbo explaining her never-say-die approach.
In my conversation with Balbo, she opened up about the obstacles she overcame, her family’s role in her journey, and her passion for winemaking.
The early years
Balbo recalled her early struggles, particularly the challenges she faced due to her gender.
“My biggest challenge in the very beginning was my gender,” she explained. At the time, the industry wasn’t ready to accept a woman managing a winery. Despite her qualifications, finding work was difficult, and she encountered resistance simply for being a woman.
During a period of difficulty in Cafayate, Balbo faced financial hardships. She explained how she had to be resourceful, making and selling pyjamas with local nuns to support her family when she wasn’t paid for winemaking work. “I was the head of my family,” she said, recalling the struggles she endured while caring for her sick husband and their children.
Building a winery
Balbo’s resilience eventually led her back to Mendoza, where she co-founded her first winery. Unfortunately, she and her husband were victims of a scam that nearly cost them everything. After her husband passed away, Balbo sold the winery and worked as a consultant, traveling and gaining new techniques that she would later bring back to Argentina. “I started working for other companies as a consultant, finding new techniques,” she noted, marking this period as a time of growth.
By 1999, she established her second winery, Susana Balbo Wines, with profits from the first, despite the setbacks. "My energy was coming from my children. They were my engine," she said, explaining how her love for her family gave her the strength to continue.
Innovation and family legacy
Over the years, Balbo has continued to innovate. She spoke passionately about leveraging her experience to create new opportunities, not just for herself but for her family. Today, her son and daughter are involved in the business, and she’s launched new ventures in tourism and hospitality. “I started three new companies in the last three years,” she shared, highlighting her enduring entrepreneurial spirit.
Despite her many achievements, Balbo said that what makes her happiest today is her family, her children’s involvement in the business and her joy in spending time with her grandchildren.
The future
When asked about her future plans, Balbo explained that she is focused on continuing to innovate and expand her business, with no plans to slow down. "Now is for work," she said with a smile. She continues to enjoy the challenge of making world-class wines, and her passion for pushing boundaries in winemaking remains as strong as ever.
Balbo reflected on the strength it takes to persevere through challenges. “Love, fear, don’t think in failure. Failure doesn’t exist; it’s experience. You just have to try harder,” she said, a powerful message from a woman who has redefined the Argentine wine industry and established a lasting legacy.
Susana Balbo, Signature White Blend vertical tasting
Tasting Susana Balbo's Signature White Blend 2016-2023, London, October 23, 2024
2023 Vintage: Bright, pale lemon colour. The Sauvignon Blanc introduces grassy, white pepper, and green bell pepper notes, while the Torrontés brings gentle floral and lychee aromas. Vanilla and salinity emerge on the nose. The palate is fresh and round, with a slightly oily, smooth texture, like olive oil. Crunchy acidity and flavours of lemon zest, grapefruit, and white peach, with a long saline finish, suggest excellent ageing potential.
Vinification of the blend: Torrontés is barrel-fermented in 500-litre French oak with battonage, while the Sauvignon Blanc is partially fermented in stainless steel, with micro-oxidation adding complexity. The Semillon, fermented in concrete eggs, gains its complexity from the rotation that enhances the lees' contact.
2022: A cold year imparting herbal and earthy aromas, grounding the wine in spice and earthiness. A touch of elderflower and white blossom graces the nose, like a sprinkle of fairy dust from a kindly godmother, lending a hint of charm. On the palate, it’s elegant, round, and refreshing, with a salty, complex finish that lingers.
2021: Cold and humid, producing herbal and earthy aromas with aniseed, sandalwood, jasmine, and mint. The palate showed flinty depth, creamy texture, and tight-knit acidity with a long, savoury finish.
2020: A tropical nose with lychee and lemongrass, lean and muscular on the palate, with a buttery, creamy finish.
2019: Intense kerosene-like aromas reminiscent of Riesling, with white pepper and honey, yielding a zingy, dynamic structure.
2018: Softer than the 2019 or 2020, with grassy, earthy notes and white pepper. Cooked mango on the palate, tangy and rustic.
2017: Aromas of fennel, aniseed, chamomile, and subtle vanilla. Youthful acidity with a lemon sherbet finish and a very long finish.
2016: Susana’s first vintage of this blend. Aromas of petrol, olives, white tea, and garden herbs, with a long saline grip.
Nosostros, Library Edition Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Susana’s 25th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon provided a fitting conclusion to the event. This limited-edition wine, aged for 24 months in oak: “Cabernet Sauvignon is challenging, but I love it because it pushes my skills as a winemaker,” Susana remarked, reflecting her passion for mastering the complexities of the grape.
Showcases depth, fluidity, and nuance. The dark ruby wine offers aromas of chocolate, coffee, cherries, and black pepper, with powerful tannins and a warming alcohol presence. On the palate, the wine is supple, with intensity and a mouthwatering finish.
The wines of Susana Balbo are imported and sold in the UK through Enotria&Coe which is a commercial partner of The Buyer. To discover more about them click here.
