We celebrate Winemaker’s Day with an intimate chat with Mariano Di Paola
The celebration of the Winemaker’s Day gives us the perfect opportunity to travel along with the great Mariano Di PaolaDirector of Oenology at Rutini Wines, some impressions about his profession, part of his unparalleled experience, his vision of today’s oenology and some of his memories.
Teacher for several years at the Don Bosco School of Oenology and Food Sciences at the Catholic University of Cuyo, Mariano of the Catholic University of Cuyo, Mariano often posts inspirational phrases in the winery to share with his work team, including Albert Einstein’s “Setting an example is not the main way to influence others, it is the only way”.
It would be redundant to go over all of Mariano’s achievements throughout his career, so we will only recall that he was chosen as Winemaker of Legend by the prestigious Tim Atkin in 2018 and this year he was distinguished as Winemaker of the Year by the Descorchados Guide by the renowned Patricio Tapia.
Here are the reflections he shared during a relaxed chat on a Mendoza afternoon a few days ago.
How did you decide on your profession and what do you love most about it?
The love for my profession came to me very early. At my grandparents’ and my parents’ house we drank wine. There was an orchard, grapevines, and a great respect for nature. This contact influenced me to choose an outdoor activity linked to winemaking.
What I love most about this profession is being in contact with the wines, I have 43 vintages and I enjoy every day I come to the winery. I do what I like and I get paid for it, and I am lucky to be in a company that is constantly growing.
What is your approach to winemaking? Do you follow any particular philosophy? What would your “perfect” wine ideally be like and why?
The focus of the winery and the whole team is on quality, for this reason we built in 2008 a new winery in Tupungato with all the available technology in pursuit of this objective.
Our philosophy is to be consistent in our winemaking, always seeking to improve year after year.
The perfect wine? Undoubtedly, the perfect wine is the one that the consumer likes.
What trends do you observe in wine styles and winemaking practices in Argentina and the world? How can they impact our industry?
Currently the trend is to develop new winemaking practices, looking for new styles of wines. We are in favor of innovating, we do not discard any practice without making our own experiences. We have to keep in mind that the consumer of our labels is used to a style of wine and changes cannot be abrupt.
What is your view on climate change and how do you think it will impact the style of Argentine wine in the coming decades?
Undoubtedly there is a problem, especially with water scarcity, due to the lack of rainfall, lack of snowfall and the reduction of glaciers in the high mountains. Global warming generates abrupt oscillations in temperature. We must be very attentive to what happens in the vineyard and be very flexible to minimize these contingencies.
On the other hand, we are fortunate to have vineyards at different altitudes, which allows us to maintain the thermal amplitude so that their development is compensated.
The optimization of these resources through the measurement of water and carbon footprint, the Sustainable Winery Protocol and the Global Gap Certification of good agronomic practices are an example of a more conscious work with a view to the future.
