Hand of God Wines
Argentina's Santiago Achaval and US Partner: New Mendoza Label
Top-notch Argentine wine expert Santiago Achaval has teamed up with an old college friend to develop the Hand of God vineyard site in Mendoza's Uco Valley.
When a couple of old college buddies get together, decide to buy a vineyard and make a little wine, it’s generally not news. When those two friends are Argentina’s most highly rated winemaker, Santiago Achaval, and Seattle-based venture capital expert, Jon Staenberg, you can bet their new label, Hand of God Wines, is worth watching.
Hand of God Wines: Mendoza
In the Uco Valley region near the city of Mendoza, the two Stanford alumni and longtime friends have formed a partnership in a fifty-acre vineyard they call Hand of God after the controversial 1986 soccer World Cup goal, scored by Argentine bad-boy hero, Diego Maradona. While the wines may be inspired by a unique moment in Argentine cultural history, the wines themselves are squarely aimed at consumers outside the country, primarily in the USA and Europe.
According to partner Jon Staenberg, their goal for the project is simply “To produce some of the best wine from Argentina.” He goes on to say “with Santiago as the winemaker, with the land of the Uco Valley and with the blessings of the Hand of God we believe we have an opportunity to do something very special.” They plan to make a Malbec and an unnamed white wine offering, starting in 2010.
Achaval-Ferrer Score With Robert Parker
Santiago Achaval is widely recognized as one of Argentina’s leading vignerons under his Achaval-Ferrer label. His intense, complex Malbecs and Malbec-based blends range in price from the entry-level Mendoza Malbec at $20 US to over $125 per bottle for their limited quantities of single-vineyard designates. Famed critic Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave nine Achaval-Ferrer wines from 2004 through 2006 astonishing scores ranging from 91 to 98 points as of December 2007.
The Hand of God vineyard is located adjacent to another wine business that Santiago Achaval is also associated with, the Vines of Mendoza. Jon Staenberg is connected with the founders of this multi-faceted wine tourism/private vineyard development project as well. Staenberg says “We are excited about partnering with them in a variety of areas.” With friends like these, it’s no wonder he’s excited.
Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world, with its industry centered in Mendoza province. The Uco Valley is located approximately one hour south and west of the province’s capital city (also named Mendoza) in the foothills of the Andes. The unique combination of high altitude, excellent growing conditions and inexpensive real estate has spurred significant worldwide investment in the region, especially over the last decade.
