i. Biography
Alejandro Pepa spent more than 20 years at Bodega El Esteco, where his work became closely tied to the high-altitude conditions of the Calchaquí Valleys and the measured evolution of the wines he helped shape.
The Path
Training at Facultad Don Bosco gave Alejandro Pepa a technical base for a career built on discipline, sensitivity, and attention to place. Through 2025, he guided the winery’s wines with a steady hand, helping to articulate a style rooted in the specific conditions of the Calchaquí Valleys. That long tenure reflects continuity and close familiarity with the rhythms of the landscape. At Bodega El Esteco, Alejandro Pepa’s work developed harvest by harvest through consistency and a close reading of raw material, building a body of work grounded in restraint, clarity, and care. From 2025, Alejandro Pepa moved to Bodega Amalaya in Salta as Gerente de Enología y operaciones, bringing that accumulated experience into a new setting. The change of site did not alter the working method: the same seriousness of purpose carried forward from El Esteco into the next role.
The Work Today
"It is not magic; with great raw material we can obtain great products." The line is direct, and it describes a practical view of winegrowing and cellar work: quality starts with the material, and the task is to handle it with discipline. For Alejandro Pepa, the work is less about gesture than about preserving what the vineyard already gives.
Signature
Alejandro's signature wines include Don David Sauvignon Blanc, El Esteco Don David Torrontés 2023, El Esteco Old Vines 1958 2021, and El Esteco Fincas Notables Cuartel Nº28 2017. Together, these wines show the range of his work: expressive yet composed, with varietal identity kept in step with the regional profile.
In Their Words “The sum of all these factors is fundamental for the good development and identity of Cafayate's vineyards.” The quotes point to a working method shaped by curiosity and by a view of identity as something built from multiple factors, not from a single intervention.
Acclaim
El Esteco Old Vines 1958 was cited by Star Wine List as one of the El Esteco wines on restaurant wine lists. El Esteco Fincas Notables Cuartel Nº28 received the same Star Wine List citation as one of the El Esteco wines found on restaurant lists. El Esteco Don David Torrontés 2023 is listed with Alejandro Pepa as winemaker on Star Wine List.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Alejandro
Where did Alejandro Pepa train or study?
Alejandro Pepa trained at Facultad Don Bosco.
