Santiago Achaval

Coming Up

Stanford University is where Santiago Achaval trained before moving into winemaking work that would span two regions and multiple formats of responsibility. He served as winemaker at Achával-Ferrer Winery (1998–2013), and he also worked as winemaker at Hand of God Wines in Mendoza (2007–2013). Those years established a practice defined by continuity: the same material, the same seasonal pressures, and a steady focus on the technical demands of the job. The structure of his career comes from holding several roles at once rather than passing through them one by one. Santiago is consulting winemaker of Vines of Mendoza and its Recuerdo wines (since 2006), founder of The Farm Winery (since 2008), and president and winemaker of Matervini (since 2010). Taken together, those posts show a maker working across advising, founding, and production while staying inside the craft itself. That same pattern runs through his work in Mendoza and California. The thread is Malbec, repeated seasons, and the accumulation of judgment that comes from making the same kinds of decisions again and again under different conditions. The result is a career organized less by reinvention than by range: the same discipline carried into new places.

Where They Are Now

At The Farm Winery in Paso Robles, the hands-on part of the title matters. It points to direct involvement in the work, with Santiago Achaval close to the daily practice of winemaking rather than separated from it. In that role, the craft remains the center: making wine with attention, and with Malbec still part of the frame. The present work keeps him active in both the United States and Argentina. He remains connected to earlier posts while continuing in roles that require oversight, consistency, and follow-through. The balance between California and Mendoza, between consulting and founding, and between leadership and direct making defines the shape of the job.

Signature

The signature wines associated with Santiago Achaval are Cardinal, The Big Game, Touchy-Feely, Finca Altamira, and Finca Bella Vista. The names mark a body of work with a clear personal throughline, but the point is not branding alone. Read as a group, they show range within a consistent winemaking language.

In Their Words “Roberto Cipresso, who is my mentor, teacher, and the person who taught me most of what I know about wine.”

Honors

No specific award title has been named; the dated markers that define his recognition are professional ones, beginning with the founding-partner and president role at Achával-Ferrer and continuing through later winemaking and leadership posts.