Who is Behind Famatina Wines?

I’m Melisa. I grew up in Argentina, in a family with roots in the Famatina Valley, La Rioja, and I now live in London.

I am neither a sommelier, nor a winemaker, nor a wine merchant. I write from personal experience, family ties, and origin, not from a professional cellar background. I hold a WSET Level 1 Wine Specialist qualification, but everything else here comes from growing up around this region, staying close to it, and doing the work to check what I write rather than repeating what’s already out there.

My Mission

Argentinian wine means Malbec to almost everyone in the UK (and worldwide). That’s not wrong, it’s just incomplete. The Famatina Valley, Torrontés Riojano, and the cooperatives and communities behind them barely exist in English. I’m building the resource I wish had existed when I moved here: a place that takes this region as seriously as it deserves, in English, for a UK audience.

My Approach

Everything I write is checked against real sources: export and production data, cooperative information, and, where I can get it, growers and producers themselves, not just what’s printed on a label or repeated across other blogs. I delve in the history of the land and the heritage that is worth preserving. I’m upfront about the limits of my own expertise (I’m not a sommelier), and I link to primary sources wherever I can, rather than asking you to take my word for it.

I also have a professional background in SEO, which is partly why I care about this site being accurate and well-organised rather than just enthusiastic.

Get in Touch with me

You can find me on Instagram @famatinawines if you’d like to ask a question, suggest a correction, or just talk about indigenous history,Famatina Valley Argentinian wine & particularly Torrontés.