Sommelier Day: five women of wine in Mendoza

Constanza Chiarelli is a sommelier and manages the wine cellar at the restaurant 1884 Francis Mallmann. Her path began in hospitality in the U.S., continued as a waitress in wineries, and was solidified with experience at Rosell Boher and Casa Vigil, where she got closer to the world of wine and began her sommelier training. She is currently in Chile at Fuegos de Apalta, doing an internship to deepen her understanding of wine and terroir.

For her, being a sommelier means "being a bridge between the person and the wine, its producer, its terroir." She values the role of giving voice to small producers and aims to offer excellent service. She first got interested in wine through exchanges with colleagues and fondly remembers her first emotional connection: the Gato Negro wine her grandfather bought on vacation. "It came with a little cat charm that I liked to wear as a bracelet and collect; I had many."

Regarding trends and personal tastes, she highlights fresh wines with less oak and more origin identity. At the same time, she is interested in regions like Chacayes, the Argentine coast, and the resurgence of the East.

A recommendation: Paula Michelini’s wines. They have strength and conviction, and the result is wines that perfectly reflect the intention to show us a place bare, or at least that’s how I interpret it.

Trained at the Argentine School of Sommeliers, Daniela Ovejero Michelini has built a diverse career that includes internships at Central (Lima), El Papagayo (Córdoba), Chila (Buenos Aires), and Burgundy. Today she runs the restaurant Sitio La Estocada with her husband, chef Enzo González Petra.

She recalls a key moment in her training: a dinner at her family winery in Spain where she tasted Sketch, an Albariño by Raúl Pérez that deeply moved her. She says the biggest challenge is keeping up in a changing world, and the most rewarding is "making an ordinary moment special." She highlights the importance of reading others beyond technical knowledge.

For Daniela, being a sommelier means "guiding, connecting, and adding joy." She observes that Argentine consumers are more curious and open and values the influence of natural wines that reflect a coherent way of life. She is interested in projects in Patagonia, such as Matías Michelini’s in Puerto Campo, and abroad, wines from Etna, Sicily.

A recommendation: Agua de Roca 2024, by Matías Michelini, a mountain Sauvignon Blanc that represents, for her, "freshness and authenticity."

Romina Rolón has been a sommelier since 2009, with experience spanning wineries, hotels, teaching, and managing gastronomic spaces. Today she leads Envinados, a wine bar offering training, tastings, and organic and biodynamic wines — learn more about these wines here. She also hosts a streaming show featuring figures from the wine world.

She believes the sommelier figure is more valued today thanks to professional quality and the evolution of Argentine wine. Regarding trends, she mentions fresh wines, low in alcohol, with traceability and a strong sense of origin. She bets on natural and low-intervention wines: "They are the wines of the future. Like good food, it should not be a privilege but a right."

For Romina, being a sommelier means "transmitting tools that enhance pleasure." She recalls: "a wine that always stays in my memory is a 2006 Cabernet Franc from Finca La Celia, which I tasted in my final year of studies. Epic!" She recognizes as a great challenge being part of a pioneering generation in Mendoza, opening paths and proving the value of this role. The most rewarding thing: "loving what I do and that it has shaped my life path."

A recommendation: Criolla Grande 2025, by Victoria Brond, part of the Guardianes de la naturaleza project.

Camila is a sommelier born in Buenos Aires with experience across the country. A few years ago, she settled in Mendoza, where she leads the restaurant Ruda alongside her partner, chef Gastón Trama. There she manages the dining room and cellar, with about 120 labels reflecting diversity and terroir.

Also of interest: Who are the new faces of Mendoza's gastronomy

Her path began after a revealing conversation with her brother and was strengthened by the motivation she found teaching at CAVE. For Cami, a good sommelier needs empathy, listening, and the ability to accompany without imposing. "Today, I observe greater appreciation for the sommelier’s role, even beyond the dining room, in creating wine lists or training," she highlights about the evolution of her profession.

"Natural wines continue to set trends in Argentina and worldwide. I believe the concept that is paving the way is changing 'low intervention' to 'good intervention': caring for the grape and environment, the processes, good understanding of the vines and their timing, as well as cellar care. Also, gradually emerging more and more are wines with low alcohol content," she explains in the interview.

A recommendation: Media Naranja, an artisanal Torrontés of small production, made by Ramiro Decón and Felicitas Cattaneo in La Arboleda, “with a clear and authentic search.” Here are other orange wines Camila recommends.

Guadalupe Rodríguez is part of the sommelier team at Assemblage Maison, the restaurant of Bodega Alta Vista. Her background includes work in wine tourism, a key experience at Envinados alongside Romina Rolón, and a stay in the U.S. to improve her English. Nine months ago, she returned to service in the dining room, determined to reconnect with what she loves most: communicating wine from the table.

Guadalupe comes from the communications field; her first approaches to wine were from that perspective: telling what is there, what is happening. An article in a newspaper sparked her interest in sommellerie, leading her to study the profession. What gratifies her most is working with pleasure—her own and others’. Being attentive to details so the experience is enjoyable and people take something with them.

She follows with enthusiasm the strength of organic and biodynamic wines for their coherence with a more conscious lifestyle. She also notes a clear change in Argentine consumers: more curious, more willing to step outside the usual. Among emerging terroirs, she highlights Trevelin in Chubut: cold, diverse, and small producers showing another profile of Argentine wine.

A recommendation: Finca Feliz Pileta del Año, a white blend she loves, and in her daily work, Alta Vista Terroir Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2022. Although she clarifies: "The best wine is shared with family or friends."