About us

I have always been a lover of fine wines. I experimented with home winemaking for many years and was honored to receive several awards in amateur competitions. This inspired me to examine the possibility of owning a vineyard and making my own wine from vine to bottle.

My wife and I decided to travel to Argentina to explore the land in the Uco Valley. The Uco Valley has three key elements that have made it a highly sought-after region for wineries and have placed it at the forefront of New World wine making: 1) vines grow at an altitude of 3,800 feet with a wide variation of temperatures between day and night producing high quality tannins and concentration of color; 2) well drained soils made up of pebbles, clay, and sand receive water in the spring from melting snow from the Andes Mountains; 3) the south/south-west orientation allows the grape vines to soak up the sunshine, producing full flavor ripeness.

While in Argentina, we stayed at Casa de Uco, Hotel and Managed Vineyard owned by Juan Tonconogy. The scene took our breath away. The Andes Mountains provide a beautiful backdrop to the amazing vineyard landscape. We had the opportunity to meet with the team in charge of the wine making process and were impressed by their vision for the winery. The whole team was as passionate about making wine as we were.

Our Uco Valley experience and the uniqueness of the Uco Valley's terroir, cemented my determination to be a part of the exciting venture of wine making in this region, and in July 2016, I became a new member of the family of Casa de Uco.

I chose the name Refucilo for my wine in honor of my Uruguayan uncle, who was passionate about sailing and wine. I have wonderful memories of cruising with him in Caribbean waters on his sailboat Refucilo. Juan Antonio Lora, MD