Bolivian winemaker's photo wins top prize in England, highlighting Cinti Valley viticulture

Bolivian viticulture has achieved historic recognition in England, with winemaker Patricia Valeria Mendoza Morón securing the absolute top award at The Old Vine Photography Competition 2026. Organized by The Old Vine Conference, the competition celebrated the world of ancient vineyards.

Mendoza Morón's photograph, titled ‘Diversidad que trasciende una generación’ (Diversity that transcends a generation), was selected as the best image from a pool of 272 entries, drawing over 3,600 public votes. The winning work was captured in the Rebeca Cazón Yebara vineyard in Mollepampa, located in the Cinti Valley of the Chuquisaca department.

The image beautifully portrays viticulturists Dionicia Portal, Rebeca Cazón Yebara, and Nancy Ortega alongside Arthur Renato, Mendoza's son. This composition symbolizes the enduring transmission of a winemaking tradition that has persisted through time. The international jury lauded the photograph's strong composition and its ability to showcase a centuries-old viticultural and food culture, which thrived sustainably long before the concept gained global traction.

Beyond its artistic merit, the photograph aims to draw attention to an ancestral cultivation system characteristic of the Cinti region. This unique model involves vines growing intertwined with trees like molles, chañares, and algarrobos, alongside fruit trees, vegetables, and aromatic and medicinal plants. Mendoza describes this as a "vitiforestería" or agroforestry system, fostering extraordinary biodiversity.

This living heritage is maintained by families who have preserved traditional cultivation and winemaking techniques for centuries. Some of the ancient vines have grown to impressive sizes, coexisting with trees up to seven meters tall, forming a complex plant community adapted to the local environment. Women play a central role in this landscape, with figures like Portal, Cazón Yebara, and Ortega representing numerous female growers who have safeguarded native grape varieties and traditional agricultural practices against economic, environmental, and climatic shifts.

The international recognition brought a second victory for Cinti, as another photograph, ‘Dionicia Portal,’ by wine critic and journalist Tim Atkin, won first place in the ‘People’ category. Atkin's image was taken during his visit to Bolivia and Bodegas Yokich in Camargo.