He planted thousands of vines in Patagonia’s steppe and now exports his wines to the United States

In the middle of Patagonia’s steppe, a winery founded with savings accumulated during a career in technology now produces tens of thousands of bottles each year. Familia Aicardi farms 17 hectares of vines in Neuquén and harvests about 130,000 kilograms of grapes annually.

Half of the grapes go into the winery’s own wines. The rest is sold to wineries in the region. Familia Aicardi currently produces between 40,000 and 45,000 bottles a year, with a target of 80,000 within the next four years. Half of its production is exported to Brazil, Peru and the United States, and more recently to European markets.

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He lived wine, he taught me.

The winery was founded by Enrique Rohde and his wife, Lucy Ramos, 14 years ago in San Patricio del Chañar. Rohde had spent most of his working life among algorithms, technology and multinational companies. As retirement approached, he began considering how to use his savings. Wine became the answer.

The decision also revived a family story. Rohde’s maternal grandfather, Nicolás Aicardi, came from Genoa with vine cuttings and hoped to continue his work as a winemaker. That project failed, and he eventually sold wine from a general store. Rohde said his grandfather “lived wine” and taught him about it.

Rohde had earned a degree in computer science from the University of Buenos Aires in 1974 and later lived and worked in several countries. His knowledge of wine grew alongside that career. An unexpected reminder of his family name, Rohde Aicardi, on a bank communication in Peru helped bring the winery idea into focus.

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I knew about wine, not vineyards. I had to learn the language of nature.

Rohde said he liked the steppe and had traveled through the south by tent. When an opportunity arose to make wine in Neuquén, he decided to act. He bought the land and initially used part of another winery to produce the wine. “I knew about wine, not vineyards. I had to learn the language of nature,” he said.

It took six years before the grapes developed the characteristics he wanted. The steppe’s low humidity, sharp temperature changes and intense winds, which Rohde estimates occur around 300 days a year, reduce disease and help produce grapes with thicker skins and concentrated aromas and structure. The extreme climate also demands precision, and Rohde said the business has invested heavily in technology for both the vineyard and the winery.

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We have invested heavily in technology, both for the vineyard and the winery.