Ruca Malen and parent company Molinos Río de la Plata have announced the appointment of Noelia Torres (pictured atop) as head winemaker, effective immediately.

A native of Mendoza, Torres comes from a winemaking family and has been involved in vines and wines from a young age. Most recently she was at Viña Cobos in Mendoza for 15 years, where she assumed winemaking responsibilities in 2007 and worked closely with renowned winemaker and owner Paul Hobbs in Argentina, California and Cahors.

Torres’ winemaking style uses minimal intervention, respecting the vines and terroir, the company says. At Ruca Malen, she will continue the core mission of producing high-quality, food-friendly wines, the company says, while evolving the portfolio — including oversight of the dynamic Aimé brand, targeted towards younger consumers.

“Ruca Malen offers me a challenge to be innovative and make changes, while also respecting the winery’s many achievements,” says Torres. “What I want most is to build Ruca Malen’s reputation for making wines that can be appreciated everywhere.”

In 2017 Wines of Argentina named the talented Torres as one of seven young rising stars for her accomplishments in winemaking. She received her post graduate degree in Quality Management of Vineyards from Universidad Juan Augustin Maza, where she also received her enology license.

Ruca Malen is a boutique winery in Mendoza, Argentina that produces wines from classic grape varieties grown in the vineyards of Luján de Cuyo. It was founded in 1998 by French business partners Jean Pierre Thibaud and Jacques Louis de Montalembert. In 2015, Molinos Río de la Plata, a prominent food and beverage business in Argentina, acquired Ruca Malen. It’s imported by Opici Wines.