Spotlight: Julia Zuccardi
One of Argentina’s most famous brands, Santa Julia by Zuccardi, gets its name from Julia Zuccardi. Julia joined us recently to help us introduce to the shop Santa Julia cans! Take them on a camping trip, river tour, or casual picnic. Crush them when you’re done to save space, and feel good knowing they’re easier to recycle than glass bottles!
For those of you unfamiliar with Zuccardi, this family-run, winemaking powerhouse produces some of the best wines in Argentina.
We asked Julia while she was here what inspired the move to canned wines. “We wanted to give people the opportunity to take their wine to different ‘consumption situations,’ like the pool, or camping, places where a bottle is tough.”
She also explained how they came up with the idea. After hearing this, it doesn’t surprise us that Zuccardi has managed to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to trying new things and staying innovative.
“We have a ‘creativity team,’ with members from all over the company. Some are from the winemaking side, others from marketing, etc. We get together once a month to discuss ideas that could help us innovate. We always want to innovate, as long as we never sacrifice on the quality of the wine. That’s #1 for us.”
Julia also helped clear some things up for us in regards to her role with her family’s company. The wine in the Santa Julia wines are made by her brother, Sebastian, now. However, the line is named after her. Her parents, Ana and José Zuccardi, named it “Santa Julia” not long after her birth. However, unlike her brothers, she didn’t grow up with a desire to work for the company, or in wine in general. She slowly realized her passion for showing people unique and unforgettable experiences, and that the family company offered a special way to do that.
As Head of Hospitality for Zuccardi, Julia has her fingerprints all over guests’ experiences at the family’s multiple properties. She told us about Casa del Visitante, a restaurant on the Santa Julia property established in 2005. It focuses on barbeque and empanadas, prepared in outdoor clay ovens called Orno de Barro. Julia and her team have curated a myriad of experiences, from bike rides through vineyards with tastings along the way, to pairing courses, to learning to cook dishes from the restaurant’s chef, to hot air balloon rides!
At another restaurant on the Santa Julia property, Pan y Oliva, they have an organic garden right outside. There they focus showing the world of Argentine olive oil, as the family also produces incredible olive oil. Here, she deliberately wanted to dial back the fancy and sometimes stuffy experiences centered around wine and food, and go for something much more laid back and approachable.
Self-described as shy and loving the simple things in life, Julia derives strength and a sense of calmness from her favorite title, mother. She’s also a professor of English at the National University of Cuyo, and loves to travel. We’re glad she took the time to travel and visit us at Grand Cata! Come back anytime, Julia!