Boutinot announces Argentinian joint venture
Azul y Blanco our new joint venture with exciting Uco Valley producer, Bodega Urqo
Product Marketing Manager. Like many people who work in wine, I fell into the industry by accident and have never looked back. I love live music, all things Japanese, having a kick about with the kids and of course wine!
Boutinot are proud to announce we have formalised a joint venture in Argentina with Uco Valley estate and winery Bodega Urqo. The new venture is called Azul y Blanco (AyB).
Bodega Urqo’s export director, Federico Ruiz, has had a twenty-five-year relationship with Boutinot. In 2021, when Federico joined the Urquia family at their Tupungato winery in the Uco Valley, it seemed a natural fit to bring the two together. Our international distribution, excellent industry relationships and reputation for great wine marries perfectly with Bodega Urqo’s ambitions, style and provenance.
The winemaking team comprises Guillaume Létang of Boutinot and Leo Pisano of Bodega Urqo, under the guiding eye of local legend, Daniel Pi.
Nick Butler, Head of Product at Boutinot, said “the Azul y Blanco partnership enables access to long-term stable supply of high-quality grapes and wine from the Uco valley and beyond. It’s also exciting to have so much organic wine available to work with, especially on some forthcoming sustainable product developments”.
Loli Urquia, founder and CEO of Bodega Urqo, is a proud advocate of sustainable winemaking. Bodega Urqo and their vineyards are now certified sustainable by the Bodegas de Argentina protocol, of which Loli said “this achievement reflects our commitment to responsible practices that protect the land, value people and ensure a better future for our vineyards and the surrounding environment. We believe in giving back to the land a little of what it gives us.”
Boutinot were the first UK importer to sign up to the Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) Bottle Weight Accord which pledges to reduce average bottle weights to target of 420g and below by 2026. This initiative will help reduce carbon emissions.
“Azul y Blanco will be launching new wines at Wine Paris and Prowein 2025 with disruptive labels that express Bodega Urqo’s people, place and finesse, reinventing the marketing of Malbec. Furthermore, Azul y Blanco benefits from a fantastic winemaking team, a huge cellar in the Uco Valley and further strengthens Boutinot and Urqo’s offering from this core, strategic region sourcing wines across Argentina for buyer’s own brands as well as our own” enthused Robin Naylor, Commercial Manager for Azul y Blanco
