Laura Catena is a fourth generation Argentine vintner, physician and author.  Catena’s great-grandfather founded the Catena winery in Mendoza in 1902 after emigrating from Italy. Her father, Nicolas Catena Zapata, often referred to as “the Robert Mondavi of Argentina,” helped facilitate the ascent of Argentine wine onto the world stage.

Laura graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1988 and has a Medical Doctor degree from Stanford University.  She is currently managing director of Catena Zapata and her own Luca Winery in Mendoza, Argentina, as well as a practicing Emergency Medicine physician in San Francisco.

In 2010 Laura Catena released her book Vino Argentino, An Insider’s Guide to the Wines and Wine Country of Argentina (Chronicle Books), the first book about Argentine wine by a U.S. publisher. Dave McIntyre of The Washington Post writes: “Vino Argentino is a mouthwatering introduction to the wines and culture of Argentina.”