About Private Vineyards

Founded in 2004, we combine the best of the U.S. and Argentina: the local savvy and relationships to get things done, paired with the rigor and excellence of American business practices to create amazing wines.

Over the past 13 years, we’ve worked tirelessly to fine-tune our farming and winemaking practices and processes. We have created over 2,100 small batch wines and are using that data to make better wines every year. Our proven operations, talented agronomist staff, and expert winemaking team support you and your vineyard every step of the way.

Michael Evans

Co-Founder

Fifteen years ago Michael came to Argentina from Los Angeles for what he thought would be a three-week vacation. Michael fell in love with the people and the place that is Mendoza and decided to embark on this adventure of creating Argentina’s greatest wines.

After a chance introduction to Pablo Gimenez Riili during that visit to Mendoza, Michael and Pablo began an endeavor together to provide the highest quality wine experience to Mendoza travelers and help those who love wine to make their own. The result was The Vines of Mendoza. With Pablo, Michael raised money from friends and family and purchased 650 acres of land in the Uco Valley, and created The Vines of Mendoza’s one-of-a-kind Private Vineyards. They've since sold vines to more than 185 owners from around the globe, and the property has expanded to 1,500 acres.

Prior to The Vines, Evans worked on every Presidential campaign between Clinton and Kerry, and served as Executive Director of CTIA Foundation, the International association for the wireless telecommunications industry Michael is an avid photographer and traveler who enjoys helping vineyard owners document their journeys and sharing stories tales of the best spot to visit next.

Santiago Achaval

Consulting Winemaker

Santiago Achaval fell in love with wines and winemaking after frequently visiting the Napa Valley while receiving his MBA from Stanford. Achaval-Ferrer, his winery in Mendoza, boasts four of the five highest rated wines in Argentine history, as judged by Wine Spectator, and the highest rated Argentine wine to date according to Robert Parker. He recently received 98 points for his 2004 Finca Altamira Malbec from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, and Wine Spectator named his Finca Bellavista one of the 10 best in the world in 2012.

Pablo Martorell

Partner, Winemaker

The Vines of Mendoza’s winemaker, Pablo Martorell is young, but already heavily awarded from Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast for The Vines’ Recuerdo Wines. Born and raised in Tunuyán, he has worked at some of the most important wineries in Mendoza, including Bodega Nieto Senetiner, Catena Zapata, Trivento and Bodega Flecha de los Andes, under the esteemed Michel Rolland’s tutelage. He has also worked in wineries internationally. In 2006, he worked with Chateau de Lauret in Pomerol, Bordeaux, and in 2007, for Chateau Peyre Lebade and Chateau Clarke in Medoc, Bordeaux, both part of the Rothschild Group. In 2009, he worked for Napa Wine Company in California.

Bryan Driscoll

Partner, Vice President of Sales

Bryan Driscoll, Vice President of Sales, has been with The Vines since 2006. As a founding member of the company, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience in sales and vineyard management that he shares with our global clientele. A vineyard owner himself, Bryan produces a line of wines called Pasa Tiempo to share with family and friends in his hometown of Boston. Bryan takes care of our North American owners from their first sales inquiry through years of wine production – making sure each detail is handled efficiently.