Dr. Laura Catena

Dr Laura Catena is a physician, author, and fourth-generation vintner of the Catena family in Mendoza. She studied biology at Harvard University and medicine at Stanford University, and worked for many years as an emergency physician in California. Since 2012, she has been Managing Director of Bodega Catena Zapata and has played a major role in shaping the international perception of Argentine wine. In 1995, she founded the Catena Institute of Wine, dedicated to the scientific study of high-altitude vineyards, Malbec, terroir, and old vines. She is also WSET Honorary President 2023–2026. As both physician and vintner, she is now a prominent voice in the debate around wine and health, advocating for a differentiated, science-based view of moderate wine consumption.