Franck Noguiez appointed Grupo Avinea technical director
Experienced French oenologist Franck Noguiez has been appointed as technical director at Grupo Avinea, and is set to oversee winemaking and sustainability across the organic wine group.
Grupo Avinea, Argentina’s largest producer of organic wines, has appointed Franck Noguiez as its new technical director, tasking him with overseeing wine production and sustainable development across the company’s portfolio.
Noguiez will lead winemaking operations at Grupo Avinea’s estates in Mendoza – Bodega Argento, Viña Artesano and Bodega Pacheco Pereda – as well as Otronia, located in the southern Patagonian region.
The appointment marks his return to Argentina after several years working in France.
An agronomical engineer and oenologist, Noguiez brings more than 25 years of international experience in vineyard management, winemaking and sustainability. His career has focused on the development of organic and environmentally responsible production systems across a range of climates and terroirs.
Rising to the challenge
Commenting on his appointment, Noguiez said returning to Argentina held personal and professional significance.
“Coming back to Argentina means reconnecting with a country that has deeply influenced the way I see and interpret wine,” he said. “Taking on this new challenge at Grupo Avinea means leading a project I greatly admire, in a region I know and respect.”
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Prior to joining Grupo Avinea, he directed operations at Château Suau and Château de Langalerie in France, both owned by Alejandro Bulgheroni Family Vineyards. In that role, he was responsible for organic viticulture, production and certification, contributing to the estates’ transition towards fully sustainable practices.
Career history
He also holds a State Diploma in Oenology from the University of Bordeaux and an MBA from Toulouse School of Business.
His work continues to focus on sustainable viticulture, agroecology and refining production processes to enhance terroir expression.
Noguiez has previously worked extensively in Argentina. He served as winemaker at Terrazas de los Andes in Mendoza, owned by luxury group LVMH, and later acted as a consultant for wine advisory firm Vivelys.
What’s next
His consulting work took him across Argentina, California, Chile and France, advising on technical and operational processes from vineyard to bottling.
He added that the group’s wineries offered “extraordinary” potential and said he was keen to help express the identity of their diverse terroirs “with authenticity and precision”.
Noguiez will relocate from Bordeaux to Mendoza with his family and will be based in Argentina to oversee day-to-day operations and the long-term development of the group’s sustainability strategy.
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