French Winemaker Bets on Argentina With Antucura Wellness and Real-Estate Club in Mendoza

Antucura's Shift From Boutique Winery to Wellness and Real-Estate Club

Anne-Caroline Biancheri, a French-born entrepreneur who came to Argentina in 1992 and later ran the Buenos Aires publishing house Caviar Bleu, is refocusing her boutique Mendoza winery Antucura into a wine, wellness and real-estate venture. The project, based at her Vista Flores property in the Valle de Uco, is still in the design phase. Plans include a roughly 250-square-meter spa, a new restaurant, a store, a tasting room, a library and an amphitheater among the vineyards, alongside 44 residences in a first stage and 18 plots of 6,000 square meters each for private homes. A later stage of 20 to 30 additional units is also contemplated.

The development is structured as a private club. Residence buyers would become founding members, and access to most of the estate would be by permanent or day membership, with the restaurant as the main exception. Private cars would be banned inside the property, replaced by golf carts, bicycles and walking. The existing hotel, which opened in 2007, would become the project's clubhouse.

Biancheri says sales folders should be ready in the coming months and that she is looking for financial partners, with the goal of defining the financing route before the end of 2026. If funds are secured, construction is expected to take 18 to 24 months, putting a full opening around 2028, though the project could be delivered in stages. The target market is European, American and Brazilian buyers, with the founder citing instability in Europe as one reason wealthy buyers are seeking second homes in culturally similar countries such as Argentina.

Wine remains central to the concept. Antucura has released a single-vineyard Pinot Noir and refreshed its Colección line, a limited run of 800 to 1,200 bottles made only from vintages where certain varieties reach their peak. Winemaker Mauricio Ortiz says the aim is precise, fluid and elegant wines — what the house describes as Argentine with a French accent.

Why Antucura Is Building a Membership Club in the Valle de Uco

Why a Winery Is Pivoting Into Real Estate

Biancheri's reasoning is explicit: global wine consumption is falling and competing with lower-alcohol drinks, so she argues wine must be sold as part of a broader experience. That logic is visible in the project's design, which emphasizes wellness, retreats, dining and residences rather than just another tasting room. The shift allows Antucura to monetize its land and brand beyond bottled wine, targeting the same affluent traveler who might otherwise book a high-end stay in the Valle de Uco.

The Crowded Valle de Uco Hotel Boom

The article notes that the region has seen a boom in hotel projects since Biancheri bought the property in 1998, when the area was comparatively untouched. That context cuts both ways: it validates demand for luxury tourism in the region, but it also means Antucura is entering a more competitive landscape. Differentiation will depend on the club and membership format, the wellness offer and the French winemaking pedigree that Michel Rolland helped establish in the early years.

Argentina as a Refuge Market

The founder's comments frame part of the pitch as geopolitical: European buyers worried about war and immigration, she says, are looking for second homes in places like Argentina and Uruguay. This is an interpretation of demand rather than a verified trend in the article, but it explains why a Mendoza project would target European, US and Brazilian buyers. It also ties the project's success, at least partly, to Argentina's economic and political stability — something Biancheri says she believes in without providing specifics.

What Still Needs to Be Proven

The project's timeline depends on three unknowns identified in the article: completion of the business plan, the search for financial partners with a decision expected by the end of 2026, and pre-sales that have not yet begun. Until the sales folders are distributed and a financing structure is announced, the 2028 opening is a target rather than a commitment.

What to Watch as Antucura Seeks Buyers and Funding Partners

• Watch for Antucura's sales folders and financial-partner search over the coming months; founder Anne-Caroline Biancheri says the funding route should be defined before the end of 2026, making that the clearest milestone before construction begins.
• Track early demand for the first-stage 44 residences and 18 plots, which are aimed at European, US and Brazilian buyers; take-up will test whether the 'refuge second home' thesis holds in Mendoza.
• For prospective buyers, note the club mechanics: a residence purchase brings founding-member status, most access is by permanent or daily membership, and private cars will not be allowed inside the estate.
• For competitors and investors in the Valle de Uco, compare this offer with the region's existing hotel and winery projects; a 2028 opening, if reached, would arrive in an already crowded luxury tourism market.