Harvesting premium quality grapes
Catena Zapata in Argentina is one of the largest and globally renowned wine producers. On their vineyards throughout the country, they are using three New Holland Braud harvesters. This is a guarantee for harvesting grapes at the right moment, thus safeguarding the quality of premium brand wines. The Catena Zapata winery keeps alive the family […]
Catena Zapata in Argentina is one of the largest and globally renowned wine producers. On their vineyards throughout the country, they are using three New Holland Braud harvesters. This is a guarantee for harvesting grapes at the right moment, thus safeguarding the quality of premium brand wines.
The Catena Zapata winery keeps alive the family legacy that began in 1902, when Nicola Catena planted the first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza. During the 20th century, his descendants drove a sustained process of growth and expansion with new vineyards and positioning the winery as one of the leading references for Argentine wine worldwide.
In recent years, the winery has intensified its commitment to research, technological innovation, and the development of new production practices, with the aim of producing better wines while preserving the ecosystem. During the first decade of the 21st century, the winery went into mechanized harvesting, initially through specialized contractors and starting in 2011, with the first own New Holland Braud harvester. Since then, Catena Zapata has continued to expand in the implementation of mechanized harvesting.
Currently, the winery operates three Braud harvesters and each year harvests more than 1,000 hectares in different parts of the country. According to agricultural engineer Alejandro Viggiani, who is in charge of the vineyards in La Pampa, San Juan, La Rioja, and other regions, “the main benefit of mechanical harvesting is the ability to harvest the grapes at the right moment of ripeness for wine production.”
He also points out that mechanical harvesting offers a cleaner, faster harvest and does not damage the plant. “The results we have obtained over the past 15 years have been very positive, and each new model offers significant improvements. The first one we bought is still working as it did on the first day, with the normal maintenance required by any machine.”
On Wine Workers’ Day, Alejandro Viggiani highlighted the role of those who work daily in the vineyard and emphasized that “wine workers are a fundamental part of production, as important as the land and water. Without them, we would not have the results obtained by the industry throughout history.”
Federico Arroyo, marketing manager at New Holland, acknowledges the work of those who are part of the sector: “At New Holland, we support and celebrate the effort and dedication of wine workers who make the growth of the industry in Argentina possible.” We are proud to contribute all our experience and solutions to the development of viticulture in the country and the region.”
With more than 50 years of experience in developing solutions for viticulture, New Holland supports an internationally renowned winery such as Catena Zapata, which has been recognized on multiple occasions as one of the best in the world and was awarded Best Sustainability at the V d’Or awards in Paris in 2025.
