Martin Castro

Make-it-worker. Improvement Engineer. Rock.

Originally from Mendoza, Argentina, Martin graduated as an Industrial Engineer from the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo and moved to the U.S. to obtain his MBA at Northeastern University in Boston. After a one-year stint at global consulting company IDC, he joined one of the most prestigious wine distributors in the United States, Augustan Wine Imports in Florida. As General Manager of Augustan Wine Imports, Martin was exposed to every aspect of selling, marketing, and distributing some of the most renowned and respected wines in the U.S. In 2004, Augustan Wine Imports was acquired by Charmer Sunbelt Group, the second-largest distribution company in the country and became the high-end distribution arm for the conglomerate in Florida, where Martin remained as General Manager until 2009. In 2009, Martin returned to Argentina to dedicate himself to making wines with a sense of place with his longtime friend Cristian Allamand. Martin was responsible for the initial development of the distribution network in more than twenty U.S. states. In 2019, prominent Argentine vintner Carlos Pulenta offered Martin the opportunity to lead the U.S. sales of his personal winery, Bodega Vistalba, and in 2021, his responsibility expanded to manage all worldwide export sales. In 2022, a serendipitous call to Ben Carson, Martin’s former colleague from Augustan Wine Imports since 2001, led to Martin joining Olé & Obrigado as National Accounts Manager with responsibility for Total Wine, Costco, Whole Foods, and more.

After more than twenty years in the wine industry, Martin has acquired a rare breadth of first-hand experience and knowledge spanning nearly every stage in the wine business, from selecting a plot of land for a new vineyard all the way through the process culminating in selling wines to consumers in the USA. He continues to be connected to the wine business in Argentina as he still owns 15 hectares of malbec in Valle De Uco, the most prestigious valley in Argentina.

When not teaching pivot tables to dance or making broken tools look like the technology of the future, you’re most likely to find Martin, like the good Argentine he is, stationed at the BBQ grill. Martin now splits his time between the U.S. and Argentina, where he lives with his wife Floppy and their three children, Luna, Nicolas, and Trinidad.