Polo player and winemaker: he lived in the United States for 25 years, played for Tommy Lee Jones, and returned to his hometown to make wine.
When he was born, Martín Muñoz was given a colt named Pamperito. “That horse was my best friend, my best toy. There wasn't a day I didn't ride it. I've had a passion for horses for as long as I can remember,” says Martín, who was born in Tandil, grew up on family land in the Las Dos Naciones area of Lobería , and grew up in Balcarce, where he currently lives. But if we're talking about destinations, there's much more to the life of this polo player turned winemaker.
“I attended elementary school in a rural school where there were 21 students from first to seventh grade. For secondary school, I moved to Balcarce and lived with my maternal grandparents. In the summer of 1996, when I was 17, at the Mar del Plata polo club, I met the Tevez family, from Cañuelas and cousins of the Castagnolas,” Martín says of the relatives of Bartolomé and Camilo Castagnola, two of the best Argentine polo players today. “It was with them that I took my first steps in this sport. The following year, polo players Santiago Hernando and Luis Echezarreta invited me to the United States to participate in the polo season in Alabama and Mississippi. After that, Sebastián Bonorino, manager of San Baba, actor Tommy Lee Jones's team, invited me to join his team. That's when I began my career as a professional polo player. I developed from the ground up, taking advantage of the opportunity they were giving me,” says Martín, who many years later, in 2016, revolutionized the city of Balcarce when he included the Hollywood actor among his wedding guests.
With the experience he gained, Martín joined the team of Scott Wood, a Houston oil businessman passionate about the sport of cue and bocha. With him as his boss (owner of a team with top-quality contracted players), they competed in the most important high-stakes tournaments in the world, such as Palm Beach, England, Saint Tropez, Aspen, Houston, and Santa Barbara. They've been together for 25 years, now with Martín as the team manager and no longer on horseback.
It was in this context, in 2013, in Palm Beach, that the polo player met a Patagonian veterinarian, Verónica Fernández, from Puerto de Santa Cruz. They began dating after two years of working together, married, and together they have a son, Gael, who was born in Texas but is being raised in Balcarce. “I always wanted to return to this city, where my roots are and where I want to see my son grow up. I want to give him a family atmosphere, surrounded by those friends who will last a lifetime, where fundamental life values are shared, which are difficult to find abroad, ” Martín summarizes about the decision he made last year: to return to Argentina with his family, although still linked to his Texan employer.
Hardworking and committed, the polo player always knew that his decision to return to Balcarce had to be accompanied by a project. So he ventured into wine, with the fundamental support of his partner and godson Bautista Bodega—a surname that seems almost a destiny. In 2022, they founded Bodegas y Viñedos Balcarce, this venture that's already a trend in the city where winemaking is increasingly developing. "Making wines requires as much passion as polo. If you're not passionate about it, you can't do it. There are no weekends off, nor can you set a time. The adrenaline rush of polo is like the patience to wait a year until you taste your first wines," says Martín, who hired Tandil native Matías Lucas as his winemaker. The quality of Séptimo Chukker , the brand that already offers a Cabernet Franc, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a blend of Cabernet Franc and Tannat, is evident in the wine we shared. Just like the spirit of this athlete, who is caring, kind, and affable. The world of polo doesn't seem to have altered his down-to-earth nature.
Balcarce Wineries and Vineyards. The vineyards and winery are located ten minutes from downtown Balcarce. They host tastings and lunches in a lovely lounge. They also have three well-appointed dormitories for guests. They serve a breakfast. There's a pool. From $90,000 for a double room with breakfast. RP 55, s/n, and RP 55. Phone: (2266) 57-8383. IG: @vinedos.balcarce
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