The Zonda Wine Podcast

Jeff Mausbach's lift changing wine was a bottle of Giacomo Conterno. A young kid scrapping for extra cash in the busy restaurant scene of Chicago, he took one sip and got hooked.Born and raised in Nebraska then studying in Chicago, Jeff was nowhere near wine country. But when he fell in love with an Argentinean during his European travels, destiny took him to his wife's hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina. With only his taste for fine wine and a few words of Spanish in his back pocket, he convinced legendary vintner Nicolas Catena to bring him on, kickstarting a lifelong journey in wine.In 2010, Jeff co-founded 'Mil Suelos' with award-winning viticulturist Alejandro Sejanovich and Jorge Crotta. With a handful of savings, an old vineyard purchase, and a dream of capturing Argentina's most iconic sites, they set off to produce wines of extraordinary caliber from Uco Valley, Mendoza to Jujuy's 10,000 foot vineyards. As Mil Suelos celebrates 15 years, a recent tasting of their first vintages reveals the wines' superior quality and aging potential. This is Jeff Mausbach's incredible story from the midwest to the Andes Mountains.

Show Notes

Jeff Mausbach's lift changing wine was a bottle of Giacomo Conterno. A young kid scrapping for extra cash in the busy restaurant scene of Chicago, he took one sip and got hooked.

Born and raised in Nebraska then studying in Chicago, Jeff was nowhere near wine country. But when he fell in love with an Argentinean during his European travels, destiny took him to his wife's hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina. With only his taste for fine wine and a few words of Spanish in his back pocket, he convinced legendary vintner Nicolas Catena to bring him on, kickstarting a lifelong journey in wine.

In 2010, Jeff co-founded 'Mil Suelos' with award-winning viticulturist Alejandro Sejanovich and Jorge Crotta. With a handful of savings, an old vineyard purchase, and a dream of capturing Argentina's most iconic sites, they set off to produce wines of extraordinary caliber from Uco Valley, Mendoza to Jujuy's 10,000 foot vineyards. As Mil Suelos celebrates 15 years, a recent tasting of their first vintages reveals the wines' superior quality and aging potential. 

This is Jeff Mausbach's incredible story from the midwest to the Andes Mountains. 

What is The Zonda Wine Podcast?

The wine world's biggest names. Unscripted. Unfiltered.

The Zonda Wine Podcast is the long-form interview show where industry legends — Jancis Robinson, Antonio Galloni, Laura Catena, Tor Kenward and more — sit down with host Shawn Zylberberg for the conversations you don't hear anywhere else.

No tasting notes. No technical jargon. Just the real stories behind the people who shaped the wine world.
New episodes dropping regularly. Subscribe and never miss a conversation.

🎙️ Hosted by Shawn Zylberberg | Industry Insider & Interviewer
🍷 Long-form | Unscripted | Exclusive Access
🌍 For wine lovers, collectors, emerging sommeliers and the wine curious