A Child’s Dream Made Wine: The Story of Doctor Juan Antonio Lora

When Juan Antonio Lora was just 12 years old, in his native Dominican Republic, he dreamed of making his own wine. He imagined sharing it, accompanied by good food, and enjoying the pleasure of those who tasted it.

Today, at age 65, that childhood dream is a reality. After retiring from a successful career as a gastroenterologist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2024, Lora is enjoying a new stage of life as the owner of five acres of vineyard in the Uco Valley, Mendoza (Argentina), within the Casa de Uco Private Vineyards and Wine Resort estate, located at the foot of the imposing Andes Mountains.

The Dream Begins

For decades, while practicing medicine, Lora traveled to different countries in search of inspiration. France, Italy, Spain, and the renowned Napa Valley, in California, were part of this path of exploration.

One day, almost as if he had discovered a treasure, he found what seemed to be the perfect place: Casa de Uco.

“I didn’t have to spend the whole year working the vineyard. I could continue to practice as a doctor and advise them on the type of wine to make and the quality I wanted. That’s how it all started,” he recalls with emotion.

Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (Foto/Photo: Refucilo Winery)

The Birth of Refucilo

In 2016, accompanied by his wife, Cecilia, he traveled to Argentina and fell in love with the country’s natural beauty, including its mountains and vineyards.

“It was a place where I could afford to buy; it did not cost an exorbitant amount of money per acre, and that made it possible,” he recalls.

That same year, he acquired his vineyard and, two years later, he merged his passion for wine with his desire to share it. In 2018, he opened the doors to Refucilo, a wine bar, which he had long dreamed of. It is located at 907 Western Avenue, Pittsburgh.

Every year, it imports about 15,000 bottles of wine from Argentina. Some of it is sold directly at the wine bar, and the rest is distributed to restaurants in Pittsburgh and Westmoreland County.

Velero Refucilo en un viaje en el Caribe. / Refucilo sailboat in the Caribbean (Foto cortesía de/Photo courtesy of: Juan Antonio Lora)

The name Refucilo is a tribute to his Uruguayan uncle, who is passionate about wine and sailing.

“I have wonderful memories of sailing with him through the Caribbean on his sailboat Refucilo,” Lora says with a smile.

From the Dominican Republic to Pennsylvania

Lora’s path to Pittsburgh began in 1985, when he emigrated to the United States after earning his medical degree in his native country. He spent a brief period in Connecticut, where he performed surgery for a year, and later in Philadelphia, where he trained in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at the University of Pennsylvania, from which he obtained his degree in 1993.

After six years in Florida, he finally settled in Pittsburgh, where he practiced his profession for almost three decades. He came to the city upon the recommendation of a cardiologist friend — whom he considers like a brother — at a hospital in Westmoreland County.

Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (Foto cortesía de/Photo courtesy of: Juan Antonio Lora)

Philosophy of life

Looking back, Lora affirms that dreams are personal and unique. His advice is clear: you must set high goals and persevere despite the obstacles.

“Every time you overcome one, you gain strength for facing the next one, until you reach your goals,” he says.

Today, with Refucilo and his vineyard in Mendoza, Juan Antonio Lora is a living example that perseverance and passion can turn dreams into reality. A child’s dream that, over time, became a wine, a legacy, and a life’s purpose.