Commandant Michael Lynch founded Argentinian Wines in 2006. Prior to this he had a long and colourful career in the Irish army, serving in Cyprus, Sinai, Damascus and Beirut as well as various Irish postings. For a period he cut a large figure as the only Irish Officer serving with a body of Nepalese UN soldiers. When the Irish UN army mission to the Sinai Desert was terminated suddenly as a result of the bombing in Dublin in 1974, he was ordered to remain alone in the desert until all of the munitions and equipment could be brought safely home to Dublin.
In 1980 he was sent to serve with the UN in Damascus and then Beirut for two years and was one of the first witnesses of the massacre of 2594 Palestinians in Sabra Shatila refugee camps. Later he was awarded the Military Medal for Gallantry for having entered enemy territory to recover the bodies of four UN observers, including one Irish Officer who had driven into a Beirut minefield in 1982. He was only one of six recipients of this award since the foundation of the Irish State. Also while on UN duty in Lebanon Michael negotiated safe passage through an Israeli checkpoint in war-torn Beirut for truckloads of the Chateau Musar grapes to their winery enabling the continued production of the world famous wine.
On his retirement Michael (hence the name El Comandante) travelled to Mendoza in Argentina with a view to establishing the first Irish owed winery there. He fell in love with the relaxed, elegant lifestyle of Mendoza and with the beauty of the local grapes watered by the melting snows of the Andes Mountains. Out of his passion for naturally grown Argentinian vines, which require only a fraction of the insecticides used in other areas – making for a purer wine – he created the El Comandante brand.
Unfortunately in January 2008 Michael was diagnosed with cancer and after a nine month battle he succumbed to the illness in October. Michael's family were very keen to keep the business going as a testament to him and his eldest son Tom took over running of the company. Tom's background was in European Policy Analysis and Economics, not an ideal apprenticeship for a wine producer. To educate himself on both the company and the industry he went on a tour of the major new world winemaking regions of the world: South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, before going to Argentina where he spent over three months. On returning to Ireland in 2010 Tom took over the management of the Irish side of the company which had been in a semi dormant state. Since then the distribution network has expanded from an admittedly low base. Production, which was also on hiatus, has also recommenced with the next vintage which arrived in Ireland in early 2011. The new vintage is a 2009 Malbec and a 2010 Chardonnay.