Winemaker Notes
Trapiche’s story began in 1883, in a small vineyard called ‘El Trapiche’ in Mendoza, at the foothills of the Andes Mountain range. With more than 135 years of experience, Trapiche has earned its place as the pioneering Argentinean winery, owning more than 3000 acres of vineyards ranging from 600 meters to over 1200 meters.
Exploration and discovery lie at the heart of the winery, which thrives on innovation as a guiding principle in the search for new horizons. True to its origins, today Trapiche is on a continuous quest for the latest best practices and product innovations, such as being the first to produce wine on Argentina’s east coast by the Atlantic Ocean.
Trapiche has been recognized five times in the ranking of “The World’s Most Admired Wine Brands”, and in 2019 was recognized by Wine Enthusiast as “New World Winery of the Year”. This award marks an important milestone in Trapiche´s history, recognizing its contributions to the Argentine and global wine industries over the past 135 years, and its impact on local wine tourism and culture in recent decades.
With vineyards tretching along the eastern side of the Andes Mountains from Patagonia in the south to Salta in the north, Argentina is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic wine producing countries—and most important in South America.
Since the late 20th century vineyard investments, improved winery technology and a commitment to innovation have all contributed to the country’s burgeoning image as a producer of great wines at all price points. The climate here is diverse but generally continental and agreeable, with hot, dry summers and cold snowy winters—a positive, as snow melt from the Andes Mountains is used heavily to irrigate vineyards. Grapes very rarely have any difficulty achieving full ripeness.
Argentina’s famous Mendoza region, responsible for more than 70% of Argentina’s wine production, is further divided into several sub-regions, with Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley most noteworthy. Red wines dominate here, especially Malbec, the country’s star variety, while Chardonnay is the most successful white.
The province of San Juan is best known for blends of Bonarda and Syrah. Torrontés is a specialty of the La Rioja and Salta regions, the latter of which is also responsible for excellent Malbecs grown at very high elevation.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.