Trivento translates as 3 winds, Polar, Zonda, and Sudestada. Polar is the cold wind in the winter. Zonda is the dry warmer air in the spring. Sudestada is the southeasterly, cooling wind of the summer.
Bodega Trivento takes advantage of all three winds to create exquisite wines.
Gabriel Rubilar, winemaker friend of ours from 1723 Vineyards, suggested we go there when we were in Mendoza, Argentina for a wedding. He had worked there himself and highly recommended the vineyard.
The Winery
Located in the Maipú area of Mendoza, Argentina, Trivento is a good sized winery with over 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of vineyards. They are surrounded by numerous other wineries, so they have to stand out. Trivento offers a variety of white wines, a classic Malbec, and even some bolder Cabernets.
If you end up going, get reservations ahead of time. “Walk-ins” don’t work there. You can reserve online, or call ahead. When you’re on the tour you’ll understand why it’s important.
In less than 10 minutes, we rode our bikes to get there from our bed and breakfast, Posada Cavieres Wine Farm (Lodge). After biking through the gate, we checked in at the gate house to confirm our tour registration.
The outside of the administrative part of the building is quiet and non-descript. It displays the 3 winds logo on the left side.
The Tour
We started inside. It has the appearance of an art studio, but not pretentious. Our tour guide who made us feel at home. Even being dressed in shorts and athletic wicking t-shirts.
After the initial explanation we were guided out to the vineyard. As the vineyard is quite large, we only walked through a small portion. For a better view, there’s an elevated platform. From the platform you can see how far the vineyard extends.
Our guide showed us where the grapes for the various wines were located throughout the vineyards. She also explained how the winds affected the vines, and how Trivento used that to produce the best grapes.
Then we saw the production, where they make the wines. Our guide walked us through the process, showing us various wines and their current status. She gave us a small taste of some “unfinished” wine to later compare with the finished wines we would be tasting, describing how the wine would further mature.
When we got to the warehouse, it exhibited just how big Bodega Trivento really is. Filled with oak barrels stacked up to the ceiling, it was almost overwhelming. It seemed endless.
An intriguing discovery was that some of the barrels they use are from Pennsylvania back in the US, Keystone Cooperage!
The Tasting
Having toured the facility brought additional reference to the tasting. It helped us understand why some of the wines taste the way they do.
The tasting comprised three selections. A sparkling Brut Nature, Golden Reserve Chardonnay, and Golden Reserve Malbec. The selection offered a nice variety that showed off the talent of the wine makers and the complexities of the wine.
All totaled, our tour was 3 hours. It seemed like that was longer then normal, perhaps that’s because we asked a lot of questions. What a great experience to see first hand. We’d recommend the tour and tasting to anyone who finds themselves in Mendoza.