When you think Malbec, you likely think Argentina. And when you think Argentina, you think Malbec. After all, Malbec is the flagship wine of Argentina, and the Malbec of Argentina is a shining example of what this grape can do in the new world. But there’s more to the wines of Argentina than Malbec as we found recently with two wines from Trapiche located in the Mendoza region.

Led by Chief Winemaker Sergio Eduardo Casé and Viticulturalist Marcelo Belamonte, not only is Trapiche showcasing a range of wines, but they grow organically and biodynamically.  The hot dry weather there is optimum for growing this way, and Trapiche takes advantage of these natural conditions to grow their grapes without chemicals, herbicides, or fungicides. 

While Trapiche may be new to me and you, the winery was founded in 1883, 140 years ago. In 1912, Trapiche constructed their Renaissance-style winery dates back to 1912 which is considered one of the icons of Argentine wine architecture. In 2019, Wine Enthusiast named Trapiche New World Winery of the Year.

Visitors there can enjoy a Wine and Cheese Pairing Masterclass, a Sea and Mountain Tasting, Single Vineyard Tasting and Signature Wine Tasting, and visit the El Espacio Restaurant which offers both three and eight-course pairing options for lunch and dinner and won best winery restaurant in 2018; its renowned Chef Lucas Bustos has received numerous awards throughout his career. El Estacion is a wine bar located inside a refurbished freight train car originally used to transport grapes from the vineyards to the winery. 

In addition to the original location at the foot of the Andes in Maipú, Trapiche crafts Argentina’s first wines of oceanic influence. In total, Trapiche owns over 1,000 hectares of vineyards, and works with more than 300 growers in the Mendoza region.

Since the Trapiche Medalla Red Blend and Trapiche Iscay aren’t the typical wines of Argentina, we decided to go beyond the typical pairing of chimichurri, but with a different dish famous to the Americas– HAMBURGERS! Yes, we went with burgers two ways — the “cowboy” burger with jalapeños as a nod to the spice of Argentinean cuisine and the cowboys there, and the other with truffles to match the richness of the wines and the sophistication that is part of Argentina’s Trapiche today. 

2 Trapiche Wines

• 2020 Trapiche Medalla Red Blend

• 2019 Trapiche Iscay

Menu

• Burgers 2 Ways:
  “Cowboy” Burger: Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar with heirloom tomato
  Truffle Parmesan Burger
• oven fries 
• grilled eggplant 

2020 Trapiche Medalla Red Blend

ABV: 
SRP: 
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc
sample for my review

Appearance:  Very dense, ruby with a ruby rim.

Aroma: Cherry, cassis, eucalyptus, sandalwood, cedar, amber. 

Palate: Very tasty, bright tart cherry throughout the palate, lingering on a cherry finish, a bit of cigar box, cherry tobacco, lighter in body than a Napa cab, quite herbal, sage, pine, sticky tannins, earthen, iron rich, very salivating. 

Pairing: The lovely smoky bacon that has been ground into this burger is beautifully elevated by the wine, adding a bit of wine soaked cheddar a top of the burger further enhanced the meal with the wine,  the subtle jalapeno was enhanced by the wine. The oven fries are absolutely perfect with the wine, both flavors harmonize and elevate each other. The truffle burger was very rich and heavy and while they worked fine together, I was left wanting for more after enjoying it so much with the oven fries. So very good with the grilled eggplant loving the rich creamy texture and herbs that were sprinkled a top. 

2019 Trapiche Iscay

ABV: 15%
SRP: 
Grapes: Syrah, Viognier|
sample for my review

Iscay means “two in Quechuan the original language of the Incas who inhabited trout the Andes Mountains. W have chosen the Quechuan word to symbolize the union of two grapes and two winemakers friends that honoring their friendship have conceived together this unique Argentine wine. This wine is a first among a series of developments with Trapiche’s friends. 

Appearance:  Cloudy, dark and dense, ruby, fushia rim

Aroma: Cherry fruit, blue fruit, baking spices, black pepper, sandalwood, cedar, lovely nose

Palate: Big and rich and enveloping, very dramatic, cola, fresh fruit, Santa Rosa plum, cinnamon, black pepper, savory on the finish, forest floor, eucalyptus, nicely plush, the high alcohol does not overwhelm. 

Pairing: The pepper in the oven roasted potatoes are enhanced and elevated by wine as much as potatoes elevate the wine. The grilled herbal eggplant brings out the sweet fruit in the wine, The bacon jalapeño burger was quite nice with the wine loving the bacon flavors that were ground into the meat; there is the flavor of the jalapeno with out the heat which goes quite nicely with the wine. The jalapeno was so subtle that at first, however it was because it was missing that heat that she loves and craves. Sue couldn’t identify it within the burger, while for me it was quite overwhelming and did not work with the wine for me at all.

For more Wines from Argentina, check out: 

• Camilla at Culinary Cam shares “From Soil and Sea to Sky: Miso-Glazed Squash and Salmon with Trapiche Medalla Chardonnay“
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “Celebrating Day of the Souls with Carbonada en Zapallo and Trapiche Cabernet Sauvignon“
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “Off The Beaten Wine Path in Argentina“
• Steve at Children of the Grape shares “The Dance of the Vine“
• Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog shares “Savoring Argentine Red Wines From Trapiche and Unànime with Roasted Mushroom Risotto“
• Deanna at Wineivore shares “Unanime and Trapiche Wines with Argentinian Inspired Tapas“
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares “Not Just Malbec: Argentina’s Trapiche Cab Blend and Syrah Paired with Burgers 2 Ways“
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “Pairing South American food and wine long distance“
• Susannah at Avvinare shares “Trapiche Fall Flavors For Halloween Celebrations“

• Wines of Argentina chat live on X/Twitter Chat Sat 8/28 11am-12pm Eastern Time. Join the conversation via #WorldWineTravel . See the preview from our host @foodwineclick.