Trivento Represents Value and Money

Snobbery, poor marketing stunts Argentine growth

After 25 years spent tasting wine and nearly two decades writing about the subject, I don't expend a great deal of effort looking for inexpensive wine that tastes great. If it comes my way it is always welcome, but looking for an incredible deal under $8 in the Canadian wine market is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack.

There's a reason why so-called cheap wine doesn't taste all that delicious: It takes a lot of money to produce flavourful, well-balanced tasty wine. Add to that a whopping tax structure and say goodbye to value.

The recent rush to "two-buck Chuck" in the United States, or an equivalent Canadian "seven-buck Canuck," isn't really about great or even good wine -- it's more about inexpensive wine. Let's face it, at these prices the juice costs less than the bottle, cork, label and carton it is shipped in.

Some have suggested that since the attacks of Sept. 11, consumers are forsaking high-end wine for more moderately priced wine that somehow more accurately reflects the mood of the continent.

I believe there's some truth in that but when I see people loading up their gas guzzling Hummers or BMW SUVs with cases of cheap wine, I'm not sure they get the concept. That said, this week when I wasn't looking for a bargain, I discovered several from Mendoza, Argentina-based Trivento and its side-kick value brand, La Chamiza.

When I first visited Trivento in the mid-'90s, I was struck by the high quality-to-price ratio of its wine, particularly the viognier and syrah, but for many reasons Argentina's growth in Canada has been stunted by poor marketing on its part, and a lot of misinformed snobbery from monopoly and private wine buyers, in particular members of the restaurant trade.

A falling peso has given new life to Argentine exports although when it comes to wine, there are now two very different export strategies.

One group of winery owners is leaving prices alone and spending windfall exchange profits on marketing and advertising. The other is cutting prices, hoping to attract your interest at the cash register. Trivento and La Chamiza represent the latter and for that you should be thankful. Most everything we tasted was well made and the prices for Chamiza are extremely attractive.

The La Chamiza Chardonnay 2002 is an amazing bottle of white wine for $6.95 -- specifically because it tastes like chardonnay. Look for a mineral, pear, green apple skin nose with some honey and lees notes. Its similar flavours with added grapefruit are fresh and crisp. A solid everyday white.

Sappy cassis, black pepper and smoky notes mark the nose of the 50/50 blend La Chamiza Cabernet Merlot 2002. On the palate it is dry, ripe and rich with some light tannins yet to shed, but I like the spicy, minty cassis fruit and plummy, peppery flavours. Good value and better than most any other red in its price category.

The star value of the tasting is the La Chamiza Shiraz Malbec 2002. While large blends like this tend to fluctuate in quality from bottling to bottling, the current shipment is an amazing value.

Look for a spicy, meaty and sweet black cherry jam nose and a round, slightly chewy style with ripe cherry, plum fruit and spicy, meaty smoky flavours. I love the balance and intensity for the price. This is outstanding value in a 1.5 litre bottle format for $13.98.

Moving up to the Trivento Reserves you get a slightly more sophisticated style for the extra dollars spent, and a classy package. The Trivento Cabernet Malbec Reserve 2001 has a spicy, peppery, cassis jam, coffee nose with peppery, spicy, mocha, plum jam flavours. The textures are smooth with slightly dry, chunky tannins and a touch of sweetness. A sturdy red that offers fine intensity.

An opaque colour and that classic savoury Argentine nose sporting licorice, blackberry jam, and vanilla describe the Trivento Syrah Reserve 2001. On the palate it has a sturdy smoky, licorice root flavour with a soft, savoury finish. The aftertaste offers hints of blueberries and plum. This is fine value barbecue red that would look good on the low end of any wine list.

The finale features Argentina's signature grape variety, malbec. The Trivento Malbec Golden Reserve 2000 has a fine, dark red colour, smoky vanilla aromas and a spicy clove undertone. Smoky coffee and savoury mincemeat characters mark the palate with some dryish tannin in the background. Ready-to-drink.

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The Pan Pacific Hotel's Five Sails Restaurant welcomes fans of Australian wine to join executive chef Ernst Dorfler and visiting Barossa Valley Estate winemaker Stuart Bourne for an evening of down-under wine and West Coast food. The restaurant has prepared a multi-course feast to accompany several premium BEVY labels including the icon E&E pepper shiraz, a wine that sells for more money on most restaurant lists than the entire ticket cost of this event. It's a giveaway, in my estimation, and you get to enjoy one of the finest restaurant settings on the continent. Tickets are $99 per person (not including tax and gratuity) and are available through the Five Sails at 604-891-2892.

WEEKEND WINE TASTING: Trivento/ La Chamiza, Mendoza, Argentina

Wine: La Chamiza Chardonnay 2002, Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $6.95
UPC: 7798039590281
Score: 14/20
Comments: Tasty green apple, melon and grapefruit flavours.

Wine: La Chamiza Cabernet Merlot 2002, Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $6.95
UPC: 7798039591141
Score: 14/20
Comments: Spicy, minty cassis fruit and plummy, peppery flavours.

Wine: La Chamiza Shiraz Malbec 2002, Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $13.98 (1.5L)
UPC: 7798039590410
Score: 15/20
Comments: Ripe cherry, plum fruit and spicy, meaty, smoky flavours.

Wine: Trivento Cabernet Malbec Reserve 2001, Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $12.95
UPC: 7798039590137
Score: 15/20
Comments: Peppery, spicy, mocha, cassis, plum jam flavour

Wine: Trivento Syrah Reserve 2001, Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $12.95
UPC: 7798039590434
Score: 15/20
Comments: Licorice, blackberry jam, vanilla and chocolate.

Wine: Trivento Malbec Golden Reserve 2000
Price: $24.98
UPC: 7798039590625
Score: 15.5/20
Comments: Smoky coffee, savoury mince meat.