Earlier this week Harbour Wines & Spirits hosted a delightful wine-pairing dinner featuring wines in their portfolio from Argentina and Chile. The event coincided with the short visit of Concho y Toro’s Latin America Wine Ambassador Patricia Guzmán. Concho y Toro is the largest producer of wines in Latin America and in addition to its own brand, it owns Viña Maipo in Chile, Trivento in Argentina and in California is owns Fetzer and affiliated brands Bonterra, Little Black Dress, Jekel, Five Rivers and Bel Arbor. For this special event, only premium and higher-tiered wines from Viña Maipo and Trivento were poured.

Viña Maipo, Chile

Viña Maipo was founded in 1948 in Maipo Town, located in the Maipo Valley, south of Santiago. In 1968 they were acquired by the biggest wine holding in Chile — the Concha y Toro Group. Viña Maipo’s wines come from the most renowned valleys of Chile’s wine-growing region. This is what we tasted:

• Viña Maipo, Vitral Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2016 — The first wine for the evening was filled with “vim & vigour, it was zesty and refreshing, made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Chile’s Aconcagua, Coquimbo and Central Valley. It was aged in stainless steel tanks for four months before bottling.

• Viña Maipo Limited Edition Handpicked Syrah 2012 — A new discovery, this very special Limited Edition Syrah is made with 86% Syrah, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 30 months in French oak barrels. It is an elegant, rich, well balanced medium to full-bodied red wine. This multi-award winning ultra premium Syrah was given an outstanding 92 points by Wine Enthusiast — a leading wine publication in the US.

• Viña Maipo Protegido Cabernet Sauvignon, 2013 — If you like full-bodied, punchy, rich powerful red wines, then the Protegido is for you. It is made with Cabernet Sauvignon 97%, Cabernet Franc 1%, Syrah 1% and Petite Verdot 1% from the Maipo Valley. I think it should have been opened at least an hour before pouring as I found this wine tight and grippy. This can be bought and put down for over 10 years easily.

Trivento, Argentina

Founded in 1996 when Concha y Toro announced its successful purchase a collection of vineyards in the Mendoza region of Argentina, the name Trivento (three winds) was chosen as it represented the three winds, Polar, Zonda and Sudestada that blow through the Mendoza region of Argentina, leaving their unique mark on the vines. Today Trivento offers a comprehensive range of wines, including Trivento Reserve, its much-admired limited edition Trivento Golden Reserve wines. At the pinnacle of offerings is Trivento Eolo, a super-premium reserve Malbec that debuted with a 93 rating in the June 2008 issue of Wine Spectator magazine. This is what we tasted from Trivento:

• Trivento Reserve Chardonnay, 2017 — Not your typical chardonnay, yellow – olive green, with aromas of tropical fruits and herbal notes. A palate of mineral acidity and freshness with a crisp citrus and white fruit.

• Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec, 2015 — A perpetual favourite of mine, this Malbec is purple red with deep violet tones. It has a bouquet of berry fruits, plum jam, coffee and tobacco notes. The wine is elegant and powerful on the palate with velvety tannins. One of the very best values in our market.

• Trivento Golden Reserve Cabernet Franc, 2015 — Brand-new discovery for me, my favourite out of the six wines for the evening. It began with perfumed floral notes on the nose, then in the mouth it was a complex powerful juicy wine with soft elegant tannins supporting the long engaging finish.

A fantastic evening was had by all who attended; all couples were separated and placed at different tables thus creating an atmosphere for high engagement and sharing. Bravo, GraceKennedy, Harbour Wines & Spirits, Viña Maipo, Triveno, Embassies of Argentina & Chile, and special thanks to the Culinary Federation of Jamaica for the sumptuous fare that was paired with the wines.

Christopher Reckord – Information Technology Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope @chrisreckord and on Twitter: @Reckord