Pure Extravaganza; Trapiche, The Ritz And A Wine Cave…

Who loves Malbec? I do! So when I received an invite from iYellow Wine Club to attend a tasting featuring Trapiche (one of Argentina’s oldest wineries), I couldn’t resist. You see, although other countries produce the much-loved varietal, Argentina has established itself as the epicenter for Malbec. And Mendoza (Latin America’s largest winemaking region) produces some of the best Malbecs around. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to compare and contrast two very distinct wines from the beautiful foothills of The Andes.

The winemakers at Trapiche have learned a thing or two about creating premium wines over the last 130 years. In fact, they are the producers of the most awarded Malbecs in Argentina. We were fortunate enough to meet one of their senior winemakers, Sergio Eduardo Case, at The Ritz-Carlton in Toronto as we kicked off the night with a wine he spoke very passionately about: Pure…

Made with 100% malbec grapes, Pure is approachable, bright and has a nice acidity. Although we found it a bit sweet for our palates when served on its own, it paired quite well with food. We explored the different dimensions of the wine as we paired it with filet mignon, pecorino cheese (from TOCA’s cheese cave) and chocolate. What really stood out for me was the texture of the wine; it was smooth with an almost silky mouthfeel. And for the $15.95 price point, you’re really getting a lovely bottle of vino here. I’ll be stocking up on this one for the winter!

Next up, we were escorted over to the iYellow wine cave to taste Extravaganza paired with some unusual food…

Unlike Pure, Extravaganza is a blend of Malbec, Bonarda and Syrah grapes. It’s a rich, full-bodied wine with a distinct black fruit flavour. The blend was paired with deep fried frog’s legs…

Duck tongue tacos…

And handmade donuts topped with chocolate-covered crickets…

Talk about extravaganza: it doesn’t get more adventurous than these pairings! I’ve had frog’s legs with wine before, but never duck tongue or crickets. But since I’m a true glutton and try everything at least once, I gave all the pairings a try. To my surprise, they all complimented the wine quite well. If I had to vote for my fave, I’d say the frog’s legs pairing with Extravaganza was the best: the kimchi aioli drizzled on the legs oddly picked up the red and black fruits in the wine. Who knew? Well, I guess iYellow Wine Club did! On that note, if you haven’t been to their events or visited their cave (a hidden gem in the city), I highly recommend it. You can become a member for free and learn about all their fab events here. Two things are guaranteed when you join the club: great wine will be had and new friends will be made…

For those who aren’t in Toronto, you can still enjoy these fab Trapiche wines at home. Luckily, they are Argentina’s largest premium wine exporter and ship these delicious bottles to over 80 countries worldwide. Cheers!