White malbec is the new low-calorie wine you need to start drinking.
First, it was pale pink rosé, dubbed the unofficial drink of summer. Then, orange wine became trendy amongst natural wine drinkers. Now, white malbec is the latest wine trend to get all the buzz.
Similar to its sister, the red malbec, white malbec is also produced in Mendoza, Argentina. The terroir, altitude, soils, and various microclimates of Mendoza, which are influenced by the Andes mountains, make this particular region optimal for producing malbec. Approximately 63% of the world’s malbec production comes from Mendoza. Most wine enthusiasts are familiar with the typical varietal, the deep-red, dry wine that pairs perfectly with grilled meats. However, white malbec is a brand new category that’s entering the market.
In 2019, Trivento (which means “three winds” in Spanish), one of the top-selling Argentinian wine brands launched the first white malbec in the world–a 100% single-vineyard varietal. Compared to a traditional red malbec–which is a bold, dry wine, akin to cabernet sauvignon or merlot–the white malbec is similar to a dry, medium-bodied white wine. It’s also a lower-calorie wine: only 83 calories per glass.
Maxi Ortiz, the winemaker at Trivento, spent months experimenting to create an innovative wine unlike anything in the company’s portfolio. “We’re creating an entirely new category of malbec, and the consumer response has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Ortiz. “Made from our estate-grown fruit from Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo, the 2022 vintage shows notes of green apple, tropical fruit, and bright acidity with a crisp and balanced finish.”
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The white malbec initially launched with the 2022 vintage. After a successful run and four years of additional research and development, Bodega Trivento launched it in the United States on April 17, Malbec World Day. Currently, the Trivento white malbec is available in the U.S. for a suggested price of $11.
It’s impossible to talk about the white malbec without mentioning its unique, crystalline (almost clear) hue. Ortiz and his team have worked hard on a proprietary method that involves adding a specific amount of oxygen to achieve a clear color.
“Achieving the striking clear color, desired flavor, and aromatic profile of our white malbec starts in the vineyard,” he says. “We harvest the fruit for the white malbec quite early, generally in January, a month or more before the fruit would be picked to make a red malbec. The younger fruit has a lower concentration of sugars, which results in a wine with a lower percentage of alcohol and lots of bright natural acidity. In the cellar, we crush the grapes gently and immediately press them off of their skins, minimizing contact with the part of the grape that holds the color compounds. We introduce oxygen during fermentation which further reduces color and then filter the wine prior to bottling for clarity.”
The entire fermentation process lasts 15 days and the end product is a medium body wine with 10.5% alcohol. When it comes to pairing the white malbec it should be treated similarly to a white wine: served chilled and paired with seafood, chicken, and lighter salads.
“Balanced and versatile, Trivento white malbec is great for sipping on its own,” says Ortiz.
Trivento isn’t just creating a new category but it’s also a wine with a good cause. For every Trivento white malbec purchased, a portion of the proceeds will go towards providing 50 secondary school scholarships for students in Mendoza through a partnership with FonBec, a non-profit organization that helps students who come from low-income families. Trivento will also donate proceeds to a satellite high school for adults that Bodega Trivento established in 2008.
Bodega Trivento is not only on a mission to produce innovative and leading wines, but is deeply committed to creating a winery that is sustainable. Currently, 97% of the winery’s vineyards use a drip irrigation system, and 96% of their waste is recycled. Trivento is one of a few certified B-Corp wineries in Argentina; it’s on a mission to be fully carbon neutral by 2050.