Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/457084
Wave Series winemaker Sebastian Labbé is an avid surfer. In Perfect Balance CHILE'S WAVE SERIES RISES TO THE CREST OF QUALITY by Amy Zavatto 66 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 PHOTO CROUTESY OF TRINCHERO FAMILY ESTATES F or those searching for balance in life but also find adventure in discovering something new—from a wave to a glass of wine—winemaker Sebastian Labbé has found a way to achieve perfect balance in both with Trinchero Family Estate's Wave Series wines. Initially launched in 2013 in Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Ireland and the U.K., the Wave Series offers two stand-out bottlings: "Left Wave" Sauvignon Blanc and "Right Wave" Pinot Noir, both under screwcap. The series was born in the cool-climate, Pacific- rimmed Leyda Valley in Chile—an area that has garnered much attention in the last few years not only for its quality Sauvignon Blanc, but also for its Pinot Noir possibilities. While the two wines offer a pocket-pleasing price point (SRP $11.99) for grabbing and going, what they also give in quality is poised to saturate the market when the label has its full-on national U.S. launch in the spring and summer of 2015. Chile is the third-largest Sauvignon Blanc producer in the world, behind New Zealand and the U.S., with over 30,000 acres planted. It's the country's second best-selling wine, after Cabernet Sauvignon. And while Pinot Noir remains a much smaller splash in the ocean, the great potential for quality has made many wineries invest in extra plantings of the persnickety grape. Pinot Noir plots under vine just hit over 7,000 acres currently, according to Wines of Chile, and by-volume production is up 20 percent this past year.