Jonesing for a red alternative this weekend, I grabbed this Malbec from a local grocery store and hoped for a good tasting experience. I’ve been doing more wine reading as of late and, while I couldn’t recall if the Trivento was included in any ‘must try’ recommendations, I know that Argentinian Malbec has been recognized by some wine aficionados as a below-the-radar find.

2013 Trivento Malbec Reserve, Mendoza, Argentina.

And so, from the world’s fifth-largest wine producer Argentina (up to $1 billion in 2014 exports from $5 million just 20 years ago) comes the Trivento. According to the winemaker, this wine gets its name from the Polar, Zonda, and Sudestada winds and owes its fortunes to the Eolo, the God of the Winds who commands the winds over the Mendoza region from which Trivento originates. Now that’s a whole lot of cool mythos, and the Trivento almost foots the bill. It’s a plummy red wine, a medium-bodied dry red that has a little bit of oaky vanilla woven throughout its core.

Our foodstuffs on this Sunday evening included a pork loin, savory and succulent, and a light green salad. Throw in some mashed potatoes too with the 2013 Trivento Reserve and you’ve got a meal.

Argentina boasts less than 5% market share today and the Trivento is a safe, right-down-the-middle of the plate groove through the strike zone. Not too sharp, and plenty safe. I liked fine enough but don’t really need to give it another go.