The Contra Corriente vineyard consists of two blocks planted at 620 feet of altitude. The first block of eight-acres was planted in 2013 with four varieties: riesling, gewürztraminer, chardonnay, and pinot noir. The second block, a two-acre vineyard of pinot noir, was planted in 2019, bringing the total vineyard area to ten acres. Soil in the first block is comprised of ancient riverbed left over from the retreat of Patagonia’s glaciers and is heterogeneous, well drained, and alluvial. Soil texture is sandy loam with the presence of volcanic ash, clay, and good organic matter. The pH is slightly acidic. The second block, planted on an east-facing slope, is comprised of glacial clays without the presence of alluvial soils. This block does not drain as well at the first block but is warmer and receives more sun throughout the day.

Everything about the vineyard is extreme due to its location in a production limit zone at 43* South Latitude. It is labor intensive. Unlike large mechanically farmed vineyards, each plant is handled at least a dozen times throughout the season, leading to low-yield high-quality fruit. Selective shoot thinning and fruit thinning go on through the season to ensure proper fruit set and ripeness. Strong winds up to 50 knots require that shoots are arranged and tied, and the long days and intense UV rays require that fruit is covered to avoid sunburn. Pests are a problem so the vineyard must be protected with electrical fencing to keep hares out and netting must also be installed after verasion to keep birds from decimating the crop.

The extreme terroir is also what makes Contra Corriente wines crisp and fresh and different from other wines of Argentina. Unique to just a handful of vineyards (all located in the Chubut Province), the vineyard has a maritime influence due to temperate Pacific Ocean winds which follow the Yelcho and Futaleufu Rivers upstream through Chile, eventually passing through a narrow gap in the Andes. Glacial soils, with the presence of clay and volcanic ash, are also unique and add to the complexity of the wines. Contra Corriente wines exhibit unique characteristics and that our terroir is original, extreme and unlike any other.

Winemaking takes place in a small 2,000 square foot winery located in the center of the two vineyards. The winery is perfectly scaled and able to accommodate up to 15,000 liters of wine at any time (the vineyard’s max production). Seven stainless steel tanks for both fermentation and storage are distributed throughout the winery as well as twenty-something French oak barrels. The Contra Corriente winery has modern, state-of-the-art equipment consisting of Italian Enovenetta brand crushing and destemming machines. The winery also includes a high-tech temperature control system for tanks, ambient climate control system, full laboratory, bottling machine, and packaging equipment.

Owners, Rance Rathie and Travis Smith, best friends and passionate outdoorsmen originally from the State of Montana, have spent half of their lives developing Patagonia River Guides, considered to be one of the world’s top fly fishing destinations. Within their style of exploring and doing things differently, they have spent the better part of the last decade planting the Contra Corriente vineyard. They have struggled with Chubut’s extreme terroir, combined with long distances from other winemaking regions and little technical assistance. Despite countless problems and mishaps, they never gave up. In the end, they succeeded, playing a big role in pioneering Argentina’s new and exciting southernmost wine region, within their style of being persistent, resilient, and tenacious — going against the current!

Rance and Travis realized early on that Trevelin Valley wines would be unique and incredible; however, to achieve true greatness, they also realized they would need to surround themselves with the best vineyard and winemaking team. They have done just that.

Sofia Elena started as vineyard manager and winemaker in 2018. Sofia brings ten-years of experience working predominately in cold climate wine regions such as Oregon, France, New Zealand, and Chile. Sofia loves to get her hands dirty in the vineyard, knowing that wine is made in the vineyard, and is passionate about cold climate wines.

Jeff LeBard leads the project as consulting winemaker, overseeing the project as a whole. Jeff brings unmatched expertise, talent and energy to the Contra Corriente team, and has been critical in producing all of our wines, including our first incredible vintage in 2018. Jeff brings over twenty years of experience producing exquisite wines for Gainey Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley, California.