In Loving Memory of Wayne Tamarelli, who alongside his beloved wife Carol, shared their passion for fine wines with those who cherished them.
The success of Tamarelli Vineyards was not just a business venture, but a lifelong source of joy and fulfillment for Wayne, made possible through his enduring partnerships with industry-leading winemakers and experts. Our wines, originating from the super-premium grapes of the Los Chacayes region within Uco Valley, Mendoza, are a testament to Wayne's dedication to quality and excellence.
Wayne always believed that the magic of fine wines lay in the alchemy of soil, climate, and the right choice of grape varietals.
We hope you will follow our journey as we carry on production in Loving Memory of Wayne Tamarelli — his spirit lives on in every bottle, a legacy of passion and artistry.
“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.”
Wayne Tamarelli, 1941 - 2023
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2003 // PARTNERSHIP
Wayne and Carol Tamarelli joined a partnership with Calluna Vineyards in the Chalk Hill AVA of Sonoma, California and began to turn their appreciation for excellent wine into a developing pursuit of intentionally crafted, high quality wines.
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2007 // DISCOVERING
Wayne and Carol Tamarelli traveled to see the emerging, and critically acclaimed “New Napa” of Mendoza, Argentina; recognized because of the region’s unique, complementing climate factors and terroir.
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End of 2007 // EARLY STRATEGIES
By the end of 2007, Wayne and Carol purchased enough land to produce about 6,000 bottles of super-premium wines per year. They made their first, pivotal decision to plant malbec, cabernet franc, syrah, and merlot grape varietals. At the same time, they established an early strategy for Classic and Elegant wine styles, produced at a Super Premium quality level.
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2009 // PRODUCTION
Tamarelli Vineyards began sustaining successful production for two to three different wines annually, and selling the remaining high-quality grapes to other wineries. Wine types to date include malbec, various malbec-based blends, cabernet franc, 2 types of roses, and late harvest cabernet franc.
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2011 - Present Day // ONLINE SALES + BEYOND
Tamarelli wines first available through online sales. Shortly after, Wayne and Carol Tamarelli contract a villa construction project in the luxury resort, The Vines Resort and Spa (www.vinesresortandspa.com). Completed in 2014, they visit their Mendoza villa about three times per year to decide on farming objectives, wine blending, etc.
Our Winemakers
Santiago Achaval
Consulting Winemaker
Santiago Achaval fell in love with wines and winemaking after frequently visiting the Napa Valley while receiving his MBA from Stanford. Achaval-Ferrer, his winery in Mendoza, boasts four of the five highest rated wines in Argentine history, as judged by Wine Spectator, and the highest rated Argentine wine to date according to Robert Parker. He recently received 98 points for his 2004 Finca Altamira Malbec from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, and Wine Spectator named his Finca Bellavista one of the 10 best in the world in 2012.
Pablo Martorell
Partner, Winemaker
The Vines of Mendoza’s winemaker, Pablo Martorell is young, but already heavily awarded from Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast for The Vines’ Recuerdo Wines. Born and raised in Tunuyán, he has worked at some of the most important wineries in Mendoza, including Bodega Nieto Senetiner, Catena Zapata, Trivento and Bodega Flecha de los Andes, under the esteemed Michel Rolland’s tutelage. He has also worked in wineries internationally. In 2006, he worked with Chateau de Lauret in Pomerol, Bordeaux, and in 2007, for Chateau Peyre Lebade and Chateau Clarke in Medoc, Bordeaux, both part of the Rothschild Group. In 2009, he worked for Napa Wine Company in California.
Mariana Onofri
Partner, Wine Director
Mariana Onofri has been the Wine Director for The Vines of Mendoza since 2009, overseeing all vineyard owner winemaking plans and customized wine design. This includes overseeing blending sessions and barrel tastings for the company’s 185 Private Vineyard owners, and over 330 fermentations in The Vines' 2016 harvest alone. She oversees all wine selection and wine experience for the company’s Siete Fuegos restaurant and The Vines Tasting Room. Prior to The Vines she worked at Chateau La Violette in Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, and has been in Sommelier in La Bourgogne in Punta Del Este Uruguay. She also did winemaking internships in Napa and France, and has launched her own wine brand, Onofri Wines, with wines made at The Vines of Mendoza winery.
Vineyards + Winery
Vineyards
Our vineyards are located high in the Uco Valley at the base of the Andes mountain range in Mendoza, Argentina. The elevation is 3,702 feet. The Andes turn moisture from westerly winds coming through Chile into snow in the mountains. As a result the vineyard climate is very dry, with little cloud cover most of the year. Temperature swings between day to night are large. This combination of arid climate and large temperature swings stresses the grapes, causing them to grow thick skins that provide rich flavors and colors.
The soil contains large amounts of alluvial gravel from ancient glaciers, which provides good drainage for the vines.
Our viticulturists carefully monitor and tend the vines with meticulous hand labor. They also provide precise amounts of water through advanced drip irrigation systems. The vineyards are farmed for high quality grapes rather than for high yields. This gives the winemakers the best fruit to work with.
Winery
The winery is close to our vineyards. It has specialized equipment and staff for producing many types and styles of wines for vineyard owners who have their wines made there. Our winemakers are highly experienced in producing high-quality award-winning wines. We confer with them regularly about the key decisions to be made each year.
An important highlight is our blending sessions where we taste samples of the last harvest from barrels. Various blends are tried. The best are used for finishing the aging of the wines. After bottling, the wines receive additional aging before being shipped.
Partners
We have expanded our winemaking endeavors on an international scale! Thanks to our affiliation with The Vines Global, we have the privilege of crafting and harmonizing our wines at renowned partner wineries around the world; where our team was able to personally oversee the blending processes for our new Super Tuscan. We also have crafted our Pinot Noir and our Brunello di Montalcino at our international partners. We have additional wines in process at partners in Champagne (France) and Priorat (Spain).
Experience the Vineyards
Looking for the full Tamarelli Vineyards Experience? Immerse yourself at the Vines of Mendoza Resort + Spa.
