Trinafour Cellars

Trinafour comes to SIP! via Alex MacGregor, winemaker for Saracina and Atrea wines. Trinafour is a small village (actually about five buildings) in the lower highlands of Perthshire Scotland. There was a fairly grand estate there at one time and Alex’s Great Grandfather, John MacGregor was the game keeper on the estate, keeping hare, game birds etc. The Trinafour label displays one of several official MacGregor tartans dating to 1750. Alex is Canadian born and studied business and finance before entering into the restaurant trade. He caught the wine bug and received a sommelier certificate in 1988. He sold wine and worked as a wine buyer/sommelier at several Toronto restaurants before leaving to study enology at Fresno in 1991. In 2002 after working at a few notable wineries in Sonoma County, Alex began working at Saracina with David Ramey as consultant. Trinafour is a small project that John Fetzer and Patty Rock have generously allowed Alex to pursue on the side while continuing as winemaker for Saracina. Carignane and Petite Sirah are two varietals that Alex chose to make because of their historical significance in Mendocino County, particularly in Redwood Valley, and because of their relative underdog status in the wine world. Alex’s work with these varietals proves that with old vines, organic farming and creative winemaking can result in complex, delicious wine at an affordable price.