Trabun

About Trabun

Trabun was started in 2006 by Sergio Avendaño, an independent winemaker in Requínoa within the Cachapoal Valley, Chile. Trabun means “Place of Encounter” in the native Mapuche language and represents the intersection of Sergio’s two passions: wine and music. Sergio is a drummer, winemaker and music lover, and his wine labels represent these interests with music notes.

After finishing his studies in Agronomy and Enology, Sergio gained winemaking experience by working harvests in the U.S, South Africa, New Zealand, France and Chile before settling in Requínoa to start Trabun. Since 2006, the goal has been to make wines that express the Requínoa terroir. All vineyards are estate, fruit orchards passed to him from his parents, but he quickly replanted to grapevines, believing in the promising and relatively undiscovered terroir of Requinoa for winemaking.

Requínoa is part of the Cachapoal Valley and it is located 62 miles (100 km) south of Santiago at an altitude of 1,500 to 2,000 feet above sea level. Requínoa is known for being the coldest area in the Cachapoal Valley. The proximity to the Andes offers cold air at night, even in summer. During the day, this area experiences winds from the southwest, offering moderate temperatures which cool the vines to allow for slow ripening of the grapes. The soil is alluvial and thin with low fertility. The fresh condition, foothill location, a high thermal oscillation, afternoon winds and low fertility soils create good opportunity for Trabun’s range of single varietal wines including Syrah, Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc.

Sergio’s leadership role in Movi, Chile’s Movement of Independent Vintners, is significant. Movi was created in 2009 when a group of winemakers met with the intention of spreading a new perception of Chilean wine, wines that reflect the character and identity of the earth and the place that gave them their origin from the hand of their creator. Movi continues to be a very important part of Chile’s wine culture development and perception after years of domination by larger corporations.

Additional Resources

• Trabun featured in Chilean magazine CAV - "Tema Central Cachapoal" (Spanish)