Between the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, Argentine viticulture experienced a sea change that would transform the industry. Investors from all across the world were coming to the country with their sights set on Argentine wines and vineyards to start enterprises that over time have been passed down the generations.
This is true of Elise Treiber, the granddaughter of Catherine Péré Vergé (a member of the family that owns Cristallerie d’Arques) who in 1998, following success in Pomerol, France, with Château Montviel, La Violette and Le Gay, joined Michel Rolland’s project in the Uco Valley, Clos de los Siete, founding Monteviejo. After she passed away, her daughter Helene Parent decided to keep the winery, and now it has been passed on to her youngest daughter.
With memories of the ribbon cutting at the winery – by her grandmother in 2002 – still fresh in her mind a quarter of a century later, Elise is now the director at Monteviejo. She shares administrative authority with her mother and sister Emma but has been given the hands-on responsibility of continuing the family legacy. Now fluent in Spanish and full of enthusiasm about her new role at the head of a renowned Argentine winery, Elise Treiber spoke to Wines of Argentina.
Interview with Elise Treiber
In this conversation, Elise Treiber discusses the family history, the challenge of transferring her experience in fashion marketing to the world of wine, her initial objectives, the departure of esteemed oenologist Marcelo Pelleriti, and forthcoming releases, among other subjects.
How did you come to work at the winery?
I’m continuing the family legacy. When I was a girl, my sister, my cousin, my grandmother and I would go to oversee harvests in Pomerol in September so we were always immersed in the world of wine. Some years after my grandmother died, my mother wanted us to start learning more and sit in on business meetings. My sister wasn’t interested but I was and so about five years ago I started flying to Mendoza three or four times a year.
My mother has been in love with Argentina and the Monteviejo project for a long time. Here, she found passion and plenty of heart and so always knew that she wanted to keep it going. When the businesses were divided up between the siblings, my mother chose Monteviejo because she loved Argentina, its straightforward nature, the authenticity of its people. On one of the quarterly trips we made to the winery, Marcelo Pelleriti told us that he had decided to leave and I told my mother that I would stay to help with the transition. Because she had other commitments in France, I stayed. I found a place to stay so we could be more involved in the day to day business and a new place to be more present in the project evolution.
How did you find moving to Mendoza?
I’ve always associated trips to Mendoza and Buenos Aires with Monteviejo. But it’s been very different to how it was before, when I only came every three months and we were given an overall report on operations. Now that I’m involved in the day to day work, identifying issues, seeing what might gradually be improved, I can see that this is an ongoing process. I’ve been here for a year and a half in this new stage and I’m always learning.
It’s a cycle. At first I thought I could fix things one issue at a time, but then I realized that it’s something that never ends. We have 96 employees at Monteviejo so it’s only to be expected that changes take time.
But still, it’s very gratifying because the whole team has great heart and are passionate about what they do. They love the product and have great respect for everything, from the earth to the eventual bottle of wine at the end of the chain. It involves everyone, from the administration staff to the people serving wine in the restaurant. That was something that surprised me in Argentina, a level of dedication I didn’t feel was present at the companies where I worked in France.
How do you feel about the responsibility of continuing the legacy of one of the wineries that pioneered premium production in Mendoza?
I regard the legacy that I am taking on with a great sense of responsibility and respect. For example, I’m quite traditional in my view that we should approach La Violeta the same way that we always have: the same parcel, hand-destemming, the same “savoir faire” and the same tenacity.
The same is true of Lindaflor and Petite Fleur. My priority is to respect and honor tradition. We might find a new way to do it, but without losing the knowledge and expertise that have built up over the years. That is indeed a responsibility, we want to preserve micro-vinification methods especially so they don’t disappear or get replaced by new trends and styles.
Which is why I want to preserve the way we make wine, elevate the quality and make high-end products. I am determined to bring more attention to these wines through communication and marketing, which is my specialization. It’s a way of ensuring that our winery’s legacy will continue to grow and stay relevant.
What do you see as the winery’s long-term challenges?
I want Monteviejo to be better known throughout Argentina, not just in Buenos Aires, where we already have an excellent image. I want to grow the distribution and sales chains and to be acclaimed for the quality of the product throughout the world.
The truth is that, for sustainability reasons, I prefer to focus in closer countries such as Brazil and Mexico, where wine consumption habits are changing greatly. I also want us to be very competitive in Europe where there’s so much supply that it can be difficult to find a space but we’ve done that already. Our biggest markets are Europe and Canada. To strengthen that we need to take part in more events and for the Europeans to realize how good premium wine from Argentina is and the value for money we offer, which is exceptional.
I actually think it could be valued more but to achieve that people need to know us better which is why the work being done not just by Monteviejo but also WofA and other wineries is so important.
Then in the United States, we’re going to work more with Petite Fleur, while in Canada and other markets where sustainability is very important we’re going to launch a line of organic wines in 2025, which is closely related to my mother, who loves nature and wanted to do this project.
And at the winery we’re going to revive the restaurant and open an accommodation complex called La Casa de Helene, which is also related to organic wine and will provide a complete experience: a spiritual retreat in communion with the vineyard and nature.
How about the short and medium terms?
First, the harvest needs to go well (laughs). We laid out 40 hectares of anti-hail textile and plan to cover the entire vineyard by September 2025. In addition, we and José Mounier, our oenologist, want to work on new lines that represent this stage of the winery, with a new Director and young oenologist.
We want to create a portfolio positioned somewhere between Petite Fleur and Lindaflor in the premium category. We’re already working on the project and fine-tuning details such as the label. We’ll be launching it in 2025. In the new lines, terroir will be placed center stage. They won’t be young wines in terms of style but they will present a reimagined, reinterpreted approach, demonstrating our continued energy, innovation and how much we still have to say.
