Mexico

Hello All! We welcome you to come travel with us this month to Mexico! Each month we travel to a different region to bring you different styles and tastes of wine. When you come to visit us, get your passport book, and after enjoying your flight get your passport stamped with each region.

Take a look below to see what Mexican red wines we are featuring for you!

2020  ‘Mision’ Tinto
One of the newest additions to the Mexican wine collection, this 3-way blend of red grapes is smooth, fresh, and way too easy to drink. Pair with salmon, grilled chicken, or a mushroom burger slathered in BBQ sauce.
Full bodied dark fruit notes of blackcurrant and plum. The palate is mineral and generous and leads into a dry finish of silky tannins and smooth fruit.

2017 Mejico Mezcla Roja 
This wine is fresh and red fruit-driven with a hint of spices. Velvety tannins with an integrated smooth finish. Aromas of blueberry, coffee bean, fresh herbs.
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petit Syrah, 30% Tempranillo

2020 Bodegas de Santo Tomas
Tempranillo~Cabernet Sauvignon  Cherry red with purple hue. Plum compote, red berries, spices, toasted. Strong tannin, medium high body. Good acidity. Pairs well with Torta ahogada, bolognese spaghetti, lentils soup. 50% Tempranillo 50% Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Madero 3V is an intense carmine red color with aged nuances. A great aromatic expression of ripe fruits with flashes of red flowers and spices, black currants, blackberries and toasted cocoa. An elegant mouthfeel, powerful and meaty. A long pleasant finish with firm and round tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon 34%, Merlot 33%, Tempranillo 33% Baja California, Mexico’s premier wine region lies in the state of Baja California, where approximately 75% of all of Mexico’s wine is produced. Here, the hot, dry Mediterranean climate shows great similarities to Napa Valley and the Southern Rhone, but with a significant maritime influence as most of Baja’s vineyards are within just 15 miles of the Pacific Ocean. Baja California’s wine county runs from Valle de Guadalupe in the north (about 20 miles northeast of Ensenada), to Valle de San Vicente – about 55 miles south. This stretch of land is roughly twice the length of Napa Valley. The main subregions of Baja include Valle de Guadalupe, Valle de Ojos Negros, Valle de Santo Tomas, Valle de La Grulla, Valle de San Vicente and Puerta Norte. The varied soils, elevations, and microclimates in Baja California make the region home to several of the world’s great wine grapes, as well as obscure blends with more uncommon varietals. With Baja California’s wine country on the rise, it has become one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations among both Mexicans and U.S. visitors. One of the world’s fastest growing wine regions, Baja California, Mexico has recently become a wine and culinary hot spot, offering a rustic and refined setting with distinctively different, terroir-driven wines. It might be hard to fathom, but five hundred years ago, Mexico was an important wine-growing and producing country. It was the Spanish conquistadors who developed the notion that certain high-altitude areas of Mexico were ideal for European grape cultivation. Conquistador Hernan Cortex demanded the planting of thousands of acres and with the Catholic missionaries utilizing this production at mass services. A century later, the Spanish crown began fearing Mexico’s wine dominance and banned its production.

Only Spanish missionaries carried on the cultivation of grapevines and brought the first cuttings to California and its mission colonies. Today’s modern Mexican wine industry is considered a frontier of wine with origins as recent as the late 1970’s. Numerous varietals are planted and the country now boasts of almost eight thousand acres under vine. The vast majority of wine production (upwards of 75%) occurs in the Mexican State of Baja California, just south of Tijuana and clustered around the City of Ensenada. At last count, there were more than 150 wineries operating throughout the Baja California growing area that benefit from the existing Mediterranean climate, the always present Pacific morning fog, and a favorable topography that resembles several parts of Central and Northern California. The Valle de Guadalupe is the principal growing region in Baja California and many scribes have christened it “the Napa Valley” of Mexico. A large number of small boutique wines have risen of late and have found commercial success both in the local markets and in some export markets. The Valle de San Vicente, the southernmost wine growing valley in Baja California, is also a region to note. Red clay soils predominate the best growing sites here and white grapes like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are the best expression of the valley’s terroir. Baja California wines have gained a lot of attention in recent years as their quality has improved, mostly due to better vineyard management and vinification processes. The area has also attracted attention, because innovative blending of diverse grape varietals is common, creating a ‘New World’ style of wine. For instance, a blend of Tempranillo and Nebbiolo is not uncommon.

While Mexican wines are still a rarity in the United States, sage restaurants and wine stores have begun offering a selection of Mexican wines to their customers.  The municipality covers the majority of the state with only the northern and northeastern edges falling outside Ensenada’s remit; these are covered by Playas de Rosarito Tijuana, Tecate and Mexicali. Ensenada’s wine region production centers mostly around the Valle de Guadalupe, to the northeast of Ensenada city. The San Antonio de las Minas, Calafia, Santo Tomas and San Vicente valleys. Casa Madero owns and operates the oldest vineyards and winery in the entire American Continent. 73 years after Hernan Cortez conquered the Aztecs, Don Lorenzo Garcia explored the north of Mexico, and in the midst of a desert, came across a veritable oasis with water springs and abundance of native vines, from whose grapes the first American wine was ever produced. The place was called “Santa Maria de las Parras”, or Holy Mary of the vines, as parras is Spanish for vines. On the 19th of August 1597, Don Lorenzo García took formal possession of a land grant issued to him by Philip II King of Spain, with the express purpose of establishing a vineyard to produce wine and brandy, thus asserting his claim and peaceful use of the land he had settled earlier, thus giving formal birth to the Hacienda de San Lorenzo, which today is Casa Madero. The Americas’ oldest wine producing country, Mexico began to produce wine grapes just one year after the arrival of the Spanish in 1520. In the next decade, King Carlos V of Spain ordered that every ship headed to the New World carry vines for cultivation. Over time viticulture spread northwards through the missions into today’s state of California, but since then Mexican viticulture and winemaking has faced many challenges.

Today the country is experiencing a rebirth with renewed interest in its potential. While there are seven wine producing states in Mexico, the Mediterranean climate of Baja California makes it Mexico’s most important. Most of the state of California’s principal varieties grow here with great success. With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red blend styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics.

Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine. Parras Valley, Mexico is the perfect destination for wine lovers with its miles of vineyards and wineries that produce over 250,000 bottles of wine annually. The valley is home to more than 30 wineries, some as young as 20 years old and others that have been producing wine for almost 100 years. The Parras Valley Wine Region is fParras Valley as a destination has been attracting travelers to its authentic food and culture.Hello All! We welcome you to come travel with us this month to Mexico! Each month we travel to a different region to bring you different styles and tastes of wine. When you come to visit us, get your passport book, and after enjoying your flight get your passport stamped with each region.

Take a look below to see what Mexican red wines we are featuring for you!

2020  ‘Mision’ Tinto
One of the newest additions to the Mexican wine collection, this 3-way blend of red grapes is smooth, fresh, and way too easy to drink. Pair with salmon, grilled chicken, or a mushroom burger slathered in BBQ sauce.
Full bodied dark fruit notes of blackcurrant and plum. The palate is mineral and generous and leads into a dry finish of silky tannins and smooth fruit.

2017 Mejico Mezcla Roja 
This wine is fresh and red fruit-driven with a hint of spices. Velvety tannins with an integrated smooth finish. Aromas of blueberry, coffee bean, fresh herbs.
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petit Syrah, 30% Tempranillo

2020 Bodegas de Santo Tomas
Tempranillo~Cabernet Sauvignon  Cherry red with purple hue. Plum compote, red berries, spices, toasted. Strong tannin, medium high body. Good acidity. Pairs well with Torta ahogada, bolognese spaghetti, lentils soup. 50% Tempranillo 50% Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Madero 3V is an intense carmine red color with aged nuances. A great aromatic expression of ripe fruits with flashes of red flowers and spices, black currants, blackberries and toasted cocoa. An elegant mouthfeel, powerful and meaty. A long pleasant finish with firm and round tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon 34%, Merlot 33%, Tempranillo 33% Baja California, Mexico’s premier wine region lies in the state of Baja California, where approximately 75% of all of Mexico’s wine is produced. Here, the hot, dry Mediterranean climate shows great similarities to Napa Valley and the Southern Rhone, but with a significant maritime influence as most of Baja’s vineyards are within just 15 miles of the Pacific Ocean.

Baja California’s wine county runs from Valle de Guadalupe in the north (about 20 miles northeast of Ensenada), to Valle de San Vicente – about 55 miles south. This stretch of land is roughly twice the length of Napa Valley. The main subregions of Baja include Valle de Guadalupe, Valle de Ojos Negros, Valle de Santo Tomas, Valle de La Grulla, Valle de San Vicente and Puerta Norte. The varied soils, elevations, and microclimates in Baja California make the region home to several of the world’s great wine grapes, as well as obscure blends with more uncommon varietals. With Baja California’s wine country on the rise, it has become one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations among both Mexicans and U.S. visitors.

One of the world’s fastest growing wine regions, Baja California, Mexico has recently become a wine and culinary hot spot, offering a rustic and refined setting with distinctively different, terroir-driven wines. It might be hard to fathom, but five hundred years ago, Mexico was an important wine-growing and producing country. It was the Spanish conquistadors who developed the notion that certain high-altitude areas of Mexico were ideal for European grape cultivation. Conquistador Hernan Cortex demanded the planting of thousands of acres and with the Catholic missionaries utilizing this production at mass services. A century later, the Spanish crown began fearing Mexico’s wine dominance and banned its production. Only Spanish missionaries carried on the cultivation of grapevines and brought the first cuttings to California and its mission colonies.

Today’s modern Mexican wine industry is considered a frontier of wine with origins as recent as the late 1970’s. Numerous varietals are planted and the country now boasts of almost eight thousand acres under vine. The vast majority of wine production (upwards of 75%) occurs in the Mexican State of Baja California, just south of Tijuana and clustered around the City of Ensenada. At last count, there were more than 150 wineries operating throughout the Baja California growing area that benefit from the existing Mediterranean climate, the always present Pacific morning fog, and a favorable topography that resembles several parts of Central and Northern California. The Valle de Guadalupe is the principal growing region in Baja California and many scribes have christened it “the Napa Valley” of Mexico. A large number of small boutique wines have risen of late and have found commercial success both in the local markets and in some export markets. The Valle de San Vicente, the southernmost wine growing valley in Baja California, is also a region to note. Red clay soils predominate the best growing sites here and white grapes like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are the best expression of the valley’s terroir. Baja California wines have gained a lot of attention in recent years as their quality has improved, mostly due to better vineyard management and vinification processes.

The area has also attracted attention, because innovative blending of diverse grape varietals is common, creating a ‘New World’ style of wine. For instance, a blend of Tempranillo and Nebbiolo is not uncommon. While Mexican wines are still a rarity in the United States, sage restaurants and wine stores have begun offering a selection of Mexican wines to their customers.  The municipality covers the majority of the state with only the northern and northeastern edges falling outside Ensenada’s remit; these are covered by Playas de Rosarito Tijuana, Tecate and Mexicali. Ensenada’s wine region production centers mostly around the Valle de Guadalupe, to the northeast of Ensenada city. The San Antonio de las Minas, Calafia, Santo Tomas and San Vicente valleys. Casa Madero owns and operates the oldest vineyards and winery in the entire American Continent. 73 years after Hernan Cortez conquered the Aztecs, Don Lorenzo Garcia explored the north of Mexico, and in the midst of a desert, came across a veritable oasis with water springs and abundance of native vines, from whose grapes the first American wine was ever produced. The place was called “Santa Maria de las Parras”, or Holy Mary of the vines, as parras is Spanish for vines.

On the 19th of August 1597, Don Lorenzo García took formal possession of a land grant issued to him by Philip II King of Spain, with the express purpose of establishing a vineyard to produce wine and brandy, thus asserting his claim and peaceful use of the land he had settled earlier, thus giving formal birth to the Hacienda de San Lorenzo, which today is Casa Madero. The Americas’ oldest wine producing country, Mexico began to produce wine grapes just one year after the arrival of the Spanish in 1520. In the next decade, King Carlos V of Spain ordered that every ship headed to the New World carry vines for cultivation. Over time viticulture spread northwards through the missions into today’s state of California, but since then Mexican viticulture and winemaking has faced many challenges.

Today the country is experiencing a rebirth with renewed interest in its potential. While there are seven wine producing states in Mexico, the Mediterranean climate of Baja California makes it Mexico’s most important. Most of the state of California’s principal varieties grow here with great success. With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red blend styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics.

Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine. Parras Valley, Mexico is the perfect destination for wine lovers with its miles of vineyards and wineries that produce over 250,000 bottles of wine annually. The valley is home to more than 30 wineries, some as young as 20 years old and others that have been producing wine for almost 100 years. The Parras Valley Wine Region is fParras Valley as a destination has been attracting travelers to its authentic food and culture.