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Across the Parallel
One region has become the leader in reviving the reputation of
Mexican wines, and, perhaps tellingly, it lies just above the 30th
parallel. 90% of Mexican quality wine comes from northern Baja California,
centering around the city of Ensenada. The major winegrowing subregions
– the Guadalupe, Calafia, San Vincente, and Santo Tomás
Valleys – all lie close to the Pacific where they can benefit
from the cooling ocean breezes and mists. Hot days and cool nights
is a classic winegrowing combination throughout the world, allowing
grapes to develop their sugars without a corresponding drop in acidity.
All the valleys feature a mix of alluvial soils and decomposed granite.
The Guadalupe Valley and especially its subsidiary the Calafia Valley
have become the most well-known appellations so far, although the
term “appellation” may be a stretch, as the Mexican
government seems even less interested in regulating wine than the
Mexicans are in drinking it. Nonetheless, most producers do try
to label their wines in accordance with U.S. and European standards
to avoid difficulties in the important export market.
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Wine production,
including quality wines, continues in other areas of the country
as well, most notably in the La Laguna region, which straddles
the states of Coahuila and Durango in the northeast; this is
the home of the Parras Valley, the first appellation recognized
by the Mexican government. Half of Mexico’s vineyards
are in Sonora, and there are also some in the hills around the
old mining towns of Zacatecas, Querétaro, and Aguascalientes.
By and large the grapes of these areas are made into wine coolers
or sent off to the distillery to become brandy, but more and
more producers are taking another look at table wine. |
The Large and the Small of it
Brandy production, in fact, has led a
number of larger companies to invest in Mexico, including the wine
and spirits giant Allied Domecq. Domecq is most known to Mexicans
for brandy, but also makes several brands of wine at different price
points and in a variety of styles, including blends, single varietal
wines, and kosher wines. Chateau Domecq is their premium label;
the wines include an unusual blend of Nebbiolo and Merlot as well
as a Sauvignon Blanc-based white wine. The Spanish cava producer
Freixenet has also invested in Mexican wine and is a major player
in the Querétaro area, where they produce the sparkling wines
you’d expect as well as some still wines. The high altitude
in this winegrowing region insures surprisingly cool nights (even
visiting in summer I found I had inadequately packed for the evenings)
that preserve the high acidity that’s necessary for making
good sparklers.
The other large-scale producer is L.A. Cetto,
named after its Italian founder Don Angelo Cetto who emigrated from
Piedmont in the 1920s. They are the biggest wine producer in Mexico,
and differ from Domecq in many ways. They are family-owned, with
1,200 hectares of vineyards in the Guadalupe Valley as well as a
further 1,600 in Sonora; Domecq purchases all its grapes instead
of owning their own vineyards. L.A. Cetto has three major levels
of wine: commercial blends, a single varietal series, and their
“Limited Reserve.” In addition to the more usual varietals
they also sell Chenin Blanc, Malbec, and Tempranillo wines, the
Californian specialties of Zinfandel and Petite Syrah, and finally
some wines that acknowledge their Italian heritage – a Limited
Reserve Nebbiolo and a Passito dessert wine (made from dried grapes).
Between them Domecq and L.A. Cetto account for about 80% of Mexico’s
yearly production of 1.6 million cases, and both companies export
about 40% of their wine.
There are also a growing number of smaller producers, including
a number worthy of the “boutique wine” moniker. These
companies have provided the push that began the great leap forward
for Mexican wines at the beginning of the 1990s. Founded in 1987,
Monte Xanic is a leader on the market and has won
numerous prizes for its wines; they concentrate on Bordeaux varietals
and Chardonnay – clearly shooting for the center of the wine
world. They also produce a trio of Chenin Blanc bottlings –
a late harvest, a reserva, and a Colombard blend - in a tribute
to the Loire Valley. Their second label is Calixa,
which releases wines aimed more at everyday drinking. Chateau Camou
has similar Bordelaise aspirations – they cite Chateau
Margaux as a role model, although the winery building also
acknowledges owner Ernesto Alvarez-Morphy’s belief in his
native culture with its traditional Mexican adobe design. His winemaker
is the Bordeaux-trained Victor Torres, who with Alvarez-Morphy’s
investment has turned some old and unkempt vineyards and winery
into a state-of-the-art facility. In addition to their Merlot and
Cabernet-based blends, they also give a nod to their neighbor to
the north with a Fumé Blanc and a Chardonnay.
Within Baja the primary winery sourcing grapes from outside the
Guadalupe Valley is the Bodegas de Santo Tomás.
Originally part of the Mission of Saint Thomas Aquinas, it became
a commercial winery in 1888, which makes it the oldest in Baja.
They have halved their output in the past thirty years as they concentrate
their energies on quality over quantity, and, working together with
the Wente winery in Livermore Valley, California, recently released
what they call a NAFTA wine, Duetto. Their winemaker, Hugo D’Acosta,
also owns Casa de Piedra, which produces limited amounts of Cabernet
Sauvignon and Tempranillo, 80% of which they sell privately en
primeur.
Cavas Valmar – the New Blood
The husband-and-wife team Fernando and Yolanda Martain founded this
winery in Ensenada after meeting and working together at Bodegas de
Santo Tomás. Yolanda’s father Don Federico Valentin hailed
from the Alps region of France, and had used the ranch to make wines
for his home; the winery began selling their wines commercially in
1985. Although they started with a mish-mash of grapes - Palomino,
Ugni-Blanc, and Moscatel, for whites, Grenache and a mix of Italian
varietals for reds – they are now focusing on specific varietals;
for example, sourcing grapes for an old-vine Chenin Blanc from the
Valle de las Palmas. For reds they make a Cabernet Sauvignon with
grapes from the Guadalupe and San Vincente Valleys and a Tempranillo
from the San Vicente Valley. The latter
is a particularly big wine, rich with stewy fruits and toasty wood.
They still buy their grapes from local growers, but recently purchased
about eight hectares, which they are planting with Chardonnay, Cabernet
Sauvignon, and Merlot. Their push for quality is proceeding in the
vineyard and the winery, and about 20% of their wines are exported
to the U.S., primarily California and Texas.
Casa Madero – Reviving the
Legacy
| Casa
Madero is the grand old man of Mexican wine – actually,
of the entire New World. Somewhat ironically, it is not in Baja,
but in the Parras Valley in the northeastern state of Coahuila.
This area was first chosen for settlement and winegrowing because
of its water; mountain springs emerge here that create an oasis
for man and vine alike, and the altitude – 5,000 feet
above sea-level- keeps temperatures from becoming extreme. Founded
in 1597 as the San Lorenzo winery, it was bought by the current
owner José Milmo’s great-grandfather Don Evaristo
Madero in 1893. In the 1970s the Milmo family began replanting
their vineyards, replacing grapes normally used in brandy |
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production with Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. They have
since had to replant again, as the AxR1 rootstock they used previously
fell under the onslaught of phylloxera. They now have about 485 hectares
of vines, planted with a mix of varietals.
Milmo is keen to break out from the “Mexican Wine”
label, and actively markets his wines towards the restaurant market.
Available in the U.S. are three estate bottlings of Chardonnay,
Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon; a line of reserve wines and a superpremium
red Bordeaux blend from their new vineyard in Zacatecas are planned
for the near future. The estate Chardonnay “Vino Blanco Cepa”
was my favorite of the current release of estate wines; it balanced
Californian and Burgundian styles with some pineapple and lemon
zest notes matched by minerals and slate. Oak aging was used thoughtfully,
adding some smoke and vanilla, with a surprisingly crisp and refreshing
finish. Casa Madero continues to make brandies as well, and their
reserve line is considered to be head-and-shoulders above the competition
in Mexico.
Looking Ahead
The turn toward quality wine production continues
to work its way through Mexico. Growers are becoming more aggressive
about lowering yields, and domestic and foreign investment is allowing
wineries to improve their facilities and gain more control over
the vinification process. Replantings are also moving forward, accelerating
the movement toward international varietals like Chardonnay, Cabernet
Sauvignon, and Merlot. Interestingly, many wineries seem to be looking
to Bordeaux for a role model, rather than to their Californian neighbors.
This may reflect the tastes of their market; most Mexican wine drinkers
tend toward European wines over California, and Europe consumes
about half of Mexican wine exports, followed by the U.S. at 35%.
For Chardonnay, California may be a more prominent influence, as
Californian white wines enjoy greater recognition within the Mexican
market than their reds. The balance may change as more and more
Mexican wineries team up with Californian producers; Monte Xanic
recently entered a partnership with the Chalone group, for example.
The Mexican wine industry has also realized the value of fostering
domestic wine awareness. Encouraging a wine industry in a country
where wine consumption is low is difficult, and Mexico ranks 66th
in the world in this regard, consuming .04 gallons per capita each
year (by comparison, Americans drink just over two gallons a year,
and the French 15). Wine bars like the chain “SéDe
Vino” are beginning to appear, and wineries are sponsoring
events to bring out tourists, locals, and wine connoisseurs alike.
A serious challenge facing the industry is managing water use
in the winegrowing areas. While many of the quality wines have been
profiting from controlled water stress, most Mexican vineyards require
irrigation and the proliferation of newer wineries may strain the
supply. This may very well be the limiting factor for growth of
the Mexican wine industry. Drought is also an annual worry.
The place of Mexican wines on the international scene remains
to be decided, but it’s clear that they’re headed to
a much higher place than many would have thought possible just twenty
years ago. The winemakers are committed, and a growing awareness
of building a tradition and a national wine identity seems to be
pushing them to greater heights. With such a long history, it brings
some satisfaction to see that Mexican wine is not a remnant of the
past, but a living legacy.
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