Mexican wine: Difference between revisions

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'''Mexican wine''' and [[wine]] making began with the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire|arrival of the Spanish]] in the 16th century, when they brought [[Vitis vinifera|vines]] from Europe to modern day Mexico, the oldest wine-growing region in the [[Americas]]. Although there were indigenous grapes before the Spanish conquest, the Spaniards found that Spanish grapevines also did very well in the colony of [[New Spain]] (Mexico) and by the 17th century wine exports from Spain to the [[New World]] fell. In 1699, [[Charles II of Spain]] prohibited wine making in Mexico, with the exception of wine for Church purposes.<ref name="delsol">{{cite news |title= A toast to Mexico's undiscovered wine country |first=Christine |last=Delsol |url= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/04/15/mexicomix041509.DTL |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |location=San Francisco, CA |date=2009-04-15 |accessdate=2009-12-07 }}</ref> From then until [[Mexican War of Independence|Mexico’s Independence]], wine was produced in Mexico only on a small scale.<ref name="chiff">{{cite web |url= http://www.chiff.com/a/wine-baja.htm |title= The Wines of Baja Renewing the History of Mexico's Wines |accessdate=2009-12-07 }}</ref>

 

 

==History of wine making in Mexico==

According to legend, [[Hernán Cortés]] and his soldiers quickly depleted the wine they brought with them from Spain celebrating the conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1521. Because of this, one of Cortés’ first acts as governor was to order the planting of [[grapevine]]s throughout [[New Spain]].<ref name="delsol"/>

 

[[Vineyard]]s in the Americas, especially New Spain were successful enough that wine exports from Spain to America plummeted.<ref name="delsol"/> Because of this, Charles II decided to prohibit the production of wine in Spain’s colonies, especially Mexico, except for the making of wine for the Church in 1699. That prohibition stayed in force until Mexico’s Independence.<ref name="delsol"/><ref name="vendimias"/><ref name="finn">{{cite news |title= MEXICO: Striving To Make A Better Wine |first=Maria |last=Finn |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Exclusiva/story?id=3958994&page=1 |newspaper=ABC News |date=2007-12-06 |accessdate=2009-12-07 }}</ref> However, many missionaries refused to abide by the edict and continued to produce wine for normal consumption on a small scale.<ref name="chiff"/> One of these was [[Jesuit]] priest [[Juan Ugarte]], who planted the first vines in Baja California when he arrived at the [[Loreto, Baja California Sur|Loreto]] mission in 1701.<ref name="delsol"/>

 

 

In the 1850s, as part of Mexico’s [[Reform War]], many of the Church’s land holdings were taken by the state. Most of the small wineries tended by missionaries were eventually abandoned. In 1888, the former lands of the Santo Tomás Mission were sold to a private group, which established the first large-scale commercial winery and the earliest winery in continuous operation, called Bodegas Santo Tomás.<ref name="chiff"/><ref name="finn"/> Initially, the wine made by the group was sweet and of low quality.<ref name="finn"/>

 

During the period of Mexican history known as the [[Porfiriato]] (1880–1910), wine production in Mexico increased and spread to other regions of the country.<ref name="vendimias"/> In the Baja California area in 1904, Russian immigrants known as [[Molokan]]s, a pacifist religious group fleeing service in the [[Imperial Russian Army|Tsar's army]], purchased {{convert|100|acre|ha|order=flip}} of land and began producing wine grapes. They encouraged others to do the same, helping the area acquire a reputation for making good wine.<ref name="reagan">{{cite web|url=http://www.winesimple.com/featurelink3ArchiveMexico.htm |title=Ay! Carumba! Get Ready for Mexico |first=Thomas J. |last=Reagan Jr. |publisher=Wine Simple |accessdate=2009-12-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324112337/http://www.winesimple.com/featurelink3ArchiveMexico.htm |archivedate=2010-03-24 }}</ref> However, winemaking was set back by the [[Mexican Revolution]] as many lands were abandoned by their owners or destroyed by the rebels.<ref name="vendimias"/>

 

 

[[File:Valle de Guadalupe.jpg|thumb|Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California]]

 

Another interesting winery is located in [[Tarahumara]] country at the edge of the [[Copper Canyon]] in Chihuahua, in a small valley named [[Urique (municipality)|Cerocahui]]. In 1680, Father Juan María de Salvaterra arrived here to establish a mission. Later, Jesuits brought [[cuttings (wine)|cuttings]] of French and Spanish vines. When the Jesuits were forced out of Mexico in the 18th century, the Cerocahui vineyards were destroyed except for a few cuttings secretly kept and grown by the José María Sánchez family. These vines were cared for by the family until the late 20th century, when the last of the family died without heirs. The gardener for the family saved cuttings from the vines and with the Misión Hotel and planted them at what was the Girls Boarding School. Since then the town has had over 4,000 vines under cultivation and a winery has been established at the hotel.<ref name="lamkin">{{cite web|url=http://www.global-writes.com/mexico/index.html?-Token.article=110&-Token.index=1 |title=Cerocahui, Mexico: Tarahumara Indians, Jesuits and Wine |first=John |last=Lamkin |publisher=Global Writes |accessdate=2009-12-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124144029/http://global-writes.com/mexico/index.html?-Token.article=110&-Token.index=1 |archivedate=2010-11-24 }}</ref>

Most vineyards in Zacatecas are in the municipalities of [[Ojocaliente]] and [[Valle de la Macarena]]. This area has very cool winters and fairly cool summers, which combined with its moisture-holding clay soils is best for fast-maturing grapes with a high sugar content. A number of European red varieties such as cabernet sauvignon and merlot are grown here as well as American varieties such as [[zinfandel]], Black Spanish and Lenoir. Some white grapes also do well here. Wineries here are smaller operations than in other parts of the country, with the best known local label being Casa Cachola just outside [[Valle de las Arcinas]].<ref name="delsol"/>

 

The North zone produces ninety percent of Mexico’s wines today, with almost all of that coming from three regions not far from the port city of Ensenada: the San Antonio de las Minas zone, which includes the Valley of Guadalupe, the San Vicente Valley and the Santo Tomás Valley.<ref name="delsol"/><ref name="chiff"/><ref name="reagan"/> This area is noted for its deep granite soils, warm sunny days, and nights cool due to breezes from the nearby Pacific Ocean. The area is ideal for both red and white wines, and one of the few locales in the world that can grow grapes for world-class wines.<ref name="chiff"/><ref name="booth"/> Grapes for Baja California wines are also grown in areas in neighboring Sonora state.<ref name="chiff"/> The varieties of red wine produced in the Baja California region are Cabernet Sauvignon, [[Ruby Cabernet]], Zinfandel Grenache and Mission. The white wines are Chenin Blanc, [[Palomino (grape)|Palomino]], [[Riesling]], Sauvignon Blanc, [[Sémillon]], Saint Emilion and [[Málaga (wine)|Malaga]].<ref name="chiff"/> There are three major wine producers in this area, Vinos L.A. Cetto in the Calafia Valley, Vinos Pedro Domecq and Bodegas de Santo Tomás in the Santo Tomás Valley. All have had wines that won international competitions including the Double Gold won by [https://web.archive.org/web/20110902115012/http://winesfrommexico.homestead.com/files/LA_Cetto_Wines_of_ISW_March_2010.pdf L.A. Cetto] at the San Francisco International Wine Competition in May 2009. Many of these wines are now exported to Europe, the U.S. and Canada, and most wineries offer tours and [[wine tasting]].<ref name="mexonline">{{cite web |url=http://www.mexonline.com/ensenada/ensenada-wineries.htm |title= Ensenada Wineries, Festivals and Wine Tasting |publisher=Mexico Online |accessdate=2009-12-07 }}</ref>

 

==Enotourism and festivals in Mexico==

[[Enotourism]] in Mexico is centered on the Norte region, although wine festivals exist in the other wine-producing regions. The “Ruta del Vino” (Wine Route) connects the wine producing areas of the municipality of Ensenada, such as the Valley of Guadalupe, the Valley of Llano Colorado, Valley of Santo Tomás and the Valley of San Vicente with the port city of Ensenada and the border cities of [[Tijuana]] and [[Tecate]]. The Route connects over fifty wineries, along with upscale restaurants, hotels, museums and other attractions of this part of Baja California state.<ref name="rutavino"/> The route is marked by “Ruta del Vino” signs on the roads and highways to promote the area for enotourism, especially from the U.S. border.<ref name="booth"/>

 

Another major tourism draw is the Fiesta de la Vendimia (Vintage Festival), which takes place in Ensenada and the Valley of Guadalupe every year in August. The festivals include wine tasting and contests, winery tours, fishing tournaments, cook-offs, gourmet food and concerts. These events are sponsored and/or organized by the area’s wineries. Since the event occurs in the summer, afternoon temperatures can hover around {{convert|100|F|C|order=flip}}.<ref name="chiff"/><ref name="dryden">{{cite web|url=http://mexidata.info/id2244.html |title=Fiestas de la Vendimia 2009 Schedule – Mexico's Annual Wine Festival |first=Steve |last=Dryden |date=2009-04-27 |publisher=MEXIDATA . INFO |accessdate=2009-12-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720112550/http://www.mexidata.info/id2244.html |archivedate=2009-07-20 }}</ref> Some of the events include “Noche de Cofradia en Ensenada”, which features wine and food tasting from about thirty wineries and restaurants, matching local wines with local culinary specialties. The annual Malagon Family Celebration is held on a {{convert|500|acre|ha|adj=on|order=flip}} ranch, vineyard with winery and bed and breakfast. This event includes a horse show, live music, food and wine. The Concurso Internacional Ensenada Tierra del Vino wine competition is also held in the city. Perhaps the most unusual event is at Bibayoff Winery with Russian music, dancers, food and wines.<ref name="dryden"/>

 

 

==See also==

{{portal|Mexico|Wine}}

*[[Baja California wine industry]]