The
story of Mexican wine is one of hardship, adventure, adversity,
and achievement. From the first grapevines brought to this country
by the conquistadors and missionaries, to the present-day flourishing,
successful industry, it’s a story of people, foreign and domestic,
with their determination, skills, and dedication to the industry.
For
a country internationally known for two other drinks, beer and tequila,
many people are astonished to learn that Mexico is actually the
oldest (450 years) wine producing country in the Americas!
Legend
has it that Hernán
Cortes
and his men exhausted their wine supply when celebrating the conquest
of the Aztecs in the 1500s (all that conquesting makes for a heavy
thirst!), so as first governor of these new lands, he ordered the
new colonists to plant 1000 grapevines for every 100 natives in
their service. What a guy! That couldn’t have been a hard
sell, because wine had been an indispensable part of the daily life
of the colonists in Spain, and that wasn’t about to change
when they arrived in “New Spain” (certainly understandable!).
The
grapes did so well that in 1531, Charles I decreed that all ships
sailing to New Spain carry grapevines and olive trees to be planted
here. The wine produced from these vines eventually became too good
for their own good, however. The quality improved so much that wine
exports from Spain to their new colony dropped dramatically. So
much so that, in 1595, Phillip II decreed that ALL wine production
in New Spain be terminated. It seems that Spanish wine producers
and distributors were being squeezed just a little too much! (Not
the first time a government sticks its nose into the free market!).
The Crown’s local representatives, the Viceroys, strove to
implement the 1595 decree eliminating wine production, but sometimes
you just can’t keep a good idea down! Despite howls of protest
from Spanish wine interests, vine cultivation, while limited, was
here to stay, thanks mainly to the missionaries who maintained wine
was necessary to perform religious ceremonies. When there is a will
there is a way!
Spanish
authorities continued to bear down on the fledgling industry. It
became one of several sore spots in the relationship between the
Crown and colony. In the early 19th century, Spanish soldiers were
sent to our neighbor to the north, Dolores (later Dolores Hidalgo),
with orders to destroy all vineyards. Miguel Hidalgo, the local
parish priest who later became a hero of The Revolution, had still
another grievance against Spanish oppression, and the battle for
independence was on!
Fast
forward to the late 19th-early 20th century. Porfirio Diaz, President
of Mexico, in a campaign of modernization and industrialization,
reinvigorated viticulture in the country, even inviting successful
California winemakers to stimulate the wine industry. At about the
same time, the area now known as Baja California received an influx
of Russian pacifists opposed to the Czarist wars. Known as the “Molokans”
(literally, “milk-eaters”), they immediately began planting
grapevines. (Maybe they should have been named “grape-eaters”).
However, another revolution comes along in 1910, and again the industry
is devastated.
You
can’t keep a good industry down, though. After a long period
of somulence, things begin to happen. In the late 40’s-early
50’s, the then secretary of Agriculture started his own wine
business in Saltillo, Coahuila, and by the early 50’s controlled
25% of all grape production in the country. In 1948, the Mexican
government prohibited the importation of all luxury items, including
all alcoholic beverages. Here we go again with the government interfering
with the marketplace! But, ironically, it served to stimulate competition
among the Mexican producers, and actually revitalized the industry.
The National Viticultural Association was formed to promote “….the
growth, processing, and commercialization of grapes and grape-based
products”.
The
80’s were when the modern Mexican wine industry hit its stride.
A handful of adventurous, dedicated Mexican winemakers who knew
they had the soils and the climate (mostly in the northern part
of the country) to make good vino, became determined to produce
high quality wines that could compete with world’s finest.
And did they ever, employing the latest technology and techniques,
and winning awards worldwide, including Chardonnay du Monde in France,
Expovina in Switzerland, and The Brussels Concours Mondial.
No discussion about quality Mexican vino can begin without starting
with the Valle de Guadalupe, the “Napa Valley” of the
Mexican wine industry. Located in northern Baja, near Ensenada,
it is home to about 50 wineries and produces 90% of all Mexican
wines, with L.A. Cetto leading the production pack with a 50% market
share. Its climate is Mediterranean with proximity to the Pacific
Ocean breezes, making for cool mornings and evenings, only about
7-9 inches of rain per year, and warm to hotter-than-a-country-marshal’s-pistol
hot days. It’s primarily red wine country, but some producers,
with careful handling, can make exceptional whites.
The
Parras (grapevines) Valley in Coahuila has very special climatic
conditions. Being almost a mile in elevation, it’s semi-arid.
Grapevines love it, and the low humidity and cool nights means fewer
grape-loving bugs and fungus. It’s home to the oldest winery
in the Americas, Casa Madero, founded in 1597, which continues to
this day producing a broad array of delicious varietals, including
award winning Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Syrah.
Querétaro
is one of Mexico’s most prosperous winegrowing areas. With
vineyards at altitudes of 6500 ft., the grapes mature in extreme
and unusual conditions. Querétaro boasts the Spanish sparkling
wine producer Grupo Freixenet’s Mexican operation, proving
good bubbly doesn’t have to be a wallet-buster.
Zacatecas,
in north central Mexico, wouldn’t ordinarily be considered
to be “wine country” since it’s a tad south of
what is considered “the global wine zone” (30-50 degree
latitudes), but its vineyards are located in the high altitudes
(also about 6500 ft.). So the region, with its crisp winters and
fresh summer temperatures is optimal for wine growing. The clay
soil, with its high moisture retention, makes for happy grapes.
“En
Mexico Vino Est Veritas”, if I may paraphrase a bit. Mexican
wines have come into their own in a big way. Delicate, crisp, flavorful
whites and reds of intensity, power, richness, and complexity are
available to the wine lover in Mexico.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR: Dick Avery is head sipper at VinoClubSMA,
a wine club dedicated to the enjoyment of boutique Mexican wines
through tastings. He can be reached at vinoclubsma@gmail.com.
