Lost
in The Valle
By
Dick Avery
When zooming up
the Ruta del Vino in the”Napa Valley” of Mexico, The Valle
de Guadalupe, in the eternal quest for delicious Vino Mexicano, it
is easy to miss some of the out-of-the-way wineries. That’s
exactly what I, with my intrepid “staff photographer”,
Janet, did and almost missed excellent examples of the smaller, artisanal
producers of the good juice.
Vinisterra Winery
was founded in 2002 by a local businessman, Guillermo Rodriguez, and
his winemaker/partner, Christoph Gaertner. They combined their talent,
money, and expertise to produce 4000-5000 cases per year of a remarkable
array of wines.
About 60% of the
grapes are sourced from local growers, the balance coming from the
winery’s own vineyards. All displayed their youth in their styles.
We tasted the line across the board (have to do the research, you
know!). We led off with a Domino Blanco, 65% Viognier, 32 % Palimino,
and 3% Muscat. Flavorful, and crisp, it’s reminiscent of a superior
blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. This was followed by the Domino
Tinto, a fresh, flavorful field blend of various Rhone varietals plus
some Tempranillo. The Domino rose offered a light, floral, perfumy,
rose blend of 60% Grenache, 35% Tempranillo Blanc, and 5% Muscat.
Definitely different from run-of-the-mill rose! The Domino line recalls
Guillermo’s passion for the game of dominos! The reds, though
youngsters, displayed nice balance, and stuffing, with chalky tannins.
They’ll be delicious in 3-5 years. The ’03 Grenache/Tempranillo
blend impressed me with rich, muscular, intense, earthy flavors of
dark fruit, spices, and herbs. This could be Sylvester Stallone’s
house wine!
Definitely an
up-and-comer on the Mexican wine scene!
J.C. Bravo Winery
is a classic, textbook, example of the small, family owned and operated
niche winery. Also, difficult to find (most of these outfits don’t
receive the public, and don’t spend a lot of money on signs,
but I, being the intrepid reporter that I am, used the power of the
press!). Located after several calls by a helpful hostess at another
winery, we were advised to “go to the end of the road, turn
right, then at the next stop sign, look for the beige house with the
big tree”. There, standing around a couple of elderly pickups
were several guys, pounding down the brews, waving us into the driveway.
Hey, we thought, this has got to be the place!
The very affable
Juan Carlos Bravo received us on the back porch of his house, and
we were joined by the beer lovers, one of which was Juan Carlos’s
brother, Martin. That turned out to be fortuitous, since Juan’s
English was on a par with my Spanish, and Martin’s English kind
of saved the day.
The star here
is the Rhone varietal, Carignan. Actually, it’s the only wine
Juan Carlos produces. Production is miniscule compared to the big
guys, only 400-500 cases a year. Almost never seen as a stand-alone
varietal, Carignan is usually blended with other red juice to form
various Rhone blends. Earthy, intense, with aromas of ripe berries,
plums, and spices, it’s a fruit bomb on the palate! This is
a full-figured girl who matches well with grilled meats on the barbie.
Juan Carlos is
a student of local wine guru Hugo D’Acosta, who has guided many
of the Valle’s smaller wineries from idea to reality. He might
be considered the Andre Tchelistcheff of the Valle (Tchelistcheff
was a consultant and advisor to many of the early and now famous Napa
Valley wineries). He shows the “newbies” how to get the
most from their vineyards, what varietals work best with various soils,
etc. Many of the relatively new producers have started out under his
guidance.
Juan Carlos is
a prime example of the “new wave” of local people in the
region who have learned the art and skill of hand-crafted, extremely
well made vino, and who are carving a niche market among wine lovers.
Salud!
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