Top 100 red wines of North
Discover the top 100 best red wines of North as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of North and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of North
Valle de Guadalupe is the key wine region in the state of Baja California, Mexico. Baja California, in turn, is responsible for 90 percent national wine production.
At the heart of the valley is Guadalupe Village, which Lies 14 miles (20km) North of Ensenada city. The valley runs northeast to southwest on either side of Guadalupe, stretching from the Pacific coast inland for roughly 20 miles (32 km).
Over that distance the land ascends dramatically from the cliffs above Todos Santos Bay to several thousand feet above sea level.
The Valle de Guadalupe Vineyards are planted at altitudes between 1000ft and 1250ft (305m–380m), mostly on flat plains surrounded by hills. The area has a MediterraneanClimate, thanks to the proximity of the Pacific Ocean immediately to the west and the Gulf of California (the Sea of Cortez) to the east.
As there were no vitis vinifera Grape varieties in the Americas Prior to the arrival of European explorers, all present day commercial grapevines are of European origin.
Some of these are direct descendants of the original plants imported by the Jesuits for the first vineyards back in the 16th Century, and some have arrived more recently, from Europe or from California.
Almost all modern Mexican wine is made from international varieties of French, Spanish and Italian descent. Red wines from the Valle de Guadalupe are made mostly from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel, while white wines are based largely on Colombard, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and the ubiquitous Chardonnay.
Some vineyard workers and winemakers have now returned to wineries in the region from north of the border, bringing back skills acquired in the Napa and Sonoma valleys.
Discover the grape variety: Cabernet franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
Food and wine pairing with a red wine of North
red wines from the region of North go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or pork such as recipes of empanadas de carne (argentina), lamb tagine with dried apricots or baked bread (tomato, mushroom, ham, cheese).
