Top 100 red wines of Mexico
Discover the top 100 best red wines of Mexico as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of Mexico and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of Mexico
The Vitis vinifera Vine and the concept of winemaking arrived in Mexico with the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. Before the colony's wine production could meet local demand, wine was imported from Spanish vineyards, which maintained a healthy Flow of ships and trade between Spain and Nueva Espana ("New Spain" as Mexico was called at the time). This trade was so important that the King of Spain, King Carlos II, banned commercial wine production to keep it going.
Local wine production was only allowed for ceremonial purposes, but it was this legal exception that kept a tiny Mexican wine industry going until the early 19th century, when Mexico gained its independence from Spain.
The first Mexican vineyards were planted around the town of Parras de la Fuente, which translates as "vineyards of the spring," nestled in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains.
The wine regions of modern Mexico are now located in the slightly cooler, ocean-moderated Climate of northwestern Baja California, far west of the original wine-growing areas. Ninety percent of Mexican wine is now produced at the northern end of the Long, thin Baja California peninsula, in the valleys of Guadalupe, Calafia, Santo Tomas, San Vicente and San Antonio de las Minas. There are also scattered vineyards in La Laguna and further South in Zacateca and Aguascalientes where table Grapes are more common.
Because of the hot, sunny climate, irrigation is required in almost all locations; most Mexican vineyards are at a latitude similar to the deserts of Iraq and the northern Sahara. Rainfall is low, with the driest areas receiving as little as 200 millimeters (8 inches) per year. The entire region, with the exception of the northwestern corner of Baja California, is classified as a hot arid desert on the Koppen climate classification scale; viticulture is made possible by the presence of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gulf of California to the east.
There are no native vinifera varieties in the Americas, so Mexican wine is produced from "international" varieties of French, Spanish and Italian origin.
Discover the grape variety: Nebbiolo
A very old grape variety grown in the Italian Piedmont. It has a great resemblance with the Freisa, which also comes from the same Italian region. Among the various massal selections made in Italy, we find lampia, michet and rosé. It can be found in Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Mexico, the United States (California), Australia, etc. In France, it is practically unknown, perhaps because it is a delicate and demanding grape variety with, among other things, a fairly long phenological cycle.
Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Mexico
red wines from the region of Mexico go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or pork such as recipes of beef mironton, lamb tagine with prunes or beef tagine with vegetables.
Organoleptic analysis of red wine of Mexico
On the nose in the region of Mexico often reveals types of flavors of cherry, strawberries or microbio and sometimes also flavors of vegetal, tree fruit or balsamic. In the mouth in the region of Mexico is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
News from the vineyard of Mexico
Decanter magazine latest issue: October 2022
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Bordeaux innovators: Meet the names to know
When I first visited Bordeaux, the sleepy landscape of turreted stone châteaux and vineyards seemed timeless, with traditions so well established you felt they would go on forever. But new energy in this famous wine region is visible and audible: bees buzz and sheep graze in organic vineyards; brand-new cellars brim with sustainable features and wine fermenting in trendy amphorae; unusual grapes are gaining attention; and the number of women in key roles keeps growing. Yoga among the vines is s ...
La Rioja Alta expands with ‘artisanal vineyard’ deals
Guillermo de Aranzabal Bittner, a director at La Rioja Alta, said the company had acquired 35ha of old vines, with a minimum age of 45 years, in the village of Elvillar at an average altitude of 600 metres. He also said La Rioja Alta would buy more old vines this year, bringing total ‘artisanal vineyard’ acquisitions to a minimum of 5oha, and potentially up to 75ha, by the end of 2022. ‘We are buying very old vineyards, pruned in the traditional way with very low production, some of which are fi ...