The flavor of cedar in wine of Mexico
Discover the of Mexico wines revealing the of cedar flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).
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.
Disconcerting: I couldn’t forget this bottle for days afterwards. Still can’t. Back in August, wine critic Lin Liu MW (together with her partner Philippe Lejeune of Château de Chambert in Cahors) came to dinner, en route to a short holiday in Provence. One of the bottles Lin brought for us to try together was the 2018 Les Rocheuses, Parcelles No 5 et 6, from Château Le Rey in Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. It came in a slope-shouldered bottle, not a classic Bordeaux bottle. We tried it with some R ...
Canada’s western province of British Columbia (BC), has approved six new sub-appellations for its most famous wine-growing region of Okanagan Valley. The Okanagan Valley is BC’s largest appellation – called Geographical Indications (GIs) in Canada. And from a standing start in 2015, it now has 11 sub-GIs following the recent ratification. The six new sub-GIs are: Summerland Valleys, Summerland Lakefront, Summerland Bench, East Kelowna Slopes, South Kelowna Slopes and Lake Country. They are now l ...
Inside the October 2022 issue of Decanter Magazine: FEATURES French influence in Argentina Tim Atkin MW traces a long and mutually beneficial relationship California Cabernet Franc It’s a red on the rise, says Karen MacNeil Willamette Valley Pinot Gris Advantage Oregon? By Clive Pursehouse & Michael Alberty País in Chile By Darren Smith Uruguay’s coastal whites A fresh look, with Amanda Barnes Chianti Classico & Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Michaela Morris on the Tuscan new-vintage rele ...