Wines from Mexico
The Spanish brought the wine to Mexico around 1521. Hernan Cortes ( Governor ) ordered in 1524, that all Spanish residents which received land and Indians for forced labour had to plant 1000 vines per 100 Indians for a period of 5 years. By 1595 they produced enough wine to be self- sufficient. Over the years more than half of the wineries closed down since most of the Mexicans drink beer. Today something like 60.000 hectares are under vine.
Mexican Vineyards
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Domecq
Brandy production, in fact, has led a number of larger companies to invest in Mexico , including the wine and spirits giant Allied Domecq. Domecq is most known to Mexicans for brandy, but also makes several brands of wine at different price points and in a variety of styles, including blends, single varietal wines, and kosher wines. Chateau Domecq is their premium label; the wines include an unusual blend of Nebbiolo and Merlot as well as a Sauvignon Blanc-based white wine. The Spanish cava producer Freixenet has also invested in Mexican wine and is a major player in the Querétaro area, where they produce the sparkling wines you'd expect as well as some still wines. The high altitude in this winegrowing region insures surprisingly cool nights.
L.A. Cetto
The other large-scale producer is L.A. Cetto, named after its Italian founder Don Angelo Cetto who emigrated from Piedmont in the 1920s. They are the biggest wine producer in Mexico , and differ from Domecq in many ways. They are family-owned, with 1,200 hectares of vineyards in the Guadalupe Valley as well as a further 1,600 in Sonora ; Domecq purchases all its grapes instead of owning their own vineyards. L.A. Cetto has three major levels of wine: commercial blends, a single varietal series, and their "Limited Reserve." In addition to the more usual varietals they also sell Chenin Blanc, Malbec, and Tempranillo wines, the Californian specialties of Zinfandel and Petite Syrah, and finally some wines that acknowledge their Italian heritage - a Limited Reserve Nebbiolo and a Passito dessert wine (made from dried grapes). Between them Domecq and L.A. Cetto account for about 80% of Mexico's yearly production of 1.6 million cases, and both companies export about 40% of their wine.
Mexican Grape Varieties
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