Site Map [1] The main reason for this is that the climate tends to produce grapes with thick skins, which create more intense flavors and aromas. [1], True commercial wine operations did not begin until the 1970s. There is one winery in Ojos Negros, Bodegas San Rafael, owned by the Hussong family of the Hussong Cantina in Ensenada. All but the northwesternmost corner of the state is classified as Warm Arid Desert on the Koppen Climate Classification scale; viticulture is made possible by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gulf of California to the east. Camillo Magoni of Casa Magoni winery has planted over 100 varieties himself. We use … Discover this up-and-coming wine region and the wonderful wines that are made there. [7] Many working in the wine industry here were trained in California, Oregon, and Washington, especially the field workers. Despite this restriction, the missions became significant wine producers. Baja California is a state in the far northwest of Mexico, and the heartland of the Mexican wine industry. [7], The three main producers in Baja are L.A. Cetto, Casa Domecq, and Bodega de Santa Tomas, with Cetto and Domecq by themselves accounting for 80% of Mexico's wine production. Many vineyards are new or recently replanted using modern cultivation techniques, improved rootstocks and cultivars. Most of the plants were imported by the conquistadors from their Spanish homelands, and vineyard location was driven by simple logistics. [1] Of the eighty or so other wineries, most are small and family owned, and there are hundreds of non-professional artisan wine makers. Wines like Vino de Piedra, a blend of tempranillo and cabernet has a cult following in Mexico. The Dominicans founded mission and in 1843 their first vineyard in the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Norte Valley. The Baja California wine industry is focused on a small area of the state of Baja California, Mexico. [1][7], Casa Domecq was originally called Vides del Guadalupe and was the first modern commercial winery in Baja California. They produce Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Most vineyards here lie on a similar latitude to the deserts of the northern Sahara. It is a 2014 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, bought in a Soriana supermarket for 99 pesos (under $6 US inclusive of tax, so comparable to a … They are a supplier to renowned Mexico City restaurant Pujol. Wineries that can afford are setting up water treatment plants to reclaim waste water. Catholic missions were exempted, allowed … [1], One reason for the low production is that demand for wine in Mexico is very low, although this is changing. [4][6] Even under normal conditions, the water available in the Valle de Guadalupe area is high is salt and other minerals. [12] Hans Backhoff founded Monte Xanic to prove that Mexico could make great wine and began changing Mexico's reputation. [3] In 1949, the National Association of Wine Producers was founded with an initial membership of fifteen wineries. We strive to promote and cultivate Baja while enriching the lives of the children in local orphanages. It has had facilities for tourists for a very long time. [3] Average annual rainfall varies from seven to twenty two centimeters per year. It also worked to provide members with equipment. [3][15] The wineries major sellers are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc and Grenache Rose. [1][10] Even the larger, established wineries have since upgraded their product lines in response. [1][4], Overall, the area is warmer and drier than California, and water is a major issue. Casa Pedro Domecq was founded in 1972 and L.A. Cetto shortly after in 1974. Other wine-producing valleys include the Santo Tomás Valley, with an altitude of 750 feet above sea level, the San Vicente Valley at 350 feet, both south of Ensenada. [13] The Monte Xanic winery is credited with the push towards premium wines, with its success prompting other wineries to bring in oenologists from Europe. Wine making is very eclectic here, with no one style dominating the scene. [7] Mission grape (Listan Prieto) vines were brought to Baja in the late 17th century to make sacramental wine. [1] The average altitude is about 1000 feet above sea level. [7] Before World War II, most wine was imported from Europe. The Nebbiolo of Baja produces a dark, inky wine unlike any other of its types in the world, having more in common with a Petite Sirah than its cousins in Italy. Though a bit warmer and drier, the region produces many of the same grapes as in California, US, producing varietals that originated in southern France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. Phil had a career in music in Los Angeles before coming here to make organic wines. During the decade, production increased three-fold due to larger vineyards and the introduction of new technologies. Most wine grapes are still grown to produce brandy, as Mexico is the third largest producer of this beverage in the world. Fourteen more were added in the 1950s. The winery moved to Ensenada in 1900 and to its current facilities in 1934. are more favored, but about all varietals are grown here except those which absolutely need cooler temperatures. Out of the regions that produce wine in the state of Baja California, the most well-known and iconic of these is the Valle de Guadalupe (also sometimes known as the Valle de Calafia). [6], Baja has four principal areas all near Ensenada: Valle de Guadalupe, Calafia Valley, San Vicente Valley, Santo Tomas Valley and to some extent, the San Rafael Valley. [3] As of 2015, only a third of the four million cases of wine consumed in the country, only a third was domestic. The Santo Tomás Mission founded in 1791 became Mexico largest wine producer. 560 reviews. [1][12], The renaissance of the Baja wine industry began in the 1980s, with what happened here comparable to what happened in California in the 1960s, with an emphasis on quality. [3] Hugo D'Acosta was raised in Mexico City, trained in France and initially worked for Santo Tomas before founding Casa de Piedra just north of Ensenada. Xecue Vinicola. This was an inexpensive wine purchased in los Cabos from the well known Domecq ... ... Domecq firm's domain in Baja California. [15], Many restaurants and lodgings are attached to wineries. [14], Monte Xanic is currently the most prestigious brand of wines coming out of Baja California. [1] The Baja California peninsula was originally under the sea until tectonic movement raised it and began the process of breaking down the granite, allowing it to mix with alluvial soil of clay, sand and other minerals to form the soils the vines grow in today. [7][8] Most of the wine grapes grown her are those grown in California, with the addition of tempranillo and Chenin Blanc, which is one of the most popular varieties. [5] Irrigation is necessary relying on springs and groundwater. It owns about half of the 6,500 acres under wine cultivation in Baja, but it is still better known for its brandy than its wine. [3] Its best known wine is Padre Kino, developed in 1972 to cater to the Mexican taste for sweeter wine. To the east are the arid sands of the Sonora Desert, and viticulture is impractical. While wine was first made here in the late 17th century/early 18th, premium winemaking did not begin until the 1980s, with the success of the Monte Xanic winery. [3] Most wines are fermented in stainless steel. Between 1699 and 1857, they produced virtually all the wine made in Mexico. please see. [13] In the 1980s, no one dared to make premium wine in Mexico. Privacy Policy These vines arrived after World War II but identification tags were lost in transit, so no one knows exactly what varieties they are. (lindajoy) Its vineyards produce Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, and Cabernet Sauvignon. When wet the gel retains water and less irrigation is needed. [1] Most of this production was of average and cheap commercial wines. [3] Land prices have risen over the past 20 years from about US$7,000 per hectare to more than $100,000. While Baja California is best known for its wines, it has a pretty exciting craft beer scene too. The early Spanish settlers arrived in Mexico (called Neuva Espana at that time) on its east coast, via the Atlantic and Caribbean, making their first settlements on the eastern side of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges. [1], In 1857, the Mexican government seized all land holdings of the Catholic Church. [3], The success of the wine industry since the 1980s has spurred something of a tourism industry. [1][12] However, there have been signs since the 1980s that this is changing. It was first in the New World to have grape vines planted. Bodegas de Santo Tomas Solera Tinto, Baja California, Mexico: Merlot - … [6], While there is grape and wine production in the interior of Mexico, northern Baja seems to be better suited to the production of more and better wines. [1], Many growing and production methods are newer as most wineries have been in existence for only a short time.