Even amongst devoted wine lovers, the Mexico wineries in Guanajuato state are means underneath the radar. Ten years in the past there wasn’t a lot of a scene in any respect and most of the vineyards working now had been simply getting began. Even 5 years in the past, few of the Guanajuato wineries acquired any press consideration exterior of the state, a lot much less within the English-language international press.
That’s comprehensible since solely round 5 p.c of all Mexican wine produced will get exported and far of that’s from the longer-established Baja area simply south of California.
However then the Guanajuato state wineries began profitable awards, then extra of them, then awards on high of that. Due to bloggers, native champions like us, and some wine writers in search of the subsequent new factor, the wineries close to San Miguel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo have popped into journey articles frequently these days.
With cool nights, reliably sunny days, and no probability of frost, the Bajio space of Mexico is good for rising many grape varieties. On the adverse facet, there’s a definite wet season that leads proper as much as harvest time, which suggests difficult timing and a few additional challenges if the rains don’t depart some drying-off time in between storms.
The winemakers are doing a formidable job on this area, together with some feminine ones racking up awards in an trade that’s normally male-dominated. There are many wine competitions world wide, however to see who’s faring the most effective among the many Guanajuato wineries, we pulled outcomes from these competitions:
The Decanter World Wine Awards
Mexico Choice by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles
Concurso Internacional de Vinos Bacchus
Worldwide Wine & Spirit Competitors
The Concours Mexico competitors is an offshoot of the Brussels one, which is normally hosted someplace aside from Belgium as of late. The Mexican model strikes round and was truly hosted by Guanajuato state in 2021, in Mineral de Pozos.
Mexico is internet hosting the Bacchus awards in autumn of 2022, in Ensenada, Baja California.
San Miguel Wineries Profitable Awards
You may get to any of the wineries in Dolores Hidalgo (subsequent part beneath) on a day journey from San Miguel de Allende, returning to your lodge there that evening. A couple of of area’s wineries are even nearer although, in locations the place you might be parking lower than a half hour after you left.
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Viñedo San Miguel is, appropriately, solely quarter-hour away from the town heart. This winery has a excessive pedigree, with a historical past going again to the previous world in Italy and a connection to the high-end leather-based retailer chain Cuadra. They’ve scored awards at three of the 5 competitions listed firstly of this text, spanning two pink blends, a Rosé, a Malbec, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Syrah, and a Merlot.
With advance reservations, you possibly can tour the vineyard and style 5 of their choices. See extra at the vineyard’s web site right here.
Bodega San Jose Lavista has nice vistas certainly, with hilltop views of San Miguel de Allende and the close by lake. Whereas it appears like a grand hacienda property that’s been in place since centuries previous, the home and winery date again to 2010. It’s one of the vital fashionable marriage ceremony venues on this metropolis of continuous weddings.
San Jose Lavista has been a fixture on the Mexico Choice Concours the previous few years, profitable two golds within the final one for its glowing Syrah rosé and its 2019 Malbec. Different Malbec variations and a Merlot have received in previous years.
Dos Buhos (two owls) is beginning to discover its stride as its vines mature and the winemakers’ expertise grows. In the latest Concours Mexico Choice awards, they scored a silver for a Cabernet Sauvignon from 2017 and a newer Syrah reserve. See visitation data right here.
Casa Anza is a little bit of a thriller, with a primary web site in Spanish solely and no look on Google Maps. This small vineyard scored two gold awards on the Concours Mondial Bruxelles this yr although, after profitable a Grand Gold for one of many similar wines, a pink reserve mix, ultimately yr’s Mexico Choice Concours competitors.
Dolores Hidalgo Award-winning Wines
The most important focus of Mexico wineries in Guanajuato state is round a metropolis higher identified for its historical past and its pottery: Dolores Hidalgo. That is the place “El Grito” (the shout, or cry of independence) from the priest-turned-revolutionary Miguel Hidalgo. This launched the Mexican combat for independence from Spain after the rebels marched to San Miguel de Allende, picked up extra males, after which launched the primary battle of the struggle in Guanajuato Metropolis.
Now Hidalgo is a part of the identify and through the years, this metropolis of lower than 60,000 folks turned the quantity two tile and pottery manufacturing heart after Puebla. Up to now twenty years, it has damaged out as a winemaking heart.
The vineyard within the area that has the longest heritage additionally has the largest assortment of rewards on its cabinets. That may be Cuna de Tierra, situated north of city in a beautiful winery that additionally produces desk grapes and olive oil. Head there for a tasting and tour like we did earlier or make reservations for the restaurant and order some completely different wines together with your meal.
Cuna de Tierra appears to make an look at practically each main wine competitors they usually’ve been on a roll these days with a number of awards. They picked up 9 in 2022 on the Decanter World Wine awards, with the winners together with blends, three pink grape varietals, and a Sauvignon Blanc white. They received a gold on the Concours Mundial for his or her Pago de Vega 2018, a mix of 4 pink grapes that spends greater than a yr in oak barrels and one other yr within the bottle earlier than going up on the market. Additionally they scored a silver for his or her Sauvignon Blanc.
Tres Raices (three roots), off the freeway between San Miguel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo, began profitable awards 5 years in the past and hasn’t stopped since. They vie with Cuna de Tierra for the widest number of award-winners, scoring with a Malbec, Merlot, Tempranillo, and several other pink blends, in addition to two Rosé wines. One scored a gold on the Brussels competitors, whereas the Vino Dulce Pure Lloro de Tierra Rosado received a Grand Gold within the Mexico Choice Concours.
This stunning vineyard and lodge with particular person casitas is a visible delight and has a superb restaurant. You possibly can dine there and order wines by the glass or do a tour and tasting. See the official web site right here and take a look at this Tres Raices video tour we put collectively.
Viñedo Los Arcángeles made their first look on the Mexico Concours awards, scoring a gold for his or her Sauvignon Blanc and a silver for his or her Cabernet Franc. We visited there final yr for a tour and tasting on the way in which again from a visit to Mineral de Pozos, so it’s a pleasant one to mix with that.
On the similar awards, La SantĂsima Trinidad vineyard, which additionally runs the San Lucas Vinoteca close to San Miguel de Allende, received a “grand gold” for his or her white wine mix.
Different Mexico Wineries From Guanajuato State
Guanamé vineyard, which additionally produces a premium wine underneath the Pájaro de Azul label, has racked up quite a lot of gold and silver awards over the previous few years. It takes some dedication and a street journey mentality to go to this vineyard because it’s in a rural space north of San Felipe, in a area higher identified for producing mezcal.
Their Pájaro de Azul pink wine mix with 12 months of growing older picked up a gold on the Concours Mondial Bruxelles in 2021. Their Guaname 2018 Malbec scored a gold on the Mexico Bruxelles awards the identical yr. Different pink varietals with just a few years of maturity have received awards in previous years in these two competitions and Decanter’s.
Most of the Guanajuato state wineries host harvest festivals, particular dinners, and different occasions within the second half of August. Test the Guanajuato Tourism web site in addition to the person wineries for particulars.
For those who’ll be touring the area, be sure you cease by the Wine Museum in downtown Dolores Hidalgo to get an outline of the area’s wine and do some sampling.
These aren’t the one Mexico wineries situated in Guanajuato state, however after all it takes a while for newer ones to start out hitting their stride and coaxing new grapes into award-winning wines. Go to one which’s not on this listing and also you’ll be capable to say, “I went there again when no person had heard of the place…”
See our previous articles on the area’s wine scene (and different libations) right here:
Mexican Vineyards and Wineries Close to San Miguel de Allende
