Mexican Wines?: What I Found on a Rainy Day in Mexico
A Non-Rain View of Punta Mita
We recently went to Punta Mita where we stayed at the Four Seasons for an awesome family trip. We were ready for some surf, sea and fun, but the weather decided not to comply with a couple days of torrential downpours. While our kiddo decided to do fun indoor activities, my husband and I braved the weather and went to hang at the Nunca Pool Bar. That’s where I started my conversation with Armando, who taught me about wines from the Valle de Guadalupe/Baja California, Mexico, which is located less than two hours away from San Diego.
My uncle, who did a long-stint at Gallo, had talked about this region for years and told me about how it was an “up and coming Napa” in its own right. Armando was also passionate about the region and we tasted through four wines that were diverse and unique.
Wine has been made in this region for hundreds of years and over the past twenty folks in the industry have taken notice. The red wines produced here include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zinfandel, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Tempranillo, Malbec, Carignan and Grenache.
My line up included:
- 2012 Tinto Mexicano, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit syrah and grenache. It took a while to open up and was my least favorite of those that I tried that day.
- 2102 Santos Brujos Tempranillo, this was a nice expression of tempranillo and matched well with the food we had in front of us.
- 2012 Monasterio, Sinfonia de Tintos, one of my two favorites. I loved the blend, the balance, the black fruit, the tea, the plum and the earthiness of this wine.
- 2010 L.A. Cetto Nebbiolo Private Reserve, this was a great first try of Mexico’s Nebbiolo grape. It had notes of blackberry, earthiness and made me crave something that was tomato based as my entrée.
This region is definitely one that is worth exploration – especially when you are not paying Four Season’s by the glass bar prices.
Mexican Wines
