This wine-producing behemoth is rapidly awakening

Although you whitethorn cognize places similar Baja California and Guanajuato arsenic Mexican winemaking powerhouses, Coahuila’s winemaking past is stellar. Not lone is it getting expanding recognition, it’s besides expanding astatine an awesome rate.

Considered the spot wherever winemaking began successful the Americas astatine the extremity of the 16th century, Coahuila’s winemaking region is Parras de la Fuente (Vines of the Fountain) — named for the pre-Columbian grapes recovered increasing successful the country erstwhile the Spanish arrived.

There are much than 20 wineries successful the works successful Coahuila’s winemaking regions. (Vinos San Juan de la Vaquería)

The Spanish colonists recovered the grapes unsuitable for wine, but their beingness demonstrated that the section situation could enactment grape-growing and encouraged them to works Vitis vinifera, wine-producing grapes. Initially, the Spanish grew misión grapes. The adaptation successful, they began investigating different varieties. 

In much caller years, acknowledgment to technological advances, the betterment successful output and prime successful this portion has been notable, and today, this region’s accumulation is already recognized worldwide. It presently has 9 winemaking areas, a full of 29 operating wineries and much than 20 wineries successful the works.

In different words, Coahuila’s vino portion is simply a monster awakening.

While you whitethorn not person heard of its wines, Coahuila is the 2nd largest vino shaper successful Mexico, with much than 100 brands connected the market. And it aims to go the country’s starring vino shaper nether a Vinos de Coahuila (Coahuila Wines) designation, which is awaiting Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) designation by the European Union aboriginal this year.

Coahuila’s southeast

In the southeast, you’ll find Parras and different vino accumulation areas: General Cepeda, Ramos Arizpe, Saltillo and Arteaga. This portion is the state’s largest accumulation area, arsenic good arsenic its best-known. The situation is simply a semi-desert, with small rainfall and utmost day-night somesthesia differences, perfect conditions for vine development.

Gerardo Aguirre Flores, who founded San Juan de la Vaquería vineyards and winery conscionable southbound of Saltillo, brought the vineyard’s archetypal grapevine grafts implicit from France. The municipality of San Juan de la Vaquería whitethorn beryllium Coahuila’s oldest winemaking site. (San Juan de la Vaquería)

In this region, southbound of the metropolis of Saltillo, is 1 of the astir salient wineries, San Juan de la Vaquería, whose high-quality wines near maine with the champion sensation successful my rima this year. With the municipality of San Juan de la Vaquería dating backmost to the 16th and aboriginal 17th centuries, it’s perchance Coahuila’s oldest wine-producing site.

Its clime is semi-desert, with blistery days and chill nights, and the mean altitude is 1,800 meters supra oversea level, perfect for increasing grapes.

The Aguirre family, owners of the winery, has been present for 4 generations. In 2008, they began their winemaking adventure, encouraged by Jose Milmo, a well-known determination businessman and erstwhile proprietor of the Casa Madero winery, which we’ll sermon later. The Aguirres person plans to grow their 20-hectare plantings to 40 much hectares and incorporated walnut trees and different crops onto the estate.

The Aguirre patriarch, Gerardo Aguirre Flores, a nonrecreational cultivation engineer, brought the family’s archetypal grafts from France. With his family, helium established what is present 1 of the astir absorbing wineries successful the region.

His son, Gerardo Aguirre Lobo, besides an engineer, selects their vines from France and has implicit clip accrued the winery’s varietals to see Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah, arsenic good arsenic achromatic varieties specified arsenic Verdejo and Chardonnay. Gerardo Jr., the household winery’s third-generation member, is successful complaint of winemaking. 

Meanwhile, Gerardo’s daughter, designer Sofía Elena Aguirre Lobo, handles the business’ selling side. She besides utilized her architectural cognition successful the winery’s construction, truthful that its plan evokes a adjacent fossil site. A spot worthy visiting.

The reds are almighty yet refined. The family’s blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is popularly known present arsenic “the location wine” for having won implicit section palates, and has received planetary acclaim arsenic well. It spends 12 months successful French and American oak barrels, which softens the earthy potency of the young grapes. There are different reds, but this 1 is iconic. 

Their rosé wine, made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec grapes, is precise balanced, full-bodied and yet creaseless connected the palate — fruity and with bully acidity. Among the whites, the Verdejo stands out, the lone grape assortment imported from Spain alternatively of France.

The cuisine present is arsenic important. In summation to having cook Ana Carmen, different of the siblings, successful the family, San Juan de la Vaquería has sought retired adept proposal successful mounting up the winery’s restaurant, which pairs their wines with Mexican dishes and determination cheeses. Coahuila has its ain food way successful and astir the General Cepeda region, that has been producing food for generations. 

The portion is besides known for its cattle and goat farming. For this reason, the nutrient of some animals is portion of the state’s tradition. A food platter of Cotija, enchilado and goat cheeses accompanied by walnuts from their harvest is simply a must.

Pairings are based connected Mexican dishes. Burritos, emblematic of bluish Mexico, are accompanied by the rosé oregon location wine. 

Casa Madero, successful Parras de La Fuente, Coahuila, besides has accommodations for a vino play getaway connected the premises. (Government of Parras de la Fuente)

Casa Madero

Casa Madero has been a benchmark for quality, exportable vino for years. It is the oldest winery successful the Americas, founded successful 1597. Although accumulation onsite has not been continuous passim past — it produced brandy astatine 1 time—  its wide staying powerfulness has earned it the rubric of oldest winery connected the continent. 

Its past is linked to the Madero family, from which came erstwhile Mexican president Francisco I. Madero.

The winery offers rooms successful the Hacienda de San Lorenzo, a beauteous abstraction with a fistful of high-ceilinged, ample rooms. Its elemental yet accepted decor stands out, with ample embroidered looms decorating each room.

Other wineries successful the area, similar Don Leo, besides basal out. Don Leo is notable for its kosher production. 

Rivero González, whose wines are synonymous with quality, is an country with wineries producing whites and rosés., But undoubtedly, it’s the reds that basal out, acknowledgment to the vineyards’ mean altitude of 2,000 meters supra oversea level, which contributes to the reds’ affluent aromas. 

Thanks to Coahuila’s unsocial archeological features, connected this region, you’ll  find winery tours combined with paleontological sites featuring dinosaur fossils and fossilized marine life. 

The Wine-Dino Route offers visits to Valle Colorado, amended known arsenic the Valley of the Dinosaurs, and the Desert Museum, where, successful summation to fossils, determination are relics from the past cultures that inhabited the area. It is genuinely a unsocial experience. 

Coahuila vino is having an interaction connected Mexicans’ sensation for wine. There is overmuch to notation astir this region, this volition beryllium Part One of 2 articles connected the region.

Cheers with Mexican wine!