Most Mexican wine comes from Baja California: according to Guía Peñín, the region accounts for about 85% of national production, in valleys less than 90 km from Ensenada. It is not the country's only wine region. The Agri-Food and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP) records wine grapes in Coahuila, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes and Chihuahua, among other states. IVIN carries 28 Mexican wines from four states (Baja California, Chihuahua, Guanajuato and Zacatecas), gathered in the Mexico collection.
The official figures
Producción de uva en México 2022, published by SIAP (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), states that about 80 grape varieties are grown in the country and that half are for industrial use, mainly wine. The same publication notes that national production covers only 30% of domestic demand for wine.
In 2021, 75,195 tonnes of industrial grapes were harvested, the grapes used for wine, concentrated juice and brandy. Zacatecas led with 28,677 tonnes, followed by Baja California with 24,748; together they accounted for 71% of the total. In Baja California, almost all of it (24,510 tonnes) came from the municipality of Ensenada.
Baja California: the Ensenada valleys
Guía Peñín describes a Mediterranean-type climate, with humid winters, hot summers tempered by cool Pacific winds, low rainfall that in some cases makes irrigation necessary, and a marked difference between day and night temperatures. Among the valleys it lists:
- Valle de Guadalupe, 25 km from the ocean, with very hot summers and a strong maritime influence.
- San Antonio de las Minas, northwest of Ensenada, next to the Valle de Guadalupe.
- Santo Tomás, 45 km south of Ensenada, on very deep clay soils.
- San Vicente, 90 km south of Ensenada.
- Ojos Negros, towards the interior of the peninsula, about 30 km from Ensenada.
- Valle de la Grulla and Valle de Calafia, also on the list.
The varieties Peñín names are, for reds, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Nebbiolo and Barbera; for whites, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. SIAP adds Tempranillo to the state's main red varieties.
In an article for the Académie du Vin Library (2023), the journalist Norm Roby notes that the oldest vineyards in the Valle de Guadalupe are planted to Chenin Blanc, Petite Sirah, Grenache and Cabernet; that some Grenache of about 60 years was planted by Russian immigrants; and that Nebbiolo is said to have arrived in the 1940s. Roby also records that there were only 25 wineries in the valley before 2005 and that Adobe Guadalupe was founded in 1997.
Baja California wines at IVIN
The shop carries 18 wines from Baja California, all in the Baja California collection. A selection by area, with the grapes stated on each wine's sheet:
| Wine | Area | Grapes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Guadalupe Kerubiel | Valle de Guadalupe | Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Grenache | $1,018.09 |
| Tres Valles Kojaà | Valle de Guadalupe | Petite Sirah | $960.46 |
| Fluxus Ballena Tinta | Valle de Guadalupe | Nebbiolo | $1,277.93 |
| Vinos Pijoan Leonora | Valle de Guadalupe | Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot | $1,003.40 |
| JC Bravo Carignan | El Porvenir, Valle de Guadalupe | Carignan | $701.75 |
| Cava Luna Luna Llena Petit Verdot | San Antonio de las Minas | Petit Verdot | $690.20 |
| Vinos Zanzónico Syrah Reserva | Valle de la Grulla | Syrah | $744.44 |
| El Cielo G&G Reserva Especial | San Vicente and Guadalupe | Tempranillo, Grenache and Malbec | $1,390.84 |
| Dovinto Bios | La Angostura, Ensenada | Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Nebbiolo | $3,549.60 |
Chihuahua: the Encinillas high plains
In Chihuahua, the most established wine area is Encinillas, 80 km north of the state capital and about 1,400 m above sea level, according to México Desconocido. The climate is semi-arid, with marked differences between day and night temperatures, and the varieties that do well are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. SIAP recorded 954 tonnes of industrial grapes in the state in 2021.
IVIN carries four wines from Vinos Encinillas, in the Chihuahua collection: Herminia Merlot ($689.04), Anxelin Shiraz ($572.96), the white Blanquísimo, a Chardonnay ($535.84), and Hacienda Encinillas Selección Especial, from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc ($1,179.25).
Guanajuato, Zacatecas and the rest of central Mexico
SIAP's map also places wine grapes in central Mexico, with these main varieties:
- Guanajuato: Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Merlot, Syrah and Petite Sirah; for whites, Semillon.
- Querétaro: Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon; Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
- Aguascalientes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Nebbiolo; Sauvignon Blanc.
- Zacatecas: Carignan, Ruby Cabernet and Salvador; Saint Emilion, Italia and Muscat.
- Coahuila: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah; Chardonnay and Muscat.
From Guanajuato, IVIN carries Tres Raíces Riesling, from Dolores Hidalgo ($475.60), and three wines from San Miguel de Allende: Casa Anza Gran Reserva, from Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Malbec ($1,301.13); San José Lavista Malbec Gran Reserva ($1,525.40), and the fortified Lavista Fortifié San José ($783.00). From Zacatecas, Cacholá Field Blend ($1,059.00) and Viento Negro Oak Reserve Blend ($654.86).
Mexican whites
Four of the shop's Mexican wines are white: Casa Magoni Manaz, from Viognier and Fiano ($438.55); JC Bravo Palomino ($441.92), both from the Valle de Guadalupe; Encinillas Blanquísimo, from Chihuahua ($535.84), and Tres Raíces Riesling, from Guanajuato ($475.60). For now, the shop has no Mexican rosé or sparkling wine.
Where to buy Mexican wine in Puerto Vallarta
IVIN's 28 Mexican wines, from $438.55 to $3,549.60, are in the Mexico collection; the reds are also in Mexican reds. They can be ordered online, for home delivery or pickup at the shop, at Emiliano Zapata 424, Santa María, Puerto Vallarta. Details for each area are on the Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías and La Cruz and Punta Mita pages.
To choose between them, the IVIN Sommelier answers the question "Which Mexican wine would you suggest to start with?".
Sales to adults 18+ only.
This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence from the shop's catalog and the sources cited, and reviewed by the IVIN team.
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