Mexican wine might seem to be a fairly new thing, but in actuality it has been in production (with a few hiccups) since the early 1500s. Wine production in Mexico actually originates with the invasion of Hernan Cortés and his men who, during their clashes with the Aztecs, drank all of the wine they had brought with them. So, in order to replenish their supplies for religious mass (and drinking with diner, of course) he ordered that for every 100 native “employees” held by conquistadors, 1000 grapevines were to be planted.
First Mexican Wine Production
The first attempts to plant grapes in the more tropical regions of Mexico failed entirely. The first grapes to successfully yield were the Criolla which took in the Parras Valley of Coahuila. Soon they were also growing in Puebla and Zacatecas. The very first wine estate in Mexico was opened by Lorenzo Garcia in Santa Maria de los Parras in Coahuila in 1597. Casa Madero, as it was called, still exists today!
A Ban on Mexican Wines
This first harvests of Mexican wine did well. In fact, they did so well that Charles I ordered all ships travelling to “New Spain” to bring over grape and olive vines so that production could be accelerated. Unfortunately, this confidence was misplaced; when the Spanish wine trade fell in popularity against neighboring French wine, Philip II of Spain ordered the end to all Mexican wine production, in order to protect the revenue from Spanish wines.
Saintly Wine
The ban on Mexican wine didn’t stop all production, however, and soon religious houses took up production of their own wines for religious purposes (naturally). The Jesuit priest Juan Jugarte is credited for starting this when he established the Santo Tomas Mission in Baja California, but he was not the only one to do so. The Dominicans soon followed suit and set up in the Guadalupe valley, which is now the centre of the Mexican wine industry. After the Reformation War of 1857, all of these religious landholdings were taken over by the state and later sold to a group of investors who still operate as the Santo Tomas winery.
Modern Mexican Wines
Modern wine production in Mexico really began in the 1980’s with the implementation of modern techniques, and many of the grapes now used are of French or Spanish origin. Why not enjoy a luxury wine tasting session at Hotel Mousai and learn all about the wine industry?
