Category: Blog

Mexican wine is becoming a thing, especially in the United States and California above all states thanks to its proximity.

But what’s the story behind this new wine region and how it is connected to Italy?

Mexico, as all New World countries, discovered grapes during the colonization period, from 1520 onward. Primarily Spanish varieties were brought into the country by the conquistadors and by missionaries afterwards.

But the country is today a melting pot of other European grape varieties like French and Italian, imported mostly by immigrants. In fact, it’s not until the beginning of 1900 that we start seeing the first signs of modern winemaking. Especially in Valle de Guadalupe that accounts for 85% of the entire Mexican wine production. 

Among the firsts to open a winery there was the Italian immigrant Angelo Cetto in 1926, who is now responsible for half the country’s total wine production with his L.A. Cetto Winery. He was followed by another Italian, Camillo Magoni, in 1965 who started collaborating with L.A. Cetto to grow Nebbiolo in Baja and who now has its own winery too –the famous Casa Magoni.

Another Italian that is now a star in Valle de Guadalupe is Paolo Paoloni with his 38-hectare Villa Montefiori that includes vineyards, a tasting room and a hotel since the 90s.

Yes, because if in 2006 there were less than 25 wineries in Mexico, today the number is over 150. And if you count hotels and restaurants we go up to 400 structures.

But how does Mexican wine taste like, especially compared to the Italy?

We have recently organized an event in collaboration with Vino Migrante and All About Baja Wines in San Diego to compare Italian varieties with the same Mexican varieties.

Generally speaking, weather in Mexico is hotter because closer to the tropics. It’s still possible to grow grapes because the climate is dry but the result is a berry that is very ripen and sugary and therefore produces a full body and a more alcoholic wine.  

Let’s take a Chardonnay for instance. It’s a very adaptable grape, meaning it can grow both in a cool and warm climate. But the flavor profile will be different. During the event we tasted Wegerhof Leite Chardonnay DOC vs Cava Maciel Venus Blanco. The first one that comes from Trentino Alto Adige has a bright acidity and citrussy notes whereas the Mexican Chardonnay is fuller body and developed more tropical flavors.

Also the winemaking techniques are different in the two countries. Italian winemakers prefer cleaner and fresher wines, with less use of oak in the cellar. During the event we compared Alpi Retiche Nebbiolo IGT vs Zanzonico Wines Nebbiolo. The first Nebbiolo from Lombardia feels very light in the mouth with notes of fresh red fruits and herbs. Grapes were in fact fermented in stainless steel tanks and then aged both in cement and neutral large casks. Zanzonico Nebbiolo is definitely a bolder wine and since it was aged for 24 months in new oak barrels you get all those aromas of vanilla and smoke that kind of overpower the fruit and cut the acidity.

Wine in Mexico is definitely a younger industry compared to Italy but in the past 10 years they have made so many progresses! That’s why it’s becoming a really popular wine destination.

Bravo!

[if you want to know more about going wine tasting in Mexico, send me an email to sipwithcarlotta@gmail.com. We are also promoting a public wine tour in collaboration with Vino Migrante on March 2nd 2025: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1225537117509]

I can’t picture the face of Chileans when after calling what it was Carménère grapes “Merlot” for years and years, they finally discover they were mistaken this whole time!

We can say that the story of Carménère in Chile starts with a mistake. Brought by European winemakers who migrated to Chile around 1850, Carménère was planted next to Merlot and Cabernet plants. For some reason, it was confused with them until 1994 when a French winemaker, after some DNA tests, revealed the truth to the world!

But what is this Carménère? Also known as “Grand Vidour”, it was first planted in France but became extinct after the phylloxera epidemic in the 19^th century. The name comes from “carmine”, a type of red.

It’s infact a red grape variety, with aromas of raspberry and plum, bell pepper, paprika and vanilla in its oaked version.

It’s a medium body wine, normally fresh and fruity when young, with moderate acidity, tannins and alcohol. With Cabernet shares its green, spice and peppery notes, with Merlot the red fruit notes. Carménère can also become very earthy and leathery with age. 

Carménère representes the 10% of the Chilean wine production and the 85% of the Carménère in the world comes from Chile. A fun fact is that the second producing country of this grape variety is China, where it is named “Cabernet Gernischt”.

When I traveled through Chile in 2023, I had the chance to visit the two main wine regions where Carménère is grown: Colchagua Valley and Maipo Valley. In general, the wines from Calchagua Valley are greener and with more spices thanks to the altitude whereas the Maipo ones are fruitier.

When in Maipo, I went to one of the oldest wineries in the country, Viña Santa Rita, and after a short carriage ride among the vineyards, we got to the plaque that marks the place where Carménère was re-discovered.

I then tasted 4 different kinds of Carménère, mostly from their premium collections (including their top notch Pewën).

I personally feel that, wine speaking, Chile is a misunderstood country. The country is the 4^th largest wine exporter in the world but what they export is definitely not their best expression.

If you are interested in knowing where to find the best wines in Chile and which are the places to avoid, write me an email: sipwithcarlotta@gmail.com

Salud!

[all pictures were taken during my Carménère tour at Viña Santa Rita on September 2023. For more info about the tour: https://santaritaonline.com/tour/carmenere/]

 

I have recently been in New Zealand, where 90% of wine bottles is sealed with screw caps. Not only in supermarkets or cheap bars, but also in top notch wineries and fancy restaurants. So, I started asking questions around during my stay and also read some literature on the Internet about this topic.

Are screw caps good or bad for wine?

What is certain is that screw caps are more sustainable, more cost effective, easier to open and close and also prevent some wine faults like cork taint (a sort of disease that affects corks and causes bad aromas in wine).

Pioneers of the screw cap movement were the Australians back in 2000 when a group of winemakers from Claire Valley decided to bottle their entire Riesling production with screw caps only. A year later, a bunch on New Zealand winemakers followed their path by establishing the New Zealand Screwcap Wine Seal Initiative.

After scientific studies and blind tastings they realized that wine sealed with screw caps not only tasted the same of the wine sealed with corks but in most cases more fresh, consistent and with no faults.

The main concern around screw caps has always been maturation – that period of time when the wine matures and changes in the bottle to develop new flavors and soften up.

According to the cork supporters, cork is better because it lets the wine “breathe”, that’s to say allows oxygen in the bottle and oxygen is needed for a better maturation and desired flavor profile. According to the screw cap supporters, though, you don’t need oxygen for a wine to mature well but the absence of it. The seal seems to help the wine to stay stable and fresh for ages.

For sure, such young wine industries like New Zealand or Australia are paving the way. Looks like the United States and Europe are still a little skeptical, especially for the aesthetic part of it and how it will affect service at the restaurant for instance.

But there are good signs. According to researchers, at least 30% of wine in the world is sealed with screw caps and we will see this trend grow more and more in the future.

[Picture taken at Ata Rangi in Martinborough, NZ, during my Pinot Noir tasting experience]