Basic HTML Version
MARCH 2013 -
SEXY X2
MAGAZINE -
75
The wine industry got its start in Mexico in 1524, when the
governor of New Spain, conquistador Hernando
Cor-
tes, ordered every Spaniard with a land grant
from the crown to plant 1,000 grape vines for
every 100 Indians in his employ, every year for
five years.
In the 16th century, Spanish settlers and missionaries took Mexi-
can vines with them to Peru, Chile and Argentina, and in the
17th and 18th centuries, to the Western United States.
The Mexicans are the oldest American wine producers. In the
pre-Columbian age (before the arrival of the Spanish conquer-
ors) the Indians used the vine to produce a drink to which they
added other fruits and honey.
In the State of Baja California, the growing of vine followed their
installation of the missioners. They transformed the local deserts
in agricultural zones and vineyards.
The second generation of fathers even went to the US Califor-
nian State. Their leader brother Junipero Serra established 21
missions from San Diego to Sonoma, where they grew well-
known vines. The variety planted by the fathers got even a spe-
cial name: the mission grapes. Nowadays this variety still exists
and is called “criolla” all over South America.
The first places where vineyards were developed, are Puebla
(Tehuacan and Huejotzingo) followed by Queretaro, Aguascali-
entes, Coahuila and later in California and Sonora. Back to
1524, Hernan Cortes imposed by law the plantation of grapes
from European origin in combination with local ones. This was
the start of a hybrid culture of vines.
In 1593, a spanish captain, Don Francisco de Urdiñola started
the first vineyards in the state of Coahuila at El Rosario Hacienda
on the estate of Santa Maria de las Parras. On the coat of arms
of Queretaro, which dates from 1660, some vineyards can be
seen.
The oldest winery in the Americas was founded at Parras, at Mis-
sion Santa Maria in the north-central state of Coahuila in 1596.
The first downturn
The vines from Europe adapted well to their new environment
and were so productive that one could make wine and brandy.
The development of the industry was nipped in the bud however,
when Madrid totally prohibited the making of wine in order to
protect Spanish homegrown products and in later periods the
ruling classes’ preference for French wines gave little opportunity
for it to reestablish itself.
Perhaps the Cortez edict to the colonists succeeded too well,