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the country has yet recovered. Competition from low-priced
imports however is still a serious factor for developing wineries.
Baja California
One region has become the leader in reviving the reputation of
Mexican wines, and, perhaps tellingly, it lies just above the 30th
parallel. 90% of Mexican quality wine comes from northern Baja
California, centering around the city of Ensenada.
The major winegrowing sub regions – the Guadalupe, Calafia,
San Vincente, and Santo Tomás Valleys – all lie close to the
Pacific where they can benefit from the cooling ocean breezes
and mists. Hot days and cool nights is a classic winegrowing
combination throughout the world, allowing grapes to develop
their sugars without a corresponding drop in acidity. All the val-
leys feature a mix of alluvial soils and decomposed granite.
The Guadalupe Valley and especially its subsidiary the Calafia
Valley have become the most well-known appellations so far,
although the term “appellation” may be a stretch, as the Mexican
government seems even less interested in regulating wine than
the Mexicans are in drinking it. Nonetheless, most producers do
try to label their wines in accordance with U.S. and European
standards to avoid difficulties in the important export market.
Laguna
This region is situated in the Coahuila and Durango States. It has
a desert climate with an average annual temperature of 64.4 °
F (18 °C.)
Two very distinct periods occur in this region; the first one from
April to October, has an average annual temperature of over 68
° F (20 °C ) and the second one, from November to March, has
temperatures that vary between 56.48 ° F (13,6 °C) and 66.92
° F (19,4° C). The lowest average annual temperature occurs in
January and the highest in July and August.
The relative humidity varies seasonally. In spring, it is 31 %, in
summer 16 %, in autumn 53 % and 44 % in the winter.
Wine production, including quality wines, continues in these
areas of Mexico as well, most notably in the La Laguna region,
which straddles the states of Coahuila and Durango in the
northeast; this is the home of the Parras Valley, the first appella-
tion recognized by the Mexican government. Half of Mexico’s
vineyards are in Sonora.
The typical varieties of vine grown in these wine regions are:
Wine region of Coahuila
White
Chardonnay - Chenin blanc - Semillon - Colombard
Red
Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Syrah - Tempranillo - Uva Lenoir y
Rosa del Peru
Use
In this area, 75 % of the grape production is used for distilling
and 25% is used for wine production and eating.
Center
This area covers the states of Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and
Queretaro. The vineyards in Queretaro are distributed in the San
Juan del Rio and Tequisquiapan Valleys.
The climate in this area is primarily half desert although some
small areas have a moderate sub-humid climate.
The average temperature is 62.06 °F (16.7 °C) with an annual
maximum of 68.36 ° F (20.2 °C) and a minimum of
55.76 ° F (13.2 °C). The rainy period begins in June
and ends in September.
The typical vines grown in the different wine
regions of Aguascalientes and Zacatecas are
numerous.