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There is one very special place on earth with a Mediterranean-type micro climate. With humidity coming from the sea mist and the right mixture of salinity from the underground water and the components of the soil..
A soil composed of limestone, sandstone, marlstone, because it lied under the ocean for millions of years.
Plus the ideal latitude and longitude to make the Valle de Guadalupe in the Baja California peninsula, the cradle for the best wine of Mexico, the Vino Marino, Marine Wine..
 It all started in the XVII century when the first Jesuit priests were surprised at the exquisite figs and the excellent quality of the grapes they grew here; probably the “Mission” type grape originated here. Other historic type grape was the “Rosa del Perú” (or Peruvian Rose). But not until the XIX century did European grapes make their way into this area to grow seasonally, these varieties were: Carignan, Grenache and Valdepeñas.
Later, as irrigation systems appear, so do other varieties, mainly the French and Italian classic ones, nowadays the valley produces wines of more than forty types of grapes. It is here where that the “authors of wine” are crucial, as it is they, who have created the “Philosophy of the Wine of the Baja California” keeping an extraordinary variety of select grapes in just over 2,500 Hectares.
The oldest and largest wine producers of the valley are: Bodega Santo Tomás which first opened in 1888, L.A. Cetto in 1928, Domecq in 1972, and Monte Xanic in 1988. But there are some small producers making some extraordinary wines, among them: Chateau Camou with its Zinfandel; Viña de Liceaga with its Merlot; Eduardo, the owner is projecting a theme hotel and a Wine Friends Club with the adoption and care of a vineyard. Pau Pijoan makes wines with women’s names and Fernando Martain’s Valmar wines.
And I could never leave out Hugo d’Acosta, who is producing with seasonal, traditional grapes one of the finest wines of Mexico, the Casa de Piedra, very hard to find because it is sold even before it is produced.
 Personally, I am proud to have brought “Jalá” to Puerto Vallarta; considered the best wine of Ensenada in quality-price ratio. Joaquín Prieto and Octavio Valle produce “Jalá” in their Tres Valles winery, named after a Kiliwa God of the region; it is made from Grenache Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and has a vigorous flavor that combines perfectly with Mexican food and other wholesome world delicacies.
You can enjoy it at some of the best restaurants of Vallarta, like Trio, Vitea and The River Café. If you fall in love, you can buy it by the bottle or case from anfitrionpv@yahoo.com or from me at toureps@mail.com for less than 20US a bottle.
Now you know, Mexico is a wine-producing country and its best wines come from the Valle de Guadalupe in Ensenada, Baja California.
You must also know that there is another very special place in this planet, one with some of the best world-class dining, which you can accompany with these excellent wines. See you in Puerto Vallarta.
I thank Luis Vicente Elías Pastor, oenologist, and his wealth of knowledge, for his information on Mexico’s Marine Wines. Email to a friend
Eduardo Rincón-Gallardo
E-mail: toureps@prodigy.net.mx
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