16th
Mexican DO’s Don’t [Make Sense]
We all know by now—or should, anyway—that Mexico produces some of the most distinctive and exciting wines of any emerging growing-region. Yes, “emerging” is a bit misleading, to the extent that the first grapes brought to the Americas landed in Mexico by the edict of the crown, in the 1500’s, which ordered every Spaniard with a land-grant to plant 1,000 grape vines, for every 100 indigenous persons he employed. Additionally, the vineyards of Chile and Argentina today were preceded by Mexican vines, transplanted by Spanish settlers and missionaries in the sixteenth century—not unrelated to those who built twenty-one missions between San Diego and Sonoma, planting grapes along the way, while plowing a course for California wines. Moreover, the pre-Columbian indigenous peoples of Mexico were making their own wine long before European grapes ever hit American soil—but that’s a whole different story all together.
Back to the point: it was suggested by the Governor Jose Guadalupe Osuna—at the commencement of this year’s Vendimia, in Ensenada—that the next step ‘next step for the wine country’ is to establish Denominations of Origin. Anyone who is familiar with the region will quickly recognize that the most important transformations have occurred within the past five or ten years—not in the four-hundred-plus years leading up to now. Moreover, to impose DO regulations, for the purposes of marketability, seems a decidedly questionable move at this stage in the game; they are still another five or ten years out. The government has a few other concerns they might consider focusing on, in the interim.
The beautiful Valle de Guadalupe is already protected by mechanisms put in place long ago—the tall, picturesque mountains control access and sun exposure, while the labyrinth valley, itself, delivers breezes every afternoon, like clockwork—cooling the grapes, even after the hottest of summer days. Quixotic winemaker and visionary, Hugo D’Acosta—perhaps the most singular and influential character in the history of Mexican wine—has a saying which always rings appropriate: “Good roads equals bad tourists. Bad roads equals good tourists.”
