Club Corner
February 2026 Wine of the Month: Mexico
MEXICO While most focus is on the United States when considering wine in North America, Mexico has in the past few decades been making some of the most exciting wines on the continent. Though it doesn’t have the volume of our neighbors to the south in Chile and Argentina, Mexican wines have an imaginative, scrappy edge to them, as they combine ancient techniques with modern technology and widely avoid the use of herbicides and pesticides throughout the country. This looseness can be associated with the relatively new renaissance in the country's wine industry despite its long viticultural history reaching back to the 16th century. This month, we will be focusing on two distinct regions of the country that showcase the diversity and quality of the current Mexican wine scene. One of which is the country's current leader in production and most well known internationally. The other is the historical home of wine in Mexico with a history dating back to the 1500s. While the indigenous people had been drinking fermented beverages made with honey, fruits, and indigenous grape varieties like V. rupestris, V. vinifera used in trad-Euro wine making wasn’t introduced until the 1521, when Hernan Cortez ordered each Spaniard to plant 10 vines for every slave they owned. These original plantations were centered in what is modern day Mexico City and Puebla, but quickly spread throughout central Mexico to Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, and Hidalgo. By 1553 wines from these regions of “New Spain” were being produced by Augustinian monks to be shipped to Mexico City. In 1568 Spanish conquistadors embarked from Zacatecas in search of gold and stumbled upon the Valle de Parras in the southern region of modern day Coahuila. While most of the state is semi-arid, this high elevation oasis (the highest point of this region can reach up to 2000 meters, approximately 6561 feet) was perfect for growing grapes, and in 1593 Marqués de Aguayo was founded followed in 1597 by Hacienda San Lorenzo (which still produces wine under the name Casa Madero), the first commercial wineries in the Americas, was opened and became known for high quality wine and brandy. In 1683 Jesuit monks traveled north along the peninsula to spread christianity and convert the indigenous population of Sur, Baja, and Alta California. The first mission was established in 1693, and the first vineyards were planted around 1717, though wine was not made officially until 1755 when Father Jorge Retz planted vineyards in the mountain's northeast of Guerrero Negro, and he remained there tending the vines until the Jesuits were expelled from Spanish held territories, replaced by Franciscans and Dominicans. By this time, Mexican wine could only be made for sacramental purposes, as wine and brandy from the territory had become so popular that it started cutting into Spanish exports, leading to a ban on winemaking and the growing of vineyards in the 18th century that lasted until Mexican independence in 1810. Mexican viticulture received a brief boost of government support following their independence in the form of subsidies and tax breaks, but the arrival of phylloxera followed by the Mexican Revolution in 1910 combined with low demand for wine within the country slowed the wine industry considerably. Things began to change after World War 2 with a 400% tax on foreign wines implemented in 1940 and the creation of the Mexican Viticultural Council in 1949 to promote and support the sector. Slowly but steadily the volume and quality of the wine improved, and despite the economic crisis of 1994 slowing down the development of the industry, leaving only 7 producers in the country, Mexican wine has been gaining attention for the innovation and quality on display. ¡Salud!, Justin Malesheetz, Fillmore Wine Buyer RGMX 2023 Scielo Tinto Red Blend Region / Country of Origin: Valle de Parras, Coahuila, MX About the Winery: Founded in 1998 by the Rivero Gonzalez family who have been farming organic nuts in the region for generations, RGMX focuses on making low intervention wines from four estate vineyards based in the Valle de Parra that are farmed organically without herbicides or pesticides. The vineyards were planted in separate plots based on variety variations in microclimate and soil profile. About the winemaking: A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Merlot from relatively young vines planted at a staggering 5000 feet of elevation farmed organically without the use of herbicides or pesticides. The grapes were hand harvested at night and hand sorted before being pressed into stainless steel tanks and fermenting for two weeks. The wine is then racked off to a fresh stainless steel tank to age before being lightly filtered before bottling. Tasting Notes: Medium ruby in the glass, with an elegantly perfumed nose of fresh violets, red plum, fresh red and dark berries, black pepper, and blood orange. Fresh and elegant despite its fuller body with bright acidity and silky but firm tannins framing flavors of cocoa dusted raspberry, blueberry, cherry liquor, and red currant with a long chocolate and berry finish with a slight savory herbaceous note rounding out the palate. Winemaker: Matias Utrero Carmona Price: $24.99+tax Suggested Food Pairing: Carne asada, tuna steak, roasted lamb, grilled mushrooms, cheddar, stuffed bell peppers Monte Xanic 2024 Viña Kristel Sauvignon Blanc Region / Country of Origin: Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, MX About the Winery: Founded in 1987 by Hans Bakhoff, Ricardo Hojel, Manuel Castro, Tomas Fernandez, and Eric Hagstater, Monte Xanic was the first boutique winery in the Valle de Guadalupe. With a focus on quality and innovation. Monte Xanic encompasses 6 ranches in Baja California. This beautiful hillside teems with life, from the soils of Valle de Guadalupe to the Valle de Ojos Negros. About the winemaking: 100% Sauvignon Blanc from younger vines planted in 2009 on a combination of limestone, clay, and granite soil. These vineyards at the northern end of the Valle de Guadalupe have been farmed sustainably and utilize two different styles of vine training systems to achieve different levels of ripeness to create complexity and balance without the use of additives. The grapes were harvested by hand as each plot reached the desired ripeness. The grapes were then fermented in stainless steel for two weeks and cold stabilized to help prevent the formation of potassium bitartrate, the little crystals that form when a bottle is placed in a cold area like a refrigerator causing the tartaric acid and potassium in the wine to undergo a crystalizing reaction. While the crystals themselves are harmless (they are effectively the same as cream of tartar), this can affect the pH of the wine, causing it to feel out of balance. After this process the wine is aged for 6 months on the lees in stainless steel tanks before being bottled. Tasting Notes: Pale straw in the glass, this wine has a robust nose of chalky oyster shell minerality juxtaposed with juicy tropical fruit notes of guava, citrus, and stone fruit. Despite its light body, bright acidity, and dryness the wine feels rich with a roundness on the palate and the juicy tropical flavors ending with a slightly saline note on the finish not unlike lime salt. Winemaker: Oscar Gaona Price: $25.99+tax Suggested Food Pairing: grilled fish, poke, roast duck, goat cheese
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Q1 Red Rogues 2025
Viva Mexico Besides being tendentious and all kinds of historically problematic, the wine world’s anachronistic tic of bifurcating itself into “Old” and “New” makes increasingly little sense in just plain descriptive terms. Viticulture in the Americas dates at least back to the 16th century; due to Europe’s 19th century Phylloxera apocalypse, many of the world’s oldest vines are located here. And while some countries in Europe (Italy, France) maintain rigorous and sometimes incomprehensible quality control standards, others are far more open ended. Today, the places with the strongest claims to “world’s earliest wine scene” - Georgia, Armenia - are in fact amongst the most free-form when it comes to production methods. (And that’s without even getting into who - or what - first invented wine. Here’s the ”Drunken Monkey” hypothesis for the curious.) So where does that leave Mexico? In terms of its wine scene, the country has never been more proudly, conspicuously, fascinatingly, deliciously - itself. The original setting for Vitis Vinifera growth in the Western Hemisphere is now arguably the site of its brightest future. This quarter we have three examples of all the great things happening south of the Rio Grande at the moment, excavations from a long and distinguished lineage, and samples of awesome stuff to come. But first, here’s a brief primer on how we got here. Upon vanquishing the Aztecs in 1521, the villainous Cortez the Killer decreed that every person around plant 10 vines, which added up to more than a quarter of million acres. As the Spanish spread across the lands, they planted more European grape vines, and by 1597 Casa Madero, the first winery in the Americas, was founded in the town Parras (vines) to which it gave a name, in the present day state of Cohuila. The fact that it is still in operation today is amazing - a testament to the vitality of viticulture in the area - but belies the struggles, challenges and reversals of fortune that have plagued the Mexican wine industry in the intervening years. For, after this initial success, Charles II of Spain in 1669 banned all non-sacramental wine production in Mexico, as its popularity was hurting Spanish wine imports in the Americas - a prohibition that stayed in place until Mexican independence in 1821. After that Mexicans, retaining a healthy animosity towards their former colonial overlords, generally preferred to focus on indigenous tipples like tequila and mezcal, along with beer. Without a robust domestic market, wine production remained primarily in the hands of the clergy until the mid-19th century, and rose and fell through the political upheavals of the end of the Porfiriato and the Revolution. The 1930s and 40s saw an expansion of the industry, when a national market developed for the first time. The 1980s were another pivotal period, as an economic crisis and an increase in imports via the GATT trade agreement meant many wineries folded, while others downsized or refocused on quality. The biggest growth has come in the past two decades however. In 2006, there were less than 25 wineries in Mexico; now there are 120 in Baja California, the largest region, by itself. These are mostly small, artisanal concerns, and primarily located in the Valle de Guadalupe area, sometimes called the Napa Valley of Mexico. Like Napa, it has a hot, dry Mediterranean climate, but it is closer (20 miles) to the ocean, possessing a stronger maritime influence. Soils are mostly sand, clay and granite, and elevations range from 300 to 2,600 feet. Two of our selections this quarter are grown here; the third is also from Baja, but located a little more inland in the Valle de Ojos Negros. All exude the sense of big sky possibility that defines Mexican wine right now: the lack of official appellations or geographical rules encourages experimentation and creative thinking, technological advances enable greater precision in farming, production and analysis, while the vines themselves age into complex maturity. Esperamos que disfrutes! Dominio de las Abejas Nebbiolo 2023 Region / Country of Origin: Valle de Ojos Negros, Baja California, Mexico About the winery: Dominio de las Abejas Estate was founded in 2015 by Mauricio Ruiz and family. Las Abejas is a concept winery that was started based on choosing the best possible piece of land for growing grapes in anticipation of climate change. Their search alighted on a piece of land in the high elevation Valle de Ojos Negros in Baja California, located just south and slightly inland from Valle de Guadalupe. About the Vineyards: Estate vineyards planted in 2015 at an elevation of 2,200 ft in a unique section of the valley that was once a marsh. Vineyards are certified organic by the CCOF. Winemaking: The wines of las Abejas are made naturally. Ambient yeast fermentation, no corrections or additions, no filtration or fining and only a 30 ppm sulfite addition at bottling. All grapes were picked on the same day and fermented on native yeast after a light first press “bleed off” to concentrate the color. Fermentation took place over a period of 14 days at the lowest temperature possible in search of a wine with low extraction and maximum purity and delicacy. Like all the rest of the wines from Las Abejas, this was bottled without filtration or fining. Tasting Notes: All of the wines in the lineup from Dominio de Las Abejas are best summed up by a single word “delicious” as their balance of fruit, tannin, texture, and persistence all seems to perfectly tweak the pleasure dial to 11. This 100% Nebbiolo is one of the few representations of this grape variety you’ll find in Mexico that presents with the same light color and structural rigidity of wines made of this grape from Italy’s Barolo and Barbaresco regions. The true mystery of this grape is how it can be so light and beautiful in color and texture and yet deliver such intensity of flavor and structure. Here that dual nature of the grape is on full display with a color and body that are similar to a rosé but with the intensity and structure of a serious red. Winemaker: Mauricio Ruiz Price per bottle / Price per case: $32.99/btl -case by request Suggested Food Pairing: Carne asada, Game birds, truffle pasta Santos Brujos 2021 Tempranillo Region / Country of Origin: Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico About the winery: Santos Brujos is one of the few wineries in the region that has taken the steps to become certified organic and biodynamic. Certified by the CCOF, USDA and Demeter, they are more dedicated to this approach than anyone else we have seen thus far. Even the name "Santos Brujos", which translates to "Saintly Witches" makes reference to the practice prescribed by Rudolf Steiner, (the founder of Biodynamic farming) by which the amendments to the soil and plants are prepared and stirred at length by hand. About the vineyards: Estate vineyards, located in the center of the valley approximately 8 miles from the Pacific at an elevation of 900 ft. Soils are a sandy clay marl. About the Winemaking: Wine is fermented on native yeasts in French oak barrels, racked and aged in new French oak for 12 months. Bottled unfiltered with a sulphur level of 13 ppm. Tasting Notes: The wine offers inviting aromas of ripe red fruits such as cherry and plum, with subtle hints of vanilla, tobacco, and earthy undertones. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied, with flavors of dark berries, spice, and a touch of oak. The tannins are smooth and well-integrated, providing a balanced structure. It has a long and satisfying finish, with lingering notes of fruit and spice. Winemaker: Luis Pecina Garcia Price per bottle / Price per case: $42.99/ case upon request Suggested Food Pairing: The Santos Brujos Tempranillo pairs well with a variety of dishes, including grilled meats, roasted vegetables, and traditional Spanish cuisine such as tapas or paella. Its balanced acidity and tannins make it versatile for pairing with both hearty and lighter fare. La Lomita Tinto de la Hacienda 2021 Region / Country of Origin: Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico About the winery: La Lomita was founded by Fernando Pérez Castro and is located mid-valley on a northwestern facing slope in the ejido of Francisco Zarco. While the winery wasn't formally established until 2009, La Lomita's land holdings include vineyard sites with some of the Valle de Guadalupe's oldest vines. The winery is one of the few to be certified organic in México, and Winemaker Gustavo González made the illustrious Masetto from 2000 through 2003. About the Winemaking: Grapes are sourced from their estate vineyards as well as vineyards in Valle de Ojos Negros and Uruapan, all of which are farmed organically. They are harvested by hand and hand selected before being fermented with skins and seeds in open top stainless steel tanks for 3 weeks and then racked to 2nd and 3rd use French oak barrels where the wine ages for 12 months. 75% Tempranillo, 25% Merlot Tasting Notes: Bold in structure, there is a background of acidity to provide a notably large wine with the lift needed to allow it to float effortlessly across the palate despite the full body. No doubt the Merlot assists in this regard as well. This one is ready to go right out of the gate. Built with everything it needs to age gracefully for a decade or more, good luck managing to save it that long! Winemaker: Gustavo A. Gonzalez Price per bottle / Price per case: $37.99/ case available upon request Suggested Food Pairing: Lamb chops, chorizo, beef ribs
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Gin Club Quarter 2 2022
With summer quickly approaching, I find myself daydreaming of sipping ice-cold gin cocktails in the warmth of the sun. But in San Francisco, where sunshine can be quite elusive, I may have to settle for just the cocktail. Fortunately, I have a bottle of this quarter’s selection, Condesa Clásica, to enjoy in the warmth or the fog. It is distilled at Flor de Luna Distillery, a female-operated distillery in the heart of Mexico City. The botanicals, foraged from throughout Mexico, are inspired by the curandera (healer) traditions of the local area. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I always feel a wonderful sense of well-being after sipping this gin. My hunch is I won’t be the only one! Salud! Sam Crocker Resident Ginthusiast Condesa Clásica Gin Origin: Mexico City Hillhamn Salome founded Flor de Luna Distillery in 2015 when she was only 18 years old. As the maestra destiladora (master distiller), her goal is to support women in the alcohol industry. Indeed, the distillery production team consists of five women, including herself. The first product they launched was Xila Licor de Agave, a mezcal-based spiced liqueur which quickly garnered numerous awards. Currently, the distillery acts as a sort of incubator for new spirits created by women. In 2021, Flor de Luna released Condesa Clásica Gin. It is named after La Condesa, a neighborhood in Mexico City known for its tree-lined streets and European feel. The base distillate of the gin is made from corn, rye, wheat, and barley sourced in Mexico. It is distilled on two copper pot stills custom built for Flor de Luna. The botanicals are sourced in Mexico, with some even coming from Hillhamn’s own garden. A two-day maceration of juniper, sage, coriander, elderflower, lavender, rosemary, cedron, lime & orange zest is run on one of the two stills to create a botanical concentrate which is then brought to proof with water and alcohol. A tincture of palo santo, myrrh, and jasmine is created separately before being added to the first distillate. In addition to the Mexican-sourced botanicals, the materials for the bottle and label are all sourced in Mexico. Distiller: Hillhamn Salome Price: $43 Botanicals: Botanicals are sourced in Mexico and include juniper, palo santo, white sage, jasmine, coriander, elderflower, lavender, rosemary, cedron, myrrh, lime & orange zests. Tasting Notes: Classically familiar, yet wildly distinct, Condesa Clásica Extra Dry Gin expands from a powerful baseline of juniper to explore particular Mexican aromatics and spiritual traditions simultaneously. Palo santo, sage, and jasmine lead the way in this unique but approachable gin. Cocktails Mr. Celery 1 ½ oz Condesa Clasica Gin ⅔ oz white port 1 dash orange bitters ⅓ oz oleo saccharum (recipe below) 2 oz tonic water 4 oz soda water Oleo Saccharum Place 160g lemon peel (of c. 16 medium lemons) and 600g sugar in a sealed bag. Leave at room temperature for 6-12 hours until completely dissolved. Refrigerate. Build drink in a Collins or Highball glass over ice. Lightly stir and garnish with a thin slice of celery. Express a grapefruit peel over the top for added aromatics. Condesa Negroni 1 oz Condesa Clasica Gin 1 oz Campari 1 oz sweet vermouth (we recommend Dolin Rouge) Add ingredients to mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube. Garnish with an orange twist.
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