Wines in Mexico

Living in Sonoma County spoil you! When we sailed out the Golden Gate on September 30th, we had 6 Cases of wine on board. Here it is in early January and we’re out of wine ;-{

We thought that we’d be drinking more beer in the Mexican heat, but even in the heat our preferences definitely run to wine and we’ve been doing more entertaining than anticipated.

Our tastes run in the direction of big, balanced, fruit forward reds. In varietals my top three in order of preference are Zinfandels, Syrahs and Pinot Noirs. Mary’s preferences are Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels and Syrahs. Yes, we of course also like Cabernet Sauvignons, Petit Sirahs and the occasional Merlot, but most are generally too wimpy! We’re long time members of ZAP, Zinfandel Advocates and Producers – see http://www.zinfandel.org

When it’s hot out we also like nice crisp whites. In whites, we also like a good crisp balanced wine with good fruit. We tend to shy away from wines that are over oaked or too buttery. We both like Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs.

One winery in Mexico that we’ve found that has nice drinkable wines is L. A. Cetto in the Tecate – Ensenada – Valle de Guadalupe area of Baja California. Their wines are available if you look carefully for them. In particular, they make a nice Zinfandel at a surprisingly low price point of around $6 US per bottle. They also produce Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, but the Zin is our favorite. If you like soda pop – they also make a White Zinfandel – but that’s not REAL wine!

That's the news for today from Barra de Navidad!

Warmest Wishes,
Bill and Mary