Young and intense, full of body, swirling it around to catchmore air, to open up to all senses and aromas...to leaf it up, to analyze against the light the color, to give a last swirl to see the size of the legs..to take the first sip and swirl it in your mouth; The last moment before the final act.
Observing the ritual of wine tasting brings me back to Ensenada, Mexico where I discovered that this coutry is much more than tequila and bier.
To arrive at the cruise port Ensenada, Mexico gives you the opportunity to unveil a wine region that recently is being noticed and valued as a great wine route to be explored.
It is only 40 minutes drive north from Ensenada to reach the Guadalupe Valley. You may think that it is a new wine region, then Mexico is about tequila and bier, however wine is being produced for centuries here. The area had a turbulent colonisation period with the influence of Russians, Italians, French that started growing some varieties of grapes that they brough with them and to produce wines. You still see their traces in name of the farms that belong to traditional families.
To explore this region you can add a bit more of adventure to it. There is the option of the tour if you come by cruise line via jeeps that take you a bit of road after the visit of the winery. The jeeps go in convoy, all in contact via radio and the driver guide fills you in with information of the region while guiding the way to the winery.
Some wineries have lodges, boutique hotels for those that want to experience the wine farm, the culinary and enjoy the piece and relaxing atmosphere with a glass of wine.
The winery Monte Xanic that we visited offers a tour of the Cellar, the wine tasting and if you up for a meal to pair with the wine, it is also available. You learn that this winery is adapt of the process of picking the white grapes during the night when is cooler and this important to control the fermentation of the grapes for the production of crisp and light whites. It you pick them during the day at temperatures of 27 to 30 degrees, it will afect the fermentation due to the sugar level. In order to keep it under control a cold bath has to be applied. However with the night pick you have already this control. Actually, this process started after 1070s when the mechanization was introduced to pick the grapes. It could be done very fast with machines during the night.
Now it is time to continue our wine tasting. Would you like to join us? Come to Ensenada from where you can explore this precious wine region: Baja California that is responsible for 90% of the production of wines in Mexico. You will be surprised by the beauty of the area and of the quality of the wines.
