Santo Tomas ofrenda

Did you know that grape growing and wine making in Mexico has a 400 year long history? While I visited the Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California a few times over 20 years ago, I really knew very little until I went to Baja last year to attend the 43° World Congress of Vine and Wine (OIV). The event coincided with Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, typically held today Nov. 1 but also on Nov 2 and on into the weekend.

43rd World Congress of Vine and Wine – Mexico

A special event, reception, tasting, and party was held in the historic Santo Tomas winery and museum about wine in Mexico, and, fitting for the occasion, as we walked through the museum, we saw ofrendas, or altars about various important people in the history of Mexican wine.

ofrenda in ensenada

It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that Mexico has a long wine making tradition considering that the Spanish arrived there in the 16th century bringing vines as well as viticultural and enological techniques, making Mexico the oldest wine growing region in the new world.

In fact, wine grapes did so well in Mexico that in 1700, Spaniards prohibited wine making in Mexico, with the exception of sacramental wine. With Mexico’s Independence, wine was produced again in Mexico but only on a small scale until the Santo Tomás Mission, founded in 1791, once again made larger scale production of wine a reality in Mexico. Sixty years later, Mexico took over Church properties, and these small  wineries became abandoned. However, in 1888, Santo Tomás Mission’s lands were sold  and became Bodegas Santo Tomás, and the winery was revitalized.

Since the 1980s, wine production in Mexico has increased, however, competition from foreign wines, a 40% tax on wine, and preferences for other beverages means Mexican wine is at a disadvantage. 

Mexico has three major wine producing areas, but Baja California produces 90% of Mexico’s wine, with most of it in the Valle de Guadalupe near Ensenada, and that’s where we were for OIV 2022. 

Wine Predator at OIV in Baja California, Mexico

I visited a dozen or so wineries and I purchased a half dozen bottles of wine but Sue and I haven’t had a chance to taste and pair them yet! With Dia de los Muertos today, I didn’t want to pass up this chance to call attention to this story.

And to toast the ancestors with a little Mezcal — as is traditional!  We will be doing a dinner soon with Mexican wine and with Mezcal from Hedonistas de la Fe.  

To tide you over, check out these posts about wine from Mexico and OIV:

• Sparkling Wine from Mexico
• Orange Wine from Mexico 
• Sherry tasting at OIV 
• More sherry and crickets from OIV 

So stay tuned and subscribe!

ofrenda in Baja