Frida and Diego, poinsettias and tequila, corn, salsa and home to many a winter vacation, these things may have you thinking of Mexico, but did you know that Mexico is also the birthplace of winemaking in the Americas? In 1597 the first winery of the New World was established in Parras – which is in Central Mexico – with vines brought from Spain.
Granted, the sandy soils and scorching temperatures proved to be less than ideal for a large wine industry and soon the focus moved to more conducive climes elsewhere, but today there is still a boutique wine industry in Mexico, and production is currently on the rise. Vineyards are situated to take advantage of micro-climates at altitudes where temperatures are more moderate, and along the Baja peninsula where ocean breezes provide cooling relief for the grapes.
We see very little Mexican wine in Canada, but fortunately Vintages features a small selection of offerings from L.A. Cetto a few times a year. This bottle of Petite Sirah comes from the January 5th release and is a great example of some bottled Mexican sunshine. Ripe and full on the palate with lots of juicy, dark berry fruit, some minerality, and a little spice on the nose together with the dried fruit and lavender on the long finish make this a good deal of a wine.
L.A.Cetto Petite Sirah 2010 Vintages 983742 $11.95
Holly Bruns is a writer and sommelier who lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. Her love for wine grew out of a love for food and consequently she spends all of her spare time shopping for, drinking, and playing at pairing food with wine. You can find her at her blog, Wine Out Loud, where she keeps the focus on affordable, good wine.
Twitter: @wineoutloud
Posted with permission of the LCBO.
