This area’s Highland designation is an almost flat, large portion of semi-desert land, elevated between 6000 and 7000 feet above sea level, with very gentle changes in slope. The region extends from Queretaro in the southern part to San Luis Potosí and Coahuila in the northern extreme. San Miguel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo wineries are located in the southern third of the area.
Even though in the last century this whole Altiplano region produced a vast variety of other agricultural products instead of wine, wineries are now thriving here; some as tourist attractions or wedding spots, and some as a residential lifestyle option for those who love to live in the middle of grape production and enjoy those benefits.
During the first stages of my wine studies to become a sommelier, I had the chance to sip samples from the greatest wine regions in the world, as well as studying their geography, climate and history. For example, what’s going on with their traditions, their food and the weather they’re under throughout the year. The more I tasted, the more curious I was. With time and lots of reading, I understood that great wines are unique, and uniqueness is given by great wine regions.
Unique wines are bonded to their origin; to the soil, the sunlight, the climate, among the several factors that compose the so-called ‘terroir’ concept. Therefore, in my opinion, uniqueness equals connectedness, and this is a concept hard to explain, but easy to taste. But, is the Mexican Highland giving connectedness to our local wines? Where true wine lovers, the ones who grow vines and make wine from the love of earth, and their passion for wines prevail?
To begin, a few wineries in the Highlands come to my mind as precedent of some wines that I’ve tasted and found somehow unique: Viñedo Los Arcángeles, Dos Búhos and Cava Garambullo are the very first that come to my mind. However, I’m sure in the future more local wines will cross my path while looking for that connectedness of evocative, unique wines. I will be sharing my experience, opinion and thoughts about wine, and the local wine scene: winery tours, special meals, activities and where to purchase locally produced wines in this Vino y Vida (wine and life) column.
I’m Arael Gomez and you can contact me at araelgomeztello@gmail.com
Consider a sommelier at your next party.
Comments