Mexican Wine Day at CESSA University included presentations on various topics, including details about the wine-producing regions in Mexico.
By Alfredo Espinola
The commemoration of Mexican Wine Day 2026 on October 7, held at CESSA University in Mexico City, connected the history of the Mexican wine industry and its future. A highlight was a presentation by Javier Casillas, an academic and specialist in Mexican wine, who explored the history of the regions in Mexico now producing wine.
A Story that Began More Than Four Centuries Ago
The modern history of Mexican wine dates back to 1597, when the Hacienda de San Lorenzo—now Casa Madero—was established in the Parras Valley, Coahuila, after Don Lorenzo García received authorization from King Philip II of Spain to plant vines and produce wine.
Four centuries later, that first vine to take root on Mexican soil has grown into an industry present in numerous states across the country, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs and boasting a growing international presence.
Mexico has a unique characteristic that explains much of its wine-growing richness: a large part of its territory lies outside the so-called “wine belt.” Nevertheless, the mountains and variations in elevation create conditions that, in certain locations, favor the production of wine grapes. The result is an extraordinarily diverse wine-growing landscape, and each region has a distinct personality.
Querétaro: Wine as an Experience
Casillas's tour began in Querétaro, one of the regions that has best understood the relationship between wine, tourism, and hospitality.
Winegrowing arrived with the Spanish and later developed around the missions. Over time, the region experienced periods of boom and crisis. The Mexican Revolution led to the disappearance of many of its old vineyards, but decades later, new producers began to revive the tradition.
La Redonda became one of the cornerstone projects of that revival and helped put Querétaro on the Mexican wine map.
Today, the region boasts dozens of wineries and a tourism infrastructure that includes restaurants, hotels, museums, and wine-related experiences. The Cheese and Wine Route has established itself as one of the country’s leading wine tourism corridors. Among its key players are wineries such as La Redonda, with offerings like Sala Vive and Decote, as well as Kavan 57 and Puerta del Lobo—projects that help expand the region’s offerings and strengthen Querétaro’s wine identity.
Querétaro also stands out for its sparkling wines, as well as its white and young red wines.
The state has also made progress in terms of identity and quality control through the work of its wine cluster and efforts toward greater zoning. The idea is to recognize that not all of Querétaro is the same: altitude, rainfall, temperature, and soil characteristics vary.
Guanajuato and the Legacy of the Vine
Guanajuato’s history is marked by religious tradition and by figures who helped keep the culture of the vine alive.
One of the most compelling stories is the legend linking Father Miguel Hidalgo to winemaking. Beyond the romantic anecdote, Hidalgo promoted vine cultivation in Dolores and passed on his knowledge to the region’s producers.
New periods of growth and decline would follow. Independence, the Porfiriato, and, later, the Revolution repeatedly reshaped the state’s agricultural landscape.
In recent decades, new projects have revived that legacy and forged their own path. Vineyards such as Cuna de Tierra, Tres Raíces, Dos Búhos, Viñedos San Miguel, and Guaname are part of a new generation driving Guanajuato’s wine-growing identity.
Today, Guanajuato ranks fifth among Mexico’s wine producers, establishing itself as an emerging region that combines history, innovation, and a growing diversity of offerings.
Aguascalientes: A Fresh Start
Aguascalientes represents one of the most fascinating stories of recovery in Mexican wine.
The winemaking tradition dates back to colonial times, but for many years it faded into the background. Today, the state is once again investing in production, training, and wine tourism, with wineries such as Valle Redondo, Domecq, Bodegas de Origen, and Vinícola El Secreto, which are part of a diverse wine landscape where different scales and business models coexist.
One of its greatest assets is the ability to combine education with production. Specialized centers allow producers and new entrepreneurs to bring their grapes, learn the winemaking processes, and receive technical guidance.
This reduces one of the major barriers for those who want to get started: the cost and complexity of entering the industry.
The Aguascalientes Wine Route, promoted even in the midst of the pandemic, is another example of how a region can rebuild its wine-making identity through tourism, bringing visitors closer to its wineries, vineyards, and the stories that shape an evolving industry.
Zacatecas and the Power of Altitude
Zacatecas has a different story. Its relationship with wine is relatively recent, but it possesses an extraordinary natural advantage: altitude.
With vineyards located at around 2,300 meters above sea level, the region offers a temperature range that favors certain characteristics in the grapes.
Wine production in Zacatecas grew out of an industry that already had experience growing table grapes. The transition to wine grapes was a natural step.
Tierra Adentro has become one of the projects that put the region on the national radar.
Wineries Shaping the Future of San Luis Potosí
Among the wineries in San Luis Potosí that deserve attention today, two names stand out prominently: Pozo de Luna and Cava Quintanilla. The former ranks among the most nationally recognized labels from San Luis Potosí; the latter shares the spotlight in a region that is beginning to establish its own voice within the Mexican wine industry.
Both wineries have become benchmarks for San Luis Potosí’s wine industry. More than just individual projects, they are part of a story still unfolding: that of a region seeking to express its identity through wine and carve out its own place on Mexico’s wine map
Jalisco, a New Frontier for Mexican Wine
Jalisco is one of the newest regions on Mexico’s wine map. Its story began on the shores of Lake Chapala, where small vineyards sprang up in private gardens and plots until they grew into a community of about ten projects that today cover some 15 hectares.
Over the past four or five years, wine has also begun to take root in Los Altos de Jalisco, in the eastern part of the state. Projects such as Viñedo Altos Norte, Viñedos El Tejón, and Finca La Estramancia are part of this new phase, exploring the potential of a region seeking to forge its own identity within the Mexican wine industry.
Coahuila: Four Centuries of History
If there is one region that can speak of historical continuity, it is Coahuila.
In the desert, the first missionaries found an oasis and a territory favorable for grapevines. There, Parras emerged as one of the cradles of Mexican winemaking.
The region can boast of being home to one of the first commercial wineries in the Americas. It was also the place where the history of Casa Madero took root, the heir to that tradition begun at the Hacienda de San Lorenzo.
Casa Madero not only preserves one of the oldest histories of Mexican wine; it also embodies the industry’s capacity for renewal. In recent years, it has modernized its image, invested in technology, and developed offerings that include organic wines and a greater diversity of styles.
Coahuila has also seen the emergence of projects like Don Leo, which has brought the region’s name to international competitions, as well as wineries that have explored mountainous areas capable of providing the right conditions for varieties that require cooler climates, such as Pinot Noir.
Adding to this landscape are projects like Hacienda Florida and Parvada, which help broaden the state’s wine profile and showcase different ways of interpreting its territory. Each initiative, with its own unique identity, is part of a scene that seeks to establish itself without abandoning its roots.
Chihuahua: The Future Is Moving North
Chihuahua stands out as one of the major hopes for the future of Mexican wine. Its climate, soils, elevation, and water availability in certain areas offer opportunities that are beginning to attract investment from producers in other regions.
Hacienda Encinillas, Tres Ríos, and Bodegas Pinesque vineyards are part of this unfolding story, reflecting the interest in developing a distinct wine-growing identity in the north of the country.
The potential to expand the planted area in Chihuahua also addresses one of Baja California’s major challenges: water.
The Mexican wine industry faces a reality it can no longer ignore. Climate change is altering production conditions worldwide and forcing producers to explore new altitudes, grape varieties, and territories.
Paradoxically, Mexico could find opportunities in this transformation. Its geographic diversity opens the door to new regions capable of complementing traditional wine-producing areas and contributing to the future of Mexican wine.
Baja California: The Contemporary Heart
Baja California is likely the region that has contributed most to shaping the contemporary image of Mexican wine.
The history of its vineyards is linked to the missions and the work of the missionaries who ventured northward. Over time, various wineries and producers transformed the region’s valleys into the country’s leading wine-growing hub.
Names such as Bodegas de Santo Tomás and L.A. Cetto are part of that history. Alongside them, projects such as Monte Xanic and El Cielo have helped expand Baja California’s reach and solidify its place among the major players in Mexican wine.
But to speak of Baja California as synonymous with the Guadalupe Valley is to fall short.
The region boasts several valleys, each with unique conditions that influence vine growth and the character of its wines.
The Guadalupe Valley is home to much of the infrastructure and the best-known projects. Its proximity to the sea and temperature variations help create favorable conditions for viticulture.
However, there is one obvious challenge: water.
Pressure on the aquifers has forced producers to seek new alternatives and has spurred interest in other valleys.
San Antonio de las Minas, Tecate, Ojos Negros, Santo Tomás, and San Vicente are all part of this wine-growing mosaic.
In Ojos Negros, for example, the cold and frost pose a challenge, but they also present an opportunity to develop wines with distinct profiles.
In Santo Tomás, the winery’s history is deeply intertwined with the evolution of Mexican wine. Its history, the incorporation of bottling technology, and the promotion of grape varieties such as Nebbiolo and Barbera are all part of a process that helped consolidate the region’s wine identity.
A key figure also emerges there: Laura Zamora, considered one of Mexico’s first female winemakers and responsible for a significant phase in the evolution of Santo Tomás wines.
And then there is Hugo D’Acosta, one of the key figures in contemporary Mexican wine. His Casa de Piedra project and, later, his famous “little school” helped train a generation of winemakers.
The idea was simple yet powerful: to teach people how to make wine.
Many projects that are now part of the Mexican wine landscape were born out of that exchange of knowledge. In a region where historic wineries coexist with newer ventures, the accumulated experience has become one of the main drivers of its evolution.
Baja California not only helped position Mexican wine on the global stage; it also helped define its contemporary identity. Its story continues to be written amid tradition, innovation, and the search for new ways to interpret the region.
Mexican Wine in the Face of Climate Change
Climate change runs through this entire story.
Historic Old World regions are facing temperatures that seemed unthinkable just a few decades ago. Champagne producers have had to rethink their strategies; in Argentina, some vineyards have moved to higher-altitude areas; and countries like England, Denmark, and Norway are beginning to develop projects that once seemed impossible.
Mexico, too, is forced to adapt.
Altitude could become an advantage. New regions might gain prominence while others face growing water or temperature challenges.
But adaptation alone will not be enough without a long-term strategy.
One in Three
Mexico remains a country whose culture is much more closely tied to beer and spirits than to wine. For decades, wine was perceived as a drink for special occasions or as a product associated with certain social classes.
That is changing.
Young consumers are looking for lighter, fresher, and easier-to-drink wines. They are also seeking experiences, authenticity, and stories that connect them to the product’s origin.
The challenge, then, is not merely to produce more.
It is to tell the story better.
One particularly significant statistic was highlighted during the event: today, approximately one out of every three bottles of wine consumed in a restaurant in Mexico is Mexican.
This is a major cultural shift.
And behind it are hundreds of producers, regions, and projects that have worked for years to ensure that Mexican wine ceases to be a curiosity and becomes a natural choice.
The Next Chapter
The industry still faces major challenges: water, infrastructure, support for rural areas, professionalization, regulation, standardization, and fostering a stronger culture of wine consumption.
One of the challenges highlighted during the discussion was consistency. Consumers must be able to find recognizable quality year after year. Trust is built when a brand maintains its identity and quality standards.
The industry also needs to find its own identity.
Mexico has excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, Nebbiolo, and many other varieties. But it is still searching for an iconic grape that can become an international symbol, like Argentina’s Malbec, Chile’s Carmenère, or Australia’s Shiraz.
Perhaps the answer does not lie in choosing a single variety, but rather in its diversity.
A complex geography. Microclimates. Altitudes. Different histories. Producers with varying philosophies. Traditions that originated in Europe and, after four centuries, now belong to Mexico as well.