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Mexico Flashcards

1
Q

Who was the first person to plant vines in the state of Baja California?; while at what mission?

A
  • Juan Ugarte, 1701
  • Mission in Loreto
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2
Q

What’s significant about the following years for the wines of Mexico?

1701:

1791:

1904:

A

1701:

  • Juan Ugarte became the 1st to plant in the state of Baja, while at the Mission in Loreto

1791:

  • Jesuit priests with Misión Santo Tomás started growing a significant number of vines

1904:

  • Government gave a group of Russians immigrants escaping Tsar Nicolas II 100 acres in the Guadalupe Valley
  • During the time known as the Porfiriato (when Mexico was ruled by Porfirio Díaz)
  • They began to grow vines for personal winemaking and encouraged others to do the same, contributing to the region’s growing reputation as an area for quality winemaking
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3
Q

In the 1800s, what happened to many of the church vineyard holdings during the reform war in Mexico?

A

The vineyards were sold to private investors, while others were abandoned

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4
Q

Bodegas Santo Tomás was established in what year?

A
  • 1888, after a private investor bought the land
  • Example of original Church holdings had been sold to private ownership in the 1800s
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5
Q

Currently, how many of Mexico’s 32 states produce wine?

A

8

N to S

  • Baja California (Norte)
  • Sonora
  • Coahuila
  • Durango
  • Zacatecas
  • Aguascalientes
  • Guanajuato
  • Querétaro
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6
Q

From N to S, what are the 8 states of Mexico that produces wine?

A
  • Baja California (Norte)
  • Sonora
  • Coahuila
  • Durango
  • Zacatecas
  • Aguascalientes
  • Guanajuato
  • Querétaro
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7
Q

Name 3 key regions of Mexico.

A
  • *Baja California: 1st and foremost
  • Coahuila
  • Querétaro
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8
Q

Does Mexico have any type of government regulation for viticulture or viniculture?

A

No

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9
Q

How many ha does Mexico have planted?

A

25,000 ha

  • Increases every year
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10
Q

What state produces the majority of Mexico’s wine?

A

Baja California

  • 85% of Mexico’s wine across 3,360 planted ha
  • Maritime-influenced, Mediterranean climate
  • Production areas
    • Guadalupe Valley
    • Ojos Negros Valley
    • San Vicente Valley
    • Santo Tomás Valley
    • Valle de la Grulla
    • Tecate
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11
Q

Explain the 1970s for Mexican wines.

A
  • Industry saw a resurgence
  • Mexican wines heavily promoted in Mexico City’s restaurants
  • Winemakers began participating in international competitions
  • Established Spanish wineries such as Casa Pedro Domecq and Freixenet invested in the winemaking regions of Baja California and Querétaro
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12
Q

What is the largest winery in Mexico?; where is it located?

A

L.A. Cetto

  • Located in Guadalupe Valley, along with 140 other wineries
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13
Q

What is the geology, climate and soil of Guadalupe Valley?

A

Guadalupe Valley

  • 25 km from the Pacific Ocean, 400 m above sea level
  • Strong oceanic influence
  • Sandy soils - Valley floor
  • Granite, poor clay - Hillsides
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14
Q

How many wineries are located in Guadalupe Valley?

A

140 wineries

  • L.A. Cetto, Mexico’s largest winery is also locate with Guadalupe Valley
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15
Q

What is the highest altitude valley in Baja California?

A

Ojos Negros Valley

  • 800m
  • Coolest, occasional snow
  • Sand, clay
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16
Q

What is the northernmost valley of Baja California?

A

San Vicente Valley

  • 11 km from the Pacific Ocean
  • Vineyards divided by a hillside, limits humidity entering the valley
  • Deep red clay, high mineral content
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17
Q

Santo Tomás Valley: Santo Tomás is 45 kilometers from Ensenada. Soils here are a blend of clay and volcanic soil.

Sonora

Sonora has a semi-arid climate. The important regions in the state are Bahía Kino, Caborca, and Hermosillo.

Coahuila

Coahuila is located to the east of Baja and Sonora, bordering Texas. Production areas include Arteaga, Saltillo, and Parras de la Fuente.

Parras de la Fuente is the most important winegrowing region in Coahuila. An oasis in the middle of the desert, this valley is situated at 1,500 meters above sea level. It has a tempered continental mediterranean climate with cool winters and warm summers. The soils are clear clay. Located here is Casa Madero, the oldest winery in the Americas, founded in 1597.

Durango

Durango has a semi-arid climate and soils composed of sand and clay. The region is divided by the Sierra Madre mountain range, creating microclimates. The key sub-region in the state is Gómez Palacio.

Zacatecas

The viticulture areas of Zacatecas are in the southern part of the state. Elevation ranges from 400 to 2000 meters above sea level. The soils are clay and sand, and there is a semi-arid climate, with consistent temperatures year-round. The key regions are Ojocaliente and Valle de la Macarena.

Aguascalientes

A small region tucked along the southern border with Zacatecas, Aguascalientes has a semi-arid climate and soft sandy soil with gravel and clay. Its altitude is 800 to 1,800 meters above sea level. The growing regions are Pabellón de Arteaga, El Llano, Asientos, Jesús María, and Rincón de Romos.

Guanajuato

Guanajuato was one of the first Mexican states to produce wine and is known for being the place where the Mexican revolution began. It is home to three different climates due to the proximity of the Sierra Madre mountains, but in wine country, the climate is mostly continental. Its altitude is 1,900 above sea level, and the soils are a mix of volcanic and gravel. The important areas for winegrowing are San Miguel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo.

Querétaro

Located in the very center of Mexico, Queretaro is between 700 and 3,300 meters above sea level and has a semi-arid climate. The soil is chalky and sandy. The key areas are Ezequiel Montes, San Juan del Río, and Tequisquiapan.

A
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18
Q

What region produces 75% of Mexico’s wine?

A

Baja, California

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19
Q

What is Mexico’s largest winery?

A

a. L.A. Cetto, Valle de Guadalupe in Baja, California
b. Founded in 1928 by Luis Angelo Cetto, an Italian immigrant
c. 1.2M case production annually

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20
Q

What is Baja’s most significant sub-region?

A

a. Guadalupe Valley
b. Valle de Parras is second

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21
Q

What Valle de Guadalupe region is known for having the coolest temperatures and highest elevation?

A

Valle de Ojos Negros

Named for two aquifers that look like black eyes from a distance and provide the valley with abundant pure water

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22
Q

Does Mexico have wine labeling laws?

A

a. No
b. Can be Grenache or Garnacha, Rose or Rosado

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23
Q

What is Mexico’s most-planted red grape?

A

a. Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Tempranilo, Merlot, Grenache
b. Malbec, Syrah, and Sangiovese are an emerging category

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24
Q

What famous site is Valle de Parras home to?

A

a. The oldest winery in North America, Casa Madero, founded in 1597
b. Originally planted by Spaniards, 5000ft in altitude
c. Planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Merlot, Syrah, SB, Chenin, Chardonnay

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25
Q

What challenges is Mexico facing with their “Nebbiolo”?

A

a. Terroir challenges: some offerings are showing-casing jammy, black-fruited characteristics, others display Italian typicity
b. Mistaken identity: genetic testing is proving some vines to be Lambrusco/Lambrusco di Alessandria. Vines arrived in the 1940’s without identification tags, many producers are hesitant to genetically test.
c. Solid typicity examples come from producer Mina Penélope.

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26
Q

What style of wines does Vinos Encinillas make?

A

a. Bordeaux-style red blends, with famed French oenologist Michel Rolland as consultant
b. 5200ft in altitude
c. They describe their wines as “Chihuahua wines supported by all latest European technology.”

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27
Q

What bottlings does the natural winery Bichi make?

A

a. Pet Mex – Methode Ancestral, comes from a single, dry-farmed, high-elevation and own-rooted 69-year-old vineyard comprised of a mysterious grape variety that remains unidentified. Unfiltered, no SO2.
b. Listan - produced from 100-year-old pie franco Misión (Listan Prieto) vines grown at 2,400 ft elevation.
c. La Santa - from centenarian, own-rooted Rosa del Peru (Moscatel Negro) vines grown at 2,400 ft elevation
d. No Sapiens - from a single, dry-farmed, 69-year-old vineyard comprised of a mysterious grape variety that remains unidentified. Theoretically Dolcetto or Cariñena

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28
Q

What is the name of the mass of cool water that flows past Baja mitigating its temperatures?

A

California Current

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29
Q

In what state would one find North America’s oldest winery?

A

Coahuila

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30
Q

Mountain geography plays an important part in Mexican viticulture; what is the name of Mexico’s principal mountain range of which there is an Occidental & Oriental iteration?

A

Sierra Madre

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31
Q

The desert spoon plant that is distilled to produce Sotol belongs to a family named after what related vegetable?

A

Asparagus

32
Q

What fermented product is essentially undistilled tequila?

A

Pulque

33
Q

Cristalino is currently surging as a Tequila category. What is it?

A

Usually an añejo or extra añejo tequila that has had its color stripped by activated charcoal while retaining aged characteristics

34
Q

What is huitlacoche?

A

Sometimes called Mexican Truffle.

35
Q

What is the largest barrel size allowed for aging Tequila?

A

600L

36
Q

A margarita may be thought of as a tequila variant on what brandy cocktail? D

A

Daisy

37
Q

Who makes Palomas Brut Nature?

A

Cava 57

38
Q

Where is Bichi located?

A

a. Puerta Norte

39
Q

Who is the winemaker for Symmetría Luminaria and where did they work previously?

A

a. Mauricio Soler
b. Roederer

40
Q

What is the Mexican wine term for Sparkling Wine?

A

a. Vinos espumoso (foamy wine)

41
Q

What is the most prominent agave varietal for Mezcal production?

A

Espadín

42
Q

What is Pechuga?

A

a. A mezcal distilled a 3rd time at the end of the season with ripe local nuts, fruits and the breast of a chicken or other local meats.

43
Q

Who has the highest elevation vineyards in Mexico?

A

a. Tierra Adentro (7,500 feet above sea level)

44
Q

What was the first winery in Guanajuato?

A

Cuna de Tierra

45
Q

Name 3 main sparkling winemakers in Mexico:

A

Cava 57
La Redonda
Freixenet

46
Q

What kind of vessels are used for mezcal ancestral?

A

Wooden tanks, animal skin, clay pots fueled by fire.

47
Q

Extra añejo tequila aging requirement?

A

at least 3 years

47
Q

What is the name of the main wine-growing regions in Sonora?

A

Hemosillo
Caborca

48
Q

Where in Mexico would you find Pulque?

A

Queretaro

49
Q

When was Bacanora officially issued its DO?

A

2000

50
Q

What mountain range divides Baja California?

A

Sierra de Juarez

51
Q

What state is the most recent addition to the Mezcal DO?

A

Sinaloa – only 4 towns included

52
Q

What does Madurado en Vidrio indicate on a bottle of Mezcal

A

Aged in glass for 12 months in a cool dark place

53
Q

Difference in cooking techniques used for Tequila and Mezcal?

A

Tequila uses steam while mezcal traditionally uses Pit ovens

54
Q

Describe the climate of Baja California:

A

Mediterranean

55
Q

Must tequila be bottled in Mexico?

A

No – may be shipped in bulk. Must be bottled in Mexico if labeled 100% Agave Tequila

56
Q

Where is Pacifico brewed?

A

Mazatlan, Sinaloa

57
Q

Raicilla may only be produced in which Mexican state?

A

Jalisco

58
Q

Who produces “Megacero”, and what style of wine is it?

A

Vinos Encinillas; Merlot/Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon blend

59
Q

True or False: Sotol is produced from agave.

A

False- produced from plants from the Dasylirion genus

60
Q

Tequila may include up to _______% sugars from sources other than agave.

A

49%

61
Q

Close to 90% of Mezcal is a distillate of Agave angustifolia, more commonly known as __________.

A

Espadín

62
Q

State a reason why grapes can be successfully grown in Baja California despite its close proximity to the 30th parallel.

A

1- Cooling influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean

2- High altitudes, providing cooler air and increased diurnal shift

3- Arid climate, no threat of humidity to grapes (however, this necessitates irrigation)
63
Q

What is an “agave sazon” ?

A

An Adult Agave plant, in its 3rd stage of maturity, about 2 years from harvest

64
Q

What is the traditional method for cooking agave for mezcal production called?

A

cooking the agave hearts (also known as piñas) to convert their starches into fermentable sugars. Roasting is a crucial step in mezcal production, it not only prepares the agave for fermentation but also imparts distinct flavors and aromas to the final spirit.Roasting is typically carried out in underground pits, which are lined with hot stones and covered with layers of agave leaves and soil. The agave piñas are placed in these pits and covered with more leaves and soil to create a sealed cooking environment. The piñas are then cooked for several days, allowing them to soften, caramelize, and develop smoky flavors due to the contact with the hot stones and the earthy surroundings. The length and style of roasting can vary between different mezcal producers and regions, contributing to the diversity of flavors found in various mezcal expressions. This traditional cooking method is a fundamental step that sets mezcal apart from other spirits and plays a significant role in its unique character.

65
Q

What is Charanda DO made from?

A

Sugar Cane distillate from Mexico

66
Q

Tequila DO must be minimum _____% Blue Agave?

A

51%

67
Q

Name one difference between Mezcal Artesanal vs. Mezcal Ancestral?

A
  1. Artesanal can cook pinas in cement (both in allowed in pit ovens)
  2. Artesanal can use a mechanical shredder for milling (Ancestral cannot, only wooden bats or stone wheel)
  3. Artesanal can distill in copper or alembic still by direct fire (Ancestral can only use clay with direct fire or wood)
68
Q

Two producers in Mexico are responsible for 80% of total production in Mexico, can you name one? Two?

A

L.A. Cetto and Casa Domecq

69
Q

Name two high end Tequila producers for tableside suggestions?

A

Fortaleza, Herradura, Casa Dragones, Codigo, Partida, Siembra, Don Julio

70
Q

Can you name one component of the soil in Valle de Guadalupe?

A

Granite, Alluvial

71
Q

What is the Mexican synonym for the Mission grape?

A

Listán Prieto

72
Q

What mountains influence the wine-making regions of mainland Mexico?

A

Sierra Madre Mountains

73
Q

What term may you see on blends in Mexican wine?

A

Combinadas

74
Q

What are the major subregions of Baja California?

A

Valle de Guadalupe, Valle de Calafia, Valle de San Vincente, and Valle de Santo Tomás

75
Q

The La Laguna region stradles which two Mexican states?

A

Durango and Coahuila

North America (15 decks)

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