wine

ON THE HORIZON In , Guadalupe Valley vintners are crafting the identity of Mexican . u w w BY KRISTIN SCHARKEY Renowned Mexican England-born winemaker Heralded as a standard- winemaker Hugo Phil Gregory is a for- setter for quality in D’Acosta, who studied mer Los Angeles music Mexican wine, Monte in the Languedoc region producer who began Xanic is a family-owned of France, is one of the training under D’Acosta winery with deep- few vintners in the Valley before building his own seated roots in the experimenting with boutique winery, Vena valley. Its bright, citrusy sparkling wine. He suc- Cava, out of reclaimed ceeds with ESPUMA DE schooners. His BIG VIÑA KRISTEL comes PIEDRA BRUT BLANC BLEND combines , from the oldest DE BLANCS, made from cabernet sauvignon, block on the property, sauvignon blanc and petite sirah, which recently benefited grapes at his and for a from a $3 million reno- flagship winery, Casa de smooth sip that is “mis vation resulting in a new Piedra. It is vibrant with en bouteille au bateau,” tasting room and state- notes of green apple and or bottled in a boat. of-the-art laboratory. should be paired with the seafood for which Ensenada is known.

' ' Monte Xanic’s Bordeaux D’Acosta also pro- blend GRAN RICARDO duces a project called earned 90 points from Contraste, in which he Wine Enthusiast, boasting creates 50-50 blends a deep complexity that with other wineries in ake a trip down the “Ruta del Vino” (wine route) that emanates from cabernet the United States and runs through the dusty landscape of the Guadalupe sauvignon, and abroad. CONTRASTE Valley, and you’ll find a mosaic of terroirs. Benefiting from petit verdot. It is the INTERCONTINEN-TAL, a Mediterranean climate bolstered by maritime influence premium offering from which features a blend of the nearby Pacific Ocean, this locale just northeast of Ensenada the winery’s four lines of , cabernet Tis producing the largest untapped variety of world-class vino— produced at different sauvignon, , think amber wine made by fermenting the skin and stems of char- price points, an attempt grenache and syrah, is a donnay grapes, and Bordeaux blends aged in French and American to educate the Mexican collaboration between barrels. While a few commercial players are making more than market while simul- Casa de Piedra and 100,000 cases per year, it is the boutique and artisanal produc- taneously expanding another of his properties ers that make up the majority of the valley’s 100-plus wineries exportation outside the in Roussillon, France. M (compared to about five just 30 years ago) that boast an inclination country’s borders. The grapes (bottom) in Baja California’s Guadalupe Valley (top) benefit toward innovation. With no formal appellation system, Guadalupe from a Mediterranean climate that results in a mosaic of terroirs. Valley vintners—who produce about 90 percent of ’s wine—are cultivating creativity in a wide range of varietals. To sip many of the following standouts, a trip to this relatively undiscov- ered region with a flair for the avant-garde is required.

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