9 Mexican Wine Brands You Should Try on a Wine List
Most people are familiar with French and California wines. Oenophiles will rave about Italian and Spanish wines. Chile is known for its cheap, but very delicious wines. And Mexico? Yes. Mexico makes great wines, too.
The country of Mexico may not be in the top 10 (or even 20) for producing wine, but that doesn’t mean their wine quality isn’t superb. French, Italian, and Spanish varietals grow well here in the semi-arid terrain.
Mexico has the perfect combination of hot days and cool nights in 3 distinct wine regions in Mexico:
- The North region encompasses Baja and Sonora.
- La Laguna covers Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango.
- The states of Queretaro, Guanajuato, Aguacalientes, and Zacateca make up the Altiplano/Bajio region.
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Mexico’s Relationship With Wine
Mexico has been growing grapes for well over 400 years, but the real boom in the Mexican wine industry began in the 1970s. Many Mexican wine drinkers are still in the beginning stage of enjoying wine, preferring sweet wines or fruit bombs. White wines aren’t getting the attention they deserve though this is the perfect place to grow Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc. Red blends are still the preferred choice of production.
WINE LISTS
When you look at a wine list for a restaurant in Mexico, you’ll typically see 3 things:
- The list of white wines is short if they even exist. Chardonnay is your most typical white wine.
- There are plenty of red wines to choose from.
- The prices are usually equivalent to US prices.
Mexico knows it produces quality wines, the same as California. And though the country may be better known for tequila and mezcal, you can find elegant blends and sparkling wines that will impress you just as much as any Italian or Spanish wine.
The next time you visit Mexico, ask for the wine list and check out the Mexican Wines list. Under reds, you will find Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Malbec as the most prominent. The section for whites is always short but Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Sparkling wines are also very good.
We list some of our favorite Mexican wines below. Some of these wineries export worldwide, so you may find them in your local wine store. Others are still boutique producers with attention to detail and some unique blends.
Mexican Wines Recognized Worldwide:
Casa Madero- La Laguna Region: Valle de Parras
Dating back to 1597, Casa Madero is officially the oldest winery in the Americas.
Casa Madero has a long history of making wine and brandy. The winery has been on the leading edge of research and technology since the 1980s, and receiving medals in international wine competitions since 1989. In 2012, they were the first certified organic vineyard in Mexico. Casa Madero 3V, Shiraz, and their white wines are popular in many restaurants.
El Cielo- North Region: Valle de Guadalupe
El Cielo wines have won numerous wine medals for Mexico at several wine competitions. One fantastic wine that stands out is the 2016 Caipirinha, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Nebbiolo, and Malbec. We drank El Cielo’s 2017 Eclipse last night, another ensemble of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Nebbiolo. It pairs well with strong cheeses, heavy sauces, and meat dishes.
El Cielo has three wine tiers, but the wines named after constellations like Orion and Polaris, and astronomers like Galileo and Aristotle are the ones you will see most on the wine lists.
L.A. Cetto- North Region: Valle de Guadalupe
L.A. Cetto is one of the largest and most recognized Mexican wineries worldwide. Their wines have big, bold flavors like California wines. The L.A. Cetto vineyards in Valle de Guadalupe were planted in 1928 by Italian Don Angelo Cetto. If you visit an Italian restaurant in Mexico, you will most likely see L.A. Cetto on the wine list.
We recommend the Lyra Montepulciano- Barbera under their Peninsula label and the Nebbiolo. You may also find Blanc de Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
Where to Stay in Valle de Guadalupe
What could be better than watching the sunset over the vineyards and mountains from your hotel at a winery? Top recommendations:
- Bruma Wine Resort
- El Cielo Resort
- Encuentro Guadalupe – 2km from Domecq
Finca Sale Vivé by Freixenet- Bajio Region: Queretaro
Freixenet began in Spain and is the leading producer of sparkling wine in the world. They chose to build a winery in the Queretaro region because of the elevation and semi-arid climate.
Finca Sale Vivé by Freixenet has several wines to try, both still and sparkling. You’ll find their wines under the labels of Sale Vivé, Viña Doña Dolores, Petillant, Viña Dolores and Vivante. Many of their wines are sweet and fruity appealing to the newbie palate. Our favorites are the Viña Doña Dolores Brut Nature Reserva and Brut Nature Gran Reserva. Sparkling wine is always our first choice for sushi. If you go to Tequisquiapan, visit the Freixenet Wine Bar where you can relax with a bottle of your choice.
Mostly in Mexico
Dos Buhos- Altiplano Region: San Miguel de Allende
Located just outside San Miguel de Allende, Dos Buhos Winery began 12 years ago by a husband and wife team. Over ten grape varieties are grown in the vineyard, but the refreshing grenache rosado and Vino Tinto Tempranillo are exceptional. You can find Dos Buhos on the wine list at Pujol, one of the top-rated restaurants in Mexico.
Puerta del Lobo- Altiplano/Bajio Region: Queretaro
Puerta del Lobo has impressive wines and restaurants. Their wines include sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo, Syrah, and a red blend of 5 grapes called Tio Neto. If you are in Queretaro, you can visit Puerta del Lobo on a day trip, but we recommend staying at least one night at the hotel and enjoying the full wine experience.
Vinaltura- Altiplano/Bajio Region: Queretaro
We first tasted the rose and red wines of Vinaltura at a wine festival. We liked their wine so much we bought half a case. Most of their red wine blends are grown in Valle de Guadalupe, aged a minimum of 12 months in the barrel, and beautifully refined. In the Altiplano-Bajio region, they are experimenting with white varietals, roses, and sparkling wines. Their restaurant is one of the best for creative and locally sourced ingredients. If you can’t visit the winery, you can find their wines on restaurant menus such as Restaurant 1810, one of our recommended Best Restaurants in Queretaro.
Where to Stay in Queretaro
Visit the wine region during the day, and party in Queretaro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at night!
Our favorite hotels that are mostly soundproof and within walking distance of everything in Queretaro are Hotel Casa Once and Hotel Patio Santiago.
Hacienda Encinillas- La Laguna Region: Chihuahua
Hacienda Encinillas is the largest winery in the state of Chihuahua. Seven varietals are grown on the land including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Petit Verdot. The winery is near the Camino Real that connects Mexico City to Santa Fe, Mexico, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is surrounded by a wildlife sanctuary. You can find their label Megacero at Intro in Puebla. We also recommend their Anxelin Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bodegas Entrevez- North Region: Valle de Guadalupe
Established in 2014, Bodegas Entrevez is a young winery in Valle de Guadalupe. We tried their wines at a recent wine festival. Their most notable wine label is named after 5 de Mayo, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo that is just heavenly. Their 100% Nebbiolo wine label Fort of Lareto is also excellent. Other wines to try by Bodegas Entrevez are their Tempranillo rose and Chardonnay.
Take Mexican Wine Home With You!
The United States allows you to bring in 5 liters of alcohol without paying a duty tax. One wine bottle is 750ml which means each person can bring in 6 bottles of wine!
For serious wine drinkers/collectors, who want to bring back 6-12 bottles, we recommend getting the Original Wine Suitcase by FlyWithWine. With a 10-year warranty, removable inserts for 12 bottles, and a reinforced hard shell, your wine will travel in style and comfort. You can also order magnum inserts for the case. The beauty of this product is that they have already weighed it for you with a maximum of 12 bottles, and it’s under the 50 lb/23kg weight limit of most airlines.
If you think you just want to bring back a few bottles, then these reusable Wine Angel protectors are perfect. They have enough cushion to protect that beautiful Tempranillo you loved and have a double closure with a ziplock style and velcro. We used these on our recent trip to Spain.
Try More Wines at Wine Festivals
A fantastic way to experience Mexican wines is to go to a wine festival. Mexicans love to celebrate, so almost every month there is some type of wine festival happening. August and September are the big harvest celebrations or Vendemias. Other festivals include:
- Festival of 100 Mexican Wines at the end of February 2025
- Bubbles Fest at Freixenet every year in March
- The Wine and Cheese Festival in Tequisquiapan for 3 weekends in May and June
- Guadalupe Valley Wine, Food, and Music Festival in May
- Valle Food & Wine Fest with world-class chefs in October
- Catando Mexico Wine Festival in the streets of Guanajuato City in November
There’s plenty of great wine in Mexico. This list is just a start, and we will bring you more great Mexican wines to try as we sip our way through the regions and individual vineyards.
Are you visiting Queretaro or San Miguel de Allende?
Join us on a wine tour and let us take care of the details arranging reservations and the driving. We will even show you one of the special pueblo magicos that are nearby. Read our post to find out more about Wine Tours by Heart of Mexico Wine Tours.
Have you tried other great Mexican wines? Let us know in the comments so we can try them, too!
Pin This!
Travel Guides to the Central Mexico Wine Region:
Queretaro Wine Tours With Wine Experts
The Perfect 4-Day Itinerary for Exploring Queretaro
The Perfect 4-Day Itinerary for San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel Wine Tours With Wine Experts
Mexican wines have their own distinct taste that cannot be found in any of the other wines. This is the reason that we prefer to drink Mexican wine with Mexican food as it is good.
Love 3V! Can’t wait to try others you’ve mentioned. Now that we live here, we definitely want to support the country’s vineyards!
And 3V is the very known comercial wine that you find in any wine list in literally any Mexican restaurant in Mexico. Wait til you try the chihuahua wines you’ll be impressed just as I was when I first tried them … now that’s a treat to your palate
Thank you Joseal! We can’t wait to get to Chihuahua and explore its growing wine region.
Mexican wines are so diverse nowadays
Great! I have not tried Mexican wine, it is pretty rare to find them around here (France) but will definitely try next time we visit the Americas!
I’m sure Mexican wine is hard to find in France especially when France, Spain, Italy and Germany are such high-rated wine regions! If you get the chance, try wines from the different regions in Mexico. Just like France, certain areas are more suited for certain wine grapes.
Let me just say that grand cru producers from Margaux in France (chateau brane cantenac) among others have bought land in Mexico because they know Mexican wine will be the next big thing in the coming 10 years due to its grape quality and the explosion of labels we have been seeing as of late
I feel like the internet set out to teach me about new wine regions. I guess I need to go back to Mexico and check out some of them. I love myself a nice red wine and Syrah and Tempranillo are one of my favorites.
The Central Mexico region makes wonderful Tempranillos and Syrahs!
Totally agree, I’m in love with those syrah from the bajío region
I’ve never heard of any of these wines. And I don’t think they’d carry them in Scotland. But I bet when I’m back home in California it would be easy to find! So many great choices. Thanks for explaining the best ones to try!
Hi Lannie! Most of these wines are not exported, but if you are ever in Mexico, try a few!
I’ve never tried a wine from Mexico but I’d love to! I only like reds so I’d be very happy with the Cabs, Syrah and Tempranillo wines! I’d want to try Casa Madero and LA Cetto the most!
I’d love to go to a Mexican wine festival! That sounds like it would be so much fun. I’ll keep an eye out for some of these wines at my local wine store.
The wine festivals we have coming up are fabulous opportunities to taste A LOT of wine from all across the country. Check out our Festival 100 Vinos Mexicanos weekend package on https:www.heartofmexicowinetours.com
Wines from zacatecas and aguascalientes are also very good. Having a hard time finding Mexican wines in u.s.
Hi Aurora! We are planning a trip in the future to taste some wines from Zacatecas and Aquacalientes. Is is hard to find Mexican wine in the States, and most of the Mexican wines are from Baja. But things are getting better for the Mexican wine industry, so hopefully you will start seeing some more soon.
Never drank Mexican wine. We will have to keep an eye out. We do like Tempranillo.
Tempranillo is the best! Many of the wineries in Mexico produce under 10,000 cases so you probably won’t see a huge variety. But if you visit Mexico, definitely go wild!
I somehow do associate Mexico with wine-drinking but never really thought of it as a wine-producing country. I had to smile when I read early stages of wine-appreciation, super-sweet wines and fruit-bombs, haha… that sounds scary. It makes sense that the quality of the local wines (the ones for more seasoned connossoirs I presume) wouldn’t be a million miles off the one of nextdoor California. Interesting to learn about the different regions.
Great article! I love that you covered and talked about wines from different regions. Most people just know Valle de Guadalupe and don’t bother to explore further.
Thank you so much for reading! I think as the wine regions get better with promotions, people will seek more of the lesser known regions.