Santiago
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? to Hook re Mexican wines
Hook,
a few months ago on a Gudalupe Valle wine thread you made a comment that very little, if any, mexican wine is consumed by the folks you know in San
Carlos etc. I'm wondering if it is a price issue, quality or both?
I have a few opinions myself but would like to hear your POV.
Salud
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DavidE
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A Mexican padre once explained to me with a chuckle that for centuries Mexicans associated "vin" with the crud the padres made for sacramental use
(and self help). He said the stuff was "pretty grim".
IMHO the only Baja California wine of any note was Petit Sirah, for decades.
But if you believe Tequila is the drink of choice for the masses, you should take a look at Brandi.
Baja California is NOT the largest wine grape or vintner area in Mexico. It pales in comparison to the Aguas Calientes area. B.C. has by far the
better wine however. Mexico, Guadalajara/Zapopan, and especially Monterrey are the largest per capita wine consumption areas among Mexicanos.
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BajaNomad
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Guadalupe Valley wines are known for their quality in comparison to the rest of the wine growing regions of Mexico - but not necessarily known as
being value-priced.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaNomad
Guadalupe Valley wines are known for their quality in comparison to the rest of the wine growing regions of Mexico - but not necessarily known as
being value-priced. |
It seems to me, the trend in Valley wines has shifted to blends which may deem them incomparable for their unique qualities. I doubt the blends have a
common formula.
It also seems to me to be a method of avoiding comparisons to other standard types that would show them as mediocre or inferior.
I hope this effort to develop a signature Baja style of wine doesn't suffer the same fate as the architects who, in their efforts to develop a Baja
style of building design on the "Gold Coast" between Rosarito and Ensenada, failed miserably with their ocean front atrocities.
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Hook
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Well, if I said that, I meant that not much Mexican wine is consumed by wine aficionados over here. There is a good amount of Mexican wine consumed by
persons asking for just a copa de vino with dinner or the "house" wine. Almost 100% of the restaurants serve the LA Cetto Cab as their red and the LA
Cetto Chard or Blanc de Blanc as their white. I've never seen an upper end Mexican wine on the menu. It's always wines from Argentina, Spain, Italy
and Chile.
So, most of us dont think the Mexican wines are a very good value, compared to those other wine regions.
Admittedly, all we ever see over here is LA Cetto, Monte Xanic and Santo Tomas.
Now that there's a Walmart about 20 minutes away from San Carlos, we're getting some of the cheap labels from Australia and California. Things like
the Barefoot label, the Gallo Family Vineyard label, the Oak Leafs, Lindemans, Alice White, etc. Also getting some cheap French wines but as a lover
of the California style of wines, these French wines are wimpy on taste. I've even seen the Kendal-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chard but they want 299.00
pesos a bottle and it's not worth that.
Still, most all these are better than the Mexican wines I've had.
For inexpensive reds, most of my discerning wine friends and me are drinking carmenere or malbec from South America. Prefer Argentinian wines over
Chilean. We are getting Alamos wines (second label of Catena). Also like a label called Valdivieso. Santa Carolina is another moderately priced label,
meaning wines from 80-130 pesos.
Really, our every day wines have become the Gallo Family Vineyard series. We are getting the Cab, the Pinot Noir and the Chard. The Chard is 82
pesos, the Cab is 96 and the pinot is a little bit more, maybe 108.
However, the Costco in Hermosillo has begun carrying the Kirkland Signature series wines. They are about 25% more expensive than the Costcos in the
States but we stock up when we go. Particularly like their Sonoma Chardonnay, the Pinot Grigio and the Old Vine Zin. I have purchased their new Cote
du Rhone and their Bordeaux but I havent opened them yet.
In fact, I am going today as I am headed up to see a baseball game with 16 other gringos at the new stadium in Hermosillo. Hermosillo is playing their
rival, Obregon. After winning the title as the best team in Mexico for something like the last three years (and winning the Caribbean Series
championship this year), Obregon is in last place this year. HMO is in first. As this is the first series between the two in the new stadium, it's a
near sell out and should be a good game.
Here's my wine tip of the month. I buy all this I can when I am in the States. A fairly high end Napa Valley winery called Provenance makes an
absolute killer Sauv Blanc. It's got the citrus notes but they have added a touch of Semillon to it and it's just so well balanced and flavorful. Only
12.97 at Total Wine.
I guess I've gone a bit beyond what you asked, eh?
[Edited on 11-17-2013 by Hook]
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Santiago
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Thanks for the reply and the tip on the SB.
I am curious on the pricing of wines purchased in Mexico and the business model. I can't beleive their production costs are more than South America
and must certainly be less than USA. Yet, imported wines of comparable quality can be purchased for less. Makes no sense but I must not understand
the market.
1. Do Mexican wineries sell out each year so they don't have to lower their prices? I'm talking the larger wineries here, not small botiques that dot
the valley.
2. Do Mexican wine drinkers pay more as a patriotic gesture?
3. Why doesn't the gov'ment simply tarrif the imports so that the prices are similar?
4. Anyone know what their export amounts are? I can't imagine a wine drinker in Rio buying L.A. Cetto.
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bajaguy
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I have been told by several vinters in the Guadalupe Valle that the Mexican wines, at least from Baja, have to pay such high taxes and fees on their
product.
At one winery, the vinter said that you could buy his wine at COSTCO in San Diego cheaper than you could get it in Baja/Mexico
If you get away from the L.A.Cetto and Santo Tomas wines, IMHO - I'm not a wine snob, but I did spend the night at a Holiday Inn - the Guadalupe Valle
produces some really good drinkage (is that a word). You just have to get out here and spend some time visiting wineries.
There are several wineries here that have won gold and silver medals in head-to-head competition with their Napa Valley California brothers
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
the Guadalupe Valle produces some really good drinkage (is that a word). You just have to get out here and spend some time visiting wineries.
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I think it's a word for cows.
Maybe if you spend more time at the Wine Room bar, the owners will start discussing their profits as well.
Or....maybe not. 
I used to hear the same tax sob-story about Tecate Beer when the price was less in Chula vista than in Tecate. It's a tough line of BS to swallow.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
There are several wineries here that have won gold and silver medals in head-to-head competition with their Napa Valley California brothers
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Where were these competitions held and who put them on? Just curious. 
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bajaguy
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San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco
Get out and explore a little!!!
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durrelllrobert
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It's the 40% tax that cuts down consumption
| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaNomad
Guadalupe Valley wines are known for their quality in comparison to the rest of the wine growing regions of Mexico - but not necessarily known as
being value-priced. |
"Despite Mexico’s Spanish heritage, it is not a wine-drinking country, but rather a beer and tequila country.[4] Average wine consumption per capita
is only two glasses a year.[10] The Mexican government imposes taxes of 40% per bottle, making it hard to compete with beer and tequila."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_wine
[Edited on 11-17-2013 by durrelllrobert]
Bob Durrell
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
The Mexican government imposes taxes of 40% per bottle, making it hard to compete with beer and tequila."
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The rate they impose would hardly be the rate paid. Maybe Wikipedia can give us some clarity on this point.
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Santiago
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RD3: but how does this explain the wine being cheaper in USA? Surely the tax is impossed at the production level, not the point-of-sale? And the tax
is not imposed on imports?
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durrelllrobert
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Santiago
RD3: but how does this explain the wine being cheaper in USA? Surely the tax is impossed at the production level, not the point-of-sale? And the tax
is not imposed on imports? |
Good question! Yo no se nada.
Bob Durrell
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bajaguy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Santiago
RD3: but how does this explain the wine being cheaper in USA? Surely the tax is impossed at the production level, not the point-of-sale? And the tax
is not imposed on imports? |
Might have something to do with NAFTA. If it is exported, they pay less in taxes and fees...so they can sell it cheaper.
After all, it's Mexico........kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
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