Mexico has been producing wine since the 1500, yet very little is known about their viticulture, enology, and marketing practices. This qualitative research study was designed to shed more light on these issues. Based on 10 in-depth interviews with winery owners and winemakers in the Valle de Guadualupe of the Baja Peninsula, where the majority of Mexican wineries are located, this study describes viticulture, enology, and marketing practices for Baja wines. It concludes with a discussion on the future of Mexican wines.

Mexico has a long history in winemaking and is considered to be the oldest wine growing region in North America. Documents attest to the fact that after conquering the Aztecs in 1521 Cortes requested grapevines from Spain to plant in Mexico for winemaking ( Delsol, 2009 ). Vines were planted in several locations, but the region where the vineyards thrived was the warm and dry climate of the Baja Peninsula. Brought there in in 1701 by Juan de Ugarte, the first wines were crafted in 1707 ( Wines of Baja, 2013 ). Since that time Baja has been producing wine, yet it is only recently that this special region of Mexico has begun to advertise and market its wines.

Today there are approximately 60 wineries in Baja ( Laube, 2014 ), and over 2790 ha (6900 acre) of planted grapes ( Trejo-Pech et al., 2010 ). Vineyard operations are headquartered in the Valle de Guadalupe, which some call “the Napa Valley of Baja”. It is located approximately two hours south of San Diego, California between the cities of Ensenada and Tecate, Mexico. The Valle de Guadualupe accounts for 80–95% of all of Mexican wine production ( Vino Mex, 2012 ).

Despite its long history, very little is known about the Baja wine region from an academic perspective ( Olsen et al., 2002 ; Trejo-Pech et al., 2012 ). Therefore, a qualitative study was designed to investigate viticulture, enology, and marketing practices for Baja wines. This involved in depth interviews with ten wineries in the region which took place during the spring of 2013 during two visits to the Valle de Guadualupe. The interview data was sorted and coded to identify emerging themes. The wineries included Monte Xanic, Casa de Piedra, Adobe Guadalupe, Vinos Fuentes, Vinos Laja, Vinos Garza, Paralelo, Encuentro Guadalupe, Las Nubess, and Chateau Camou. Table 1 describes year established, approximate annual case production, and number of vineyard hectares for these 10 wineries.

Ten Mexican wineries in study.

Due to its hot climate, the Valle de Guadalupe focuses on producing red Bordeaux varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec. Other common varietals include Tempranillo, Barbera, Zinfandel, Nebiolo, Petite Syrah and the original Mission grape brought from Spain, where it is still known as Listan Prieto ( Alley, 2007 ). A few wineries also plant Chardonnay and Semillon grapes.

According to the Wine Institute (2014) , Mexico ranked as the 25th largest wine producer in the world producing 102,000 l. With a population of 115 million people, per capita wine consumption is reported to be 1.3 l in 2012 ( Wine Institute, 2014 ). Though traditionally a beer and tequila drinking country, Euromonitor (2014) reports that wine consumption is on the increase in Mexico, especially amongst the new wealthier middle class and young people. The Consejo Mexicano VitiVinicola (2014) states that the wine category has been growing at 12% over the past decade, with Mexicans purchasing 26% national wine and 74% imports.

Modern day winemaking began in the Valle de Guadalupe in 1972 when Casa Pedro Domecq established operations in the valley. Soon they became the major producer and most of the local growers sold their crop to Domeq. This situation continued for some years until two new players arrived-Hugo D׳acosta and Dr. Backoff. Recognizing the potential of the area, these two newcomers began an educational program for the local growers. Hugo D’Acosta created “La Escuelita” a place where growers could come together and learn how to process their own grapes into wine. The school also provided growers with the necessary equipment and tools to make their own wine without the financial burden of requiring each to buy their own fermenters, barrels, and other tools and equipment.

Dr. Backhoff, who founded Monte Xanic Winery, also focused on educating the local population on how to make better business decisions. He negotiated contracts that were more equitable for growers, and encouraged them to focus on growing quality grapes. His main objective was empowering the growers.

Today there are more than 60 wineries in the Valle de Guadalupe, ranging from very small players producing only 500 cases per year to much larger enterprises. The names of the current five largest wineries by production are given in Table 2 ( Discover Baja, 2014 ).

Major wine players in Valle de Guadalupe.

Despite its ancient heritage, the Mexican wine industry is still quite young and is trying to establish its identity on a global stage. Perhaps this is why it has attracted several players from other countries. For example, Tru Miller of Adobe Guadalupe came from Holland originally, and Thomas Egli who established Casa de Piedra Winery came from Switzerland. Hugo D’Acosta of La Escuelita and Co founder of Casa de Piedra Winery has a French background, while Dr. Backhoff of Monte Xanic is from Germany decent.