Beer, tequila and mezcal may be the alcoholic beverages you most closely associate with Mexico, but Mexico is also home to wine that is pretty darn tasty according to Michael C. Higgins, PhD in his new book, Exploring Wine Regions – México. Yes, wine regions pleural. I was only aware of Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California before reading Dr. Higgins’ new book. And a region that specializes in sparkling wines, who knew?
We received a free copy of Exploring Wine Regions – México for editorial consideration. Exploring Wine Regions – México should come with a disclaimer – well, maybe two disclaimers. 1) May cause an overwhelming desire to visit Mexico’s wine regions. 2) Will send you on a search for Mexican wines to buy if you cannot visit — risks well worth taking.
This is Dr. Higgins’ fourth wine book. After exploring Argentina and Bordeaux he dove into California with the intention of including Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe wine region. After deciding to concentrate on California’s Central Coast in his third book, and realizing the extent of winemaking in Valle de Guadalupe, he decided that Mexico has enough good wine to merit a book of its own.
Dr. Higgins takes what I think is a unique approach in exploring Mexico’s wine regions. It is didactic with information about terroir and wineries of note in each region, but it also includes restaurants and lodging, providing the reader with a sense of “both good wine and tourism.” It reads much like the personal travel log of a wine lover (and educator) with many details of the best places to stay and eat. The accounts are first-hand and that makes Exploring Wine Regions – México an engaging and educational read. And the soft-cover book is beautiful. Its 340 pages are full of color photos taken by Dr. Higgins of the regions, wineries, accommodations and food, not to mention local attractions and shopping opportunities.
After a forward that provides perspective on Mexico’s place in wine history and its future written by a professor and wine pioneers from Guanajuato and Valle de Guadalupe, Dr. Higgins dives into the geography of Mexico and a section on how to use the contents of his book effectively. The order of Dr. Higgins’ book then follows his trail of discovery: Valle de Guadalupe, Guanajuato and Querétaro with each region marked for easy reference by color tabs.
Each regional section begins with an introduction and excellent maps, a table of wines and tourism (a graph of wineries with lists of wines made and amenities offered like tasting, tours, accommodations, dining, etc.), followed by photos and discussion of the regions’ unique qualities followed by winery profiles. Lodging and restaurant profiles are also included, of course.
The bulk of Exploring Wine Regions – México is devoted to Valle de Guadalupe because it has the largest production by far (+90% of Mexico’s wine production), but the smaller regions are still presented in as much detail as Valle de Guadalupe. You will learn each region has its own charm, history and attractions.
The final sections of Exploring Wine Regions – México cover Dr. Higgins’ next wine book location, Greece, and a conclusion including Dr. Higgins’ Mexican discoveries, index, definitions, eBook Travel Edition and more.
Exploring Wine Regions – México is 340 pages, $34.95, with over 600 photos. See Dr. Higgins’ website, Exploring Wine Regions, for ordering information.
Cheers!
