Who determines what the best Mexican wine is? We scoured the wine lists of the best restaurants and wine programs in the world to see what the experts are selecting. From crisp whites to bold reds, these twenty bottles will transport you to a new (and old) frontier in winemaking.
The best Mexican wine is from Casa Madero, according to the number of times it appeared on menus for reputable wine programs.
However, there are many different grape varietals, wine regions, and styles of winemaking that they can’t all be compared to one another. So, we compiled a list of the top 20 Mexican wines by analyzing which ones are winning awards and popping up on wine lists around the world.
The Method for Analyzing Mexican Wine
In order to determine the best Mexican wine, we dove into wine programs all over the world to see what the experts are selecting. Wine programs we evaluated include restaurants with Michelin stars, The World’s 50Best, James Beard wine program winners and nominees, plus some additional popular restaurants. Wineries that won Grand Gold and Gold medals from the 2022 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and 2022 Mundus Vini competitions were also included in the evaluation.
We tried to be as thorough as possible with our data set. Over 200 restaurants and wine programs were evaluated, but many either did not serve/sell Mexican wine or did not have a published wine list.
Surprisingly, when analyzing all 10 of the Mexican restaurants around the world with Michelin stars, only two have published wine lists with Mexican wine.
The only 3 star Michelin restaurants we found in the world with Mexican wine listed on published wine menus are:
The French Laundry in St. Helena, CA
Saison in San Francisco, CA
Best Mexican Wine According to Sommeliers and Wine Experts
Below are the best Mexican wines, according to the data analyzed from restaurant wine programs and competitions. These Mexican wineries are listed in order of how frequently they appeared on wine lists and as competition winners.
This does not compare the wines to one another, as they are various blends and varietals, vintages, and from different terroirs. All the wines below have been selected by sommeliers or wine industry experts around the world.
Casa Madero
Casa Madero Gran Reserva 3V – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah (2018), Coahuila, Valle de Parras
Vena Cava
Vena Cava Ambar – Chardonnay (2020), Valle de Guadalupe
Bodegas Henri Lurton
Bodegas Henri Lurton Le Chenin – Chenin Blanc (2020), Valle de Guadalupe
Lechuza
Lechuza Nebbiolo (2013), Valle de Guadalupe
Vinisterra
Vinisterra Pies de Tierra – Syrah, Tempranillo (2016), Valle de Guadalupe and Valle de Santo Tomas
Hilo Negro
Hilo Negro Escala Syrah, Valle de Guadalupe
Vinedos Don Leo
Don Leo Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz (2019)
Bichi
Bichi Flama Roja – Tempranillo, Nebbiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon, Tecate
Cuna de Tierra
Cuna de Tierra Pago de Vega – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot (2018), Guanajuato
El Cielo
G&G by Ginasommelier Sauvignon Blanc, Valle de Guadalupe
Bodegas F. Rubio
F. Rubio White Herencia – Palomino, Chenin Blanc, Valle de Guadalupe
Valle de Tintos
Valle de Tintos Monograma – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot (2016), Valle de Guadalupe
Bodega Santo Tomas
Bodegas Santo Tomas Unico Gran Reserva – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot (2015) – Valle de Santo Tomas
Vinicola Torres Alegre y Familia
Vinicola Torres Alegre y Familia Cru Garage – Syrah, Valle de Guadalupe
Trasiego
Trasiego Selección Blanca – Viognier, Arneis, Marsanne, Valle de Guadalupe
Tresomm
Tresomm Falanghina, Valle de Guadalupe
Fluxus
Fluxus, Rhône Blend, Valle de Guadalupe
Vinicola Parvada
Parvada Reserva – Syrah, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon (2018), Valle de Parras
Casa Anza
Casa Anza Reserva – Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo , Malbec (2018), Guanajuato
San Juanito Vitivinicola
San Juanito Gran Reserva Syrah (2017), Queretaro
Wine Regions of Mexico
Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California has the most vineyards of all the Mexico wine regions and Baja wines account for most Mexican wine production. However, there are some really unique conditions for growing wine in other parts of Mexico, and you can learn more about them in our explanation of each Mexico wine country region.
For instance, most of the wine regions in Central Mexico and Coahuila are at very high elevations – around 6500 feet above sea level. Microclimates are sprinkled throughout those areas, creating unique opportunities to produce wine.
Most Common Varietal Among the Best Wines in Mexico
The most common grape varietal on this list of Mexican wines is Syrah. Whether it’s a single vineyard bottling or grapes being used in a red blend, Syrah shows up in 9 of the 20 best Mexican wines.
Syrah is known for its dark fruit and dried fruit flavors with a peppery finish, medium tannins, and medium acidity. It is typically found in big red wines, like those of Côtes du Rhône that are often blended with Grenache and Mourvedre. Many wine producers in Valle de Guadalupe follow this format as well.
FAQ
What wine is Mexico known for?
Mexico is most known for its bold red wine, like Bordeaux and Rhone style blends and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Where is the best wine in Mexico?
The winery with the most wine list placements is Casa Madero, located in Valle de Paras, Coahuila. It also happens to be the oldest winery in America. However, every wine on the list above can be considered the best of the best in Mexican wine.
Taste Mexican Wine
Mexican wine is starting to trickle out to some corners of the globe, but it’s not very easy for everyone to find. At Food Wine Tourism, we believe the best way to taste and learn is to go straight to the source. Pick a wine region and plan a trip around it.
Valle de Guadalupe is most popular, but Guanajuato and Queretaro are near San Miguel de Allende and you could loop through them all and back to Mexico City.
Another great way to taste is to visit a wine bar, and Mexico City is a great spot to do this. Alternatively, visit Mexico during a wine festival like Valle Food and Wine Festival in Valle de Guadalupe.