The coming year looks good for Mexican wine tourism and its wine-producing regions around the country. The decade-long growth spurt of the country’s wine industry has witnessed the development of new leading voices and while there is still work to do, spirits are high.
Vineyards are growing in quality and product development and annual harvest festivals are each year more spectacular than the last. Wine tours are now a reality. Wine, culture, food, nature, and even architecture offer visitors incredible and diverse experiences.
The country’s two most important wine routes are in Ensenada, Baja California and in the Bajio region in the center of the country which spans Querétaro and Guanajuato.
The Baja Route, as it’s called, starts in Ensenada and will take you on a tour of more than 70 wineries tucked into various nearby valleys close to the coast — Valle de Guadalupe, Santo Tomas, Ojos Negros, and San Vicente.
We’ve discussed Valle de Guadalupe and its excellent wine country, food and hospitality at length already, but Mexico’s other major wine route is the Ruta del Bajio, which runs between the states of Querétaro and Guanajuato.
Colonial architecture is around every corner. Ancient mansions, aqueducts, Talavera tile, and artistic mosaics all form a part of this landscape. The region’s history dates back to the first vineyards in Mexico and despite years of negligible production, is now home to a booming industry.
The section of the wine route that snakes through Querétaro is known as the Vino, Queso y Arte route (Wine, Cheese, and Art), as the area is known for its cheese production. Local vineyard Casa Martell, a long-time regional producer of brandy is now undergoing a renovation to convert its vines from brandy to wine production. In this part of the country there are more than 50 vineyards.
Querétaro
Cadereyta
Among the many wineries is Freixenet, a prestigious brand of cava that originated near Barcelona, Spain. Each year, their days-long harvest festival is one of the most attended in the country. It’s helpful to remember that harvest time in Mexico is from July to September, with each vineyard choosing the right moment in celebration of that year’s grapes.
Freixenet also hosts an annual paella festival where experts and amateurs alike test their culinary skills and visitors themselves can try a variety of paellas and taste wines from across the region. These activities and festivals have helped make Freixenet México the most visited winery in the country.
Ezequiel Montes
Another important winery along the route is Bodega La Redonda, which in 2025 celebrates a half century of making wine with concerts and events throughout the year.
The most anticipated is the Wine Colors festival, celebrated this year in May. The festival offers two days of music, tastings, wine pairings, fireworks, exclusive dining and drinking areas, excellent cuisine and the option to stay at the Merlot Inn, which has a pool and a spa on site. They also offer a “wine glamping” package perfect for couples that includes evening strolls through the grape vines. There’s also a trattoría serving authentic Italian food alongside the great wine.
Tequesquiapan
Further along the route, is the charming town of Tequisquiapan, complete with a local wine museum. This colonial town has a central plaza full of restaurants and bars, that accompany their wine tastings with cheese and charcuterie. Most places are very close and make it easy to move around between the wineries and the towns.
Tequesquiapan is also home to Tres Raíces vineyard, a relatively young project that offers both a hotel and a vineyard for guests. The space is modern but constructed with Talavera tile and ceramics from the region and is beautiful both inside and out. From their terrace there is a spectacular view of the vineyards and architecture built to blend with the natural surroundings. Their Riesling, aged on lees, stands out as some of their best wine, It’s silky, vibrant and a complete delight for the palate. Tres Raíces’ reds are highly complex, with the relatively unknown caladoc varietal worth a try if you want to be blown away by the quality of Mexican wine.
San Juanito
A short distance away from Tequesquiapan is San Juanito, a boutique winery known for its wine made from a single varietal of grape. They’ve submitted a proposal for an Appellation of Origin for this area as they grow a type of Tempranillo is acutely adapted to the microclimate here, called Tinta de Bernal.
Guanajuato
Dolores Hidalgo
Crossing state lines into Guanajuato lies the oldest wine museum in the country, in the town of Dolores Hidalgo, the birthplace of Mexico’s independence movement. The first bodega in this area was Cuna de Tierra, and its history dates back to the 1990s. Now one of the country’s most famous vineyards, Cuna de Tierra started as a project among friends and the vineyard’s architecture has won it several international prizes.
Their level of production is still considered boutique and they have won more than 80 international prizes for their wine. The vineyard offers a restaurant, guided tours of the vineyard, cooking classes, and a make-your-own-wine mixing class. Among all their varietals the nebbiolo stands out, though there is an ample portfolio of blended and single varietal wines that are bold, expressive, and highly recommendable.
San Miguel de Allende
Moving on down the route, San Miguel de Allende is considered to have some of the highest quality of life around the globe. The first name on your list of vineyards here should be Viñedo San Miguel, which has excellent national wines as well as Italian imports from the owner’s Tuscan estates.
Their brand also includes an exclusive line of clothing and leather goods. An adjoining real estate development also offers investors the chance to make their own wine and own a space in their exclusive residential area. As an organic vineyard, Dos Búhos has a smaller yearly production but offers top-quality wine including varietals like Sauvignon Blanc and Agliánico. Getting to the vineyard from San Miguel is easy by taxi, and they offer dining at their restaurant, tastings, and guided tours all year round.
To further enhance the wine tourism experience, you should take the opportunity to visit the “Magic Town” of Comonfort, known for its production of mortars and pestles. Its cobblestone streets and Colonial mansions aren’t far from San Miguel and there are several more vineyards between these two towns for the thirsty traveller.
There are more than 100 vineyards in Queretaro and Guanajuato and so it is impossible to mention them all. For all of them, however, the quality and warmth of the service is outstanding. Most have their own websites and local tourism agencies can help you create an unforgettable itinerary.
Diana Serratos studied at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and UNCUYO in Mendoza, Argentina, where she lived for over 15 years. She specializes in wines and beverages, teaching aspiring sommeliers at several universities. She conducts courses, tastings and specialized training.
