A Guide to Wine Festivals of Mexico
Oenophiles don’t need a reason to drink wine, but a wine festival is the perfect excuse to drink LOTS of it! Most wine lovers will head to the big wine production areas like Napa-Sonoma and Bordeaux, but just south of the border, Mexico is celebrating its unique terroir for wine production. And what better way to learn about the different regions than with a wine festival! This is your ultimate guide to wine festivals around Mexico.
*This post has been updated with 2025 and 2026 dates.
Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links where we receive a super-small commission at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase. We call this our Chocolate & Churro Fund.
Mexico’s History in Wine Production
Mexico has been making wine longer than any other country in the Americas. When the Spanish conquistadors conquered Mexico in the early 1500s, they got to work planting vineyards to grow grapes for wine and brandy. The terrain from Mexico City northwards to Valle de Parras and westward to the Baja Peninsula proved to be the perfect terroir for growing grapes.
Mexico might have become a powerhouse wine country if they had been allowed to continue, but since the mother country (Spain) relied on taxes of exported goods, a ban was placed on New Spain (and consequently all new colonies of Spain in the West Indies) and production was reduced to church purposes only.
This ban would continue until the Mexican War of Independence that ended in 1821. The next 100 years were tumultuous with the land ravished by wars and other conquests. Prohibition in the United States sparked wine production (and other alcoholic beverages), but it wasn’t until the 1970s when wine production finally took root and began to prosper.
Today, wine tourism is seeing tremendous growth in Mexico. Valle de Guadalupe may still be in the lead, but the wine regions around Queretaro, San Miguel de Allende and San Luis Potosi are showing well with European-style wines, fine dining restaurants and celebrations throughout the year.
Fun Fact: Queretaro is the first wine region in Mexico to earn a "Protected Geographical Indication" for its wines.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Mexico’s Wine Regions?
Mexico has a culture of celebrating, whether it’s a saint day (which is almost every day of the year), a birthday, or a Tuesday. And celebrating wine is just another reason to have a party. Wine festivals take place almost every month of the year, but there are a few that are phenomenal and deserve a long weekend to truly appreciate.
FEBRUARY
Festival 100 Vinos Mexicanos
2026 Date: TBD (usually the end of February)
The Festival 100 Vinos Mexicanos (Festival of 100 Mexican Wines) is one of the best wine festivals we have attended in Mexico. It showcases wines from all 8 wine regions in the country. In 2022, it was held at La Redonda Winery, the second-largest winery in Queretaro. The event included music bands, VIP seating with snacks, other seating areas, food trucks, and shaded wine vendors. They also did a great job of advertising which Mexican wineries would be attending.
Wines were poured generously, and the vendors were excited to share more information about visiting their wineries. This event is perfect for those new to Mexican wines and curious about the different wine regions. Dates for 2026 have yet to be announced.
The Festival 100 Vinos Mexicanos is the best wine festival to sample different Mexican wines from all over the country. We’ve put together a long weekend package for you through our tour company that includes the festival admission, hotel (optional), transportation, and visits to local wineries, craft brewery, and the pueblo magico of Bernal. For more details, check out the tour package on Heart of Mexico Wine Tours.
FEBRUARY
Oaxaca Food & Wine Festival- Oaxaca
2026 Dates: February 26- March 1
The Oaxaca Food & Wine Festival is a new addition to Mexico’s wine festivals. In 2025, it offered a week-long dive into Oaxaca’s culture, cuisine, and artisanal mezcals along with many choice wines from around the country. The organizers of this festival have produced the Key West Food & Wine Festival for over 15 years, so you know they will have something special planned for 2026!
MARCH
Bubble Fest
2026 Dates: Last weekend in March
The Queretaro wine region is perfect for growing sparkling wine grapes like Chardonnay, Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parallada. The Spanish cava producer Freixenet recognized this in the 1970s and has been a leader in wine production for decades. Bubble Fest celebrates sparkling wine ranging from sweet to brut with perfect weather, bands, and a good time.
APRIL
XXV Shells & New Wine Festival Ensenada
2025 Date: April 13
This wine & seafood celebration in the coastal town of Ensenada is the perfect weekend escape. Tour the wineries in Valle de Guadalupe during the day, and savor a Zinfandel and shrimp tacos as you watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.
MAY
Feria Nacional del Queso y el Vino
Dates: May 22-25, 2025, June 6-8, 2025, June 13-15, 2025
While this wine festival labels itself “national”, most of the vendors are local to the Queretaro region. The Feria Nacional del Queso y el Vino (National Cheese & Wine Festival) takes place over three weekends in May and June in the pueblo magico of Tequisquiapan. In 2025, the festival vendors will be located in the Plaza Miguel Hidalgo and bands will play in Parque Pila.
This 3-day weekend event is the perfect opportunity to sample many wine producers in one place. Olive oil, jamon serrano, cheese, and ice cream are also available for tasting. Many of the cheese and food producers can make you a picnic box to enjoy in the park or take back to your hotel.
JUNE
Festival Internacional del Vino- San Luis Potosi
2025 Dates: June 6 & 7
This festival (International Festival of Wine) has become one of the largest wine festivals in the country. Over 5000 people will visit this festival in San Luis Potosi over the first weekend in June sampling Mexican and international wines and cuisine. Music ranges from jazz to rock and performers may surprise you with an impromptu flamenco dance.
Make this a wine weekend getaway and visit the Sierra Gorda mountains waterfalls nearby.
Fevino El Festival del Vino Mexicano Guadalajara
2025 Date: June 7
Guadalajara has multiple flight connections making this an easy choice to sample Mexican wine. Spend the day wine tasting, dine at world-renowned restaurants such as Alcalde and Hueso, and explore the pueblo magico of Tequila.
JULY- AUGUST
Vendimias (Harvest Festivals) in Central Mexico and Valle de Guadalupe
Dates: Weekends in July and August at different wineries
Vendimias, or harvest festivals can range from the traditional grape stomping, grill parties, and big bands to special guest chef dinners and paella contests.
The wineries won’t announce their vendimias until a month or two before, but you are guaranteed some type of celebration during the later half of summer in Mexico.
SEPTEMBER
El Festival del Vino Queretano
2025 Dates: TBD (end of September or beginning of October)
Featurung the regional wines and artisanal cheese producers of Queretaro, this hyper-focused regional festival is not to be missed. . Held in the gardens of the CEART museum in Centro, it’s the perfect atmosphere for wine tasting. Afterwards, explore the 204 blocks of the historical center that makes this city a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
NOVEMBER
Food & Wine Festival Mexico City
2025 Dates: TBD (mid-November)
Mexico City is one of the top foodie destinations in the world. You can expect wine from all over the country, artisanal mezcal producers, beer, sake, regional and international cuisines. This festival also highlights the best 10 emerging chefs. This two-day event is the icing on your cake to one of the world’s best cities for food and culture.
Don’t forget to make reservations for some of the Michelin star restaurants in Mexico City.
NOVEMBER
Catando México Guanajuato
2025 Dates: November 21 & 22, 2025
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guanajuato City was the world’s leading silver extraction center in the 18th century. Today it’s a colorful, walkable town with many of the roads running through tunnels underground. The Catando Mexico wine festival will take over the main streets of the city in the evenings during the second to last weekend of November. Explore the Instagrammable alleys by day and sample regional wine and other products by night.
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER
GASTROVINO Baja Food & Wine Festival Todos Santos
Dates- TBD (End of November, beginning of December)
Sample the best of Mexican wine and cuisine in the adorable town of Todos Santos north of Cabo San Lucas. What could be better than fresh seafood, delicious wine and a beach nearby?
This guide is by no means the complete guide to Mexico’s wine festivals, but the festivals listed occur consistently annually.
How to Get to Mexico’s Wine Regions?
Queretaro produces the majority of wine festivals and can easily be reached from Dallas (DFW), Houston (HOU), San Antonio (SAT), Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD) and airports within Mexico.
San Miguel de Allende can be reached by flying into the Queretaro Airport or Leon-Guanajuato Airport (BJX). It’s about a 70-90-minute drive from either airport.
San Luis Potosi can be reached from Atlanta (ATL), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), San Antonio (SAT), Tijuana (TIJ), Cancun (CUN), and Mexico City (MEX).
Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe do not have an airport, however, you can fly into Tijuana airport (TIJ) and rent a car or book a transfer for the 45 minute drive to Ensenada.
Mexico City is connected to all the the airports in Mexico.
Can I Take Some Mexican Wine Back Home With Me?
The United States allows 1 Liter of wine to be brought through customs duty-free. The taxes for additional bottles is minimal. For Canadians, you are allowed 1.5 liters (2 bottles).
If you are bringing tequila, mezcal, or other liquors with 24%-70% alcohol, you will be limited to 1 Liter per person as well.
For more wine gift ideas, click here: The Perfect Gifts for Wine Lovers.
Heart of Mexico Wine Tours
Are you interested in visiting a wine festival? Heart of Mexico Wine Tours can help you plan a long weekend or week-long stay in San Miguel de Allende or Queretaro. They can hotel recommendations, transportation, and tours to the wine festivals, visits to pueblos magicos, wineries, and sampling of regional cuisine. The tours can easily be customized to your interests. Visit Heart of Mexico Wine Tours for more information and trip suggestions.
Pin This!
I would love Bubbles Fest just for its bubbly name, but wouldn’t mind trying some of the tipple. Cool that Freixenet, one of my favourite sparklies, got involved so early on.
Freixenet has helped many wineries learn the art of winemaking, and other wineries trust them to make their brand of sparkling wine with their own grapes. We have a wonderful wine community here.
It was really interesting to learn of Mexico’s winemaking history and about the different festivals. It’s also nice that they make an event of each festival and that there’s all sorts of food and entertainment as well. The Festival 100 Vinos Mexicanos sounds like a great introduction to Mexican wine.
The wine festivals can be relaxing or full on Rave concerts! Luckily they have them in different sections so its family friendly. So far the Festival 100 Vinos Mexicanos is my favorite. Very well organized with very generous pours.
This is new to me and thanks for spilling a new wine secret. I never know that Central Mexico has a burgeoning wine production. I always think of Chile and Argetina when talking about wine in Latin America. Freixenet had been kind to us when we run our of Veuve Clicquot or Bollinger 😉
Glad I could give you something new to enjoy!
Wow, I never thought of Mexico as a wine destination! So many great wine festivals to check out. Thanks for the great recommendations.
A wine festival would be a good excuse to to visit Mexico beyond Cancun. I have no real experience with Mexican wine so it would also be a great way to try some of their varietals out.