Wine Tours by Epicurean Expats

Mexico has been making wine longer than any other country in the Americas, a full 242 years longer than the oldest winery in the United States. But for social, religious and govermental reasons wine has not been fully embraced by the native population. This country has been a tequila, brandy and beer culture for hundreds of years as these are enjoyed in abundance at fiestas and celebrations.

The concept of enjoying an alcoholic beverage daily is frowned upon. Wine is considered a beverage for the wealthy and foreigners, and is taxed by the federal government at the unbelieveable rate of 46%. So that means a 100 peso bottle is 46 pesos of tax. Therefore Mexican wines are often much more expensive than their counterparts in the United States or South America. The per capita income in Mexico makes their own native wines inaccessable to most of the Mexican population.

Ninety percent of the wines exported from Mexico are from the Baja California peninsula. While Baja is more established in wine tourism, emerging regions should not be overlooked. Central Mexico is making wines of exceptional quality and can easily compete on the international stage. Baja makes wines in the overripe, low acidity style of California (think Paso Robles with even more overripe fruit), but Central Mexico produces wines in a European style,  with more structure and higher acidity.

Read our post: Queretaro winery: Puerta del Lobo Winery

Wine Tourism in Central Mexico

There is a lot going on in the wine regions of Central Mexico, particularly in Queretaro and Guanajuato. There are wine festivals almost every week. Some of the more popular ones are the 100 Mexican Wines Fest in February, BubbleFest in March at Freixenet Finca Sala Vivé and vendimias (harvest) during the months of July, August and September. Music, food and of course, lots of wine are always on the itinerary.

Wine tasting in Central Mexico is very different from visiting wineries in the United States. If you have visited wineries on the West coast of the U.S. you have no doubt experienced the cash-and-dash approach where you run in, pay $10-$15, taste the wines and run down the road. Nothing like that exists in Mexico.

In Central Mexico, you need to make a reservation. There aren’t any “tasting rooms” (yet) where you can just pop in. Everything is an experience. You will tour the vineyard or the barrel room, see the fermentation tanks, then sit down to a detailed instructor-led see, swirl, smell and sip. They don’t always have tasting guides scheduled and finding someone who speaks English can be hard to come by.

 

Our Wine Experience

We live in and love colonial Mexico. We have explored every corner of Queretaro and Guanajuato and can custom tailor any tour to your specific interests.  We’ve explored many wineries and winefests on our own, and have become familiar with many of the wineries. Tom has worked in the wine industry for 33 years and is a walking wine encyclopedia. He can tell you about the terroir, climate, crush and fermentation process. Tiffany has worked in tourism from theme parks and conventions for 25 years.  We feel we would be the perfect tour guides for you because of our prior wine industry experience, knowledge of the Mexican roads and personal relationships with the wineries.

So we have created customized wine tours for you to discover the wineries and towns of Queretaro and Guanajuato. We generally pick up and start tours either in Queretaro or San Miguel de Allende by reservation.

***Tours will begin again starting August 15th. Face masks required.***

Wine Tours by Epicurean Expats

Here is what we offer:

• Private wine tour for couples.
• Customized tour based on your wine preferences. We do the research for you!
• Local food and/or fine dining options. **
• Option to add on a pueblo magico for no additional charge:
  • Bernal for Queretaro
  • Atotonilco for  San Miguel de Allende

BONUS: We answer all your questions on what it’s like living the expat life in Mexico.

Pick up, drive, and drop off. We can also pick you up in one city and drop you off another. Contact us for details.

**Tastings, meals and souvenirs paid separately.

 

Cost of Wine Tours:

Queretaro wineries: $160.00 USD or 3500 pesos PER COUPLE. ($80.00 USD a person) Pick up in Queretaro.

San Miguel de Allende wineries: $200.00 USD or 4400 pesos PER COUPLE. ($100.00 USD a person) Pick up in San Miguel.

*If you would like us to pick you up in one town, do some touring and wineries, and drop off in another town, please send us your itinerary and we will price it for you.

Payments can be made through PayPal or cash in person.

*A supplemental charge may be added for solo travelers depending on their itinerary.

 

Why Is Our Wine Tour A Great Value?

-English-speaking.

-Individualized attention.

-We take pictures of you throughout your tour (candid and posed).

-We do the research for you to find the wineries with wines you will like.

-We make the reservations for you (you pay for the tour you want when you get there)

-We show you the regional and local food of the area(s).

-Expat wannabe? Ask us anything about living in Mexico.

-We are experienced at Mexican driving.

• There are 2 speeds on Mexican highways: Mach 7 or turtle crawl. Nothing in between.

Fully Customize Your Tour

To help customize your tour, we want to know more about what interests you.

Tell us your wine preferences, what you want to experience, see, taste, do.

The more details you can give us on the wines you enjoy, the easier it is to narrow down the wineries for you.

• What types of wines do you like?
• Whites, reds, sparkling?
• Grape varietals?
• Oak or unoaked?

Do you want to spend time in a Bernal, Atotonilco or San Miguel de Allende?

Are you considering moving to Mexico?

What could be better then learning about a region firsthand over a bottle (or 2) of wine?

Make the most of your vacation or recon trip with the most customized tour available anywhere. We look forward to introducing you to this hidden wine region between two UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Wine Tour Request Form