Mexico
Even though vineyards were planted as early as the 1500s, Mexico does not produce much table wine. That’s primarily because the climate isn’t particularly suited for wine grapes and Mexicans don’t drink much wine—beer is the beverage of choice. The majority of the vineyard crop is used for table grapes. Most Mexico-made wine undergoes either fortification or further distillation to make brandy. Table wines are made with European grape varieties along with some hybrids. The main wine-producing vineyards are in the Mexico’s northern portion in Baja California, in Parras Valley (north of Mexico City), and in the Zacatecas Plateau, northwest of Mexico City.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.