Mexico’s Colonial Highlands

Mexico Colonial Highlands (July 2017):

I pull into the parking lot of “Finca Sala Vive” by Freixenet, one of the largest and most important wine producers in all of North America.  I am a 10 minute drive from the Mexican “magic town” called Bernal.  It is mid-day on a Sunday in July and I find the lot already packed.

At an open-air pavilion, I make arrangements to join a guided wine cellar tour, one of several opportunities to experience the viticulture here.

It’s also possible to experience the lush vineyards by trolley or horse drawn carriage.  And there’s a full-day crash course offered once a month that concludes with a diploma suitable for framing.

For a truly daring experience, the “Finca” offers a luxurious wine dinner in the sky.  As many as 12 guests are hoisted by crane, seated an at elegant table to nibble and sip while hovering 40 feet above grape-laden vines.  This indulgent activity is ranked by Forbes Magazine as one of the “world’s most extravagant meals.”  Just reading about it is enough for me.

There is much less English spoken here than in most of the country and I am quickly recognized as a “gringo.”  Soon  I have a private translator for my descent into the cool, dim wine caves.

Adriana, my new companion, speaks beautiful English, but pauses—and deftly apologizes—when she struggles for a particular term.  She holds three advanced degrees (one in Psychology) and nears completion of her training as a Sommelier, or world respected wine expert.  I can barely order coffee in Spanish.

We begin the tour in a massive fermentation room.  An ebullient, mustachioed guide points out gleaming tanks where grapes cultivated on Freixenet grounds blend and age. The vineyard is most well-known for its sparkling varieties, so special care is directed toward bottling the product to achieve a characteristic effervescence.

Then we are invited underground (25 meters below surface ) into the cave.  Here we see the bottles, recent and vintage, learn about a multitude of processes and are sternly warned not to use flash for pictures.  An abrupt illumination of this kind could apparently startle an aging bottle enough to explode.

Emerging from the cave we are ushered into an impressive dining room.  Here our knowledgeable wine steward instructs on the proper protocol for savoring fine wine.

We are taught how to appreciate the appearance, aroma, texture, alcohol content and agreeable affect of any cultured vintage.  We learn how the tongue reacts to wine in various ways as well as the rationale behind the distinct shapes of various glasses.

It is a morning in which I discover that wine is more than a mouthful.  It can be a lifetime of learning and for those dedicated to its culture and its roots, a way of life. Following my 2 hour visit, I feel a little bit like Gilligan. You know, the happy sailor, finally leaving the island after an extended stay?