For most of the year, Jalisco’s tropical coast is hot and sticky, with verdant forests growing to pristine sandy beaches, and miles of wild Mexican landscape in between. About five hours south of Puerto Vallarta by car, most visitors fly to Colima’s Manzanillo Airport instead of PVR, a much quicker 45-minute drive to the pristine coast. Dubbed the “Happy Coast,” Costalegre’s 200-mile-long stretch of coast is growing rapidly, attracting travelers who prioritize ecotourism and cultural immersion.
Hence that Four Seasons TamarindoThe Mesoamerican-inspired edifice is built directly on the cliff overlooking the ocean, surrounded by more than 3,000 acres of protected nature and wildlife preserves and six miles of beaches. In the three and a half years since the resort opened, the hotel’s pre-Hispanic design, created entirely by a powerhouse team of Mexican architects, has won a host of awards, including a place in Top 50 hotels in the world.
Tamarindo’s location on the Costalegre offers stunning ocean views and privacy, but for guests who travel with an eye constantly attuned to the wine list, the most striking sight comes with their first glass of light pink wine from In Rome He hits the table during dinner. The brand is managed by one of the top producers from Mexico’s premier wine region, Valle de Guadalupe Acclaimed winemaker Lourdes Martinez OjedaWho trained for ten years in Bordeaux. However, Mexican wine faces the same stereotypes as all New World regions, along with a host of others: local taxes are impossibly high, tequila and mezcal have dominated drinking palates for years, and most wine drinkers gravitate toward what they already know.
The Four Seasons is among a group of other local hotels and restaurants in the country that are leading the charge in supporting indigenous Mexican winemakers. In Cabo, for example, Rosewood Las Ventanas al Paraiso Local wines are embraced alongside their Old World counterparts. In Tamarindo, partnered with an award-winning Mexican chef Elena Reygadas Coyul Restaurant has allowed the resort to take its support one step further.
For Coyul’s prix Fixe tasting menu, which is an option alongside the à la carte menu, no Old World wines are included in the wine pairing. Instead, the list focuses solely on wines of Mexican origin, and includes additional Guadalupe producers such as Lomita and Montefiore, In addition to its Shiraz AnexlineIt is an appellation from the Encinillas Valley in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. This is by design – a choice that reflects the preference for local ingredients and techniques that have long defined Reygadas’ culinary style, but also a determination to honor local producers at every turn.
“Working with Mexican wine is part of a broader intention to highlight its richness,” Reygadas tells the Observer. “Many of today’s Mexican wines have a certain brightness and generosity shaped by the sun. This balance works naturally with our cooking.” Feelings grow. A Latest story in Bon Appétit I wondered why local wine was not included in the campaign to support local food. Local restaurants and hotels within Mexico have already begun highlighting local wines, and Tamarindo’s decision represents a growing shift.
It’s just over a thousand miles as the crow flies between this beach destination and Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s most prominent wine region. Although the regions do not share the same soil or geography, they do share a Pacific influence, which means that the crisp, high-acid wines from Guadalupe are better suited to the food and atmosphere of their sister state than wines from California, Oregon or France. The recent growth of viticulture in Mexico has instilled confidence in producers to pursue their own grape styles and expressions, noted Teresa Ramos Pérez, director of Tamarindo Restaurants, who guides guests through tastings at Coyol.
This experimentation has, for the most part, led directly to higher quality and greater individuality. “Mexican wine is having a very exciting moment,” Perez says. “A new generation of winemakers is pushing boundaries and embracing more precise, place-driven expressions. At the same time, there is more confidence, less need to imitate old-world styles, and more emphasis on authenticity. The momentum feels organic but strong. Both domestically and internationally, there is a growing curiosity and respect.”
The hotel’s Mexican wines aren’t limited to couples at the fine dining level. While tasting tacos at Nacho’s, a casual restaurant overlooking the ocean, grab a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Monty Zanikone of Guadalupe’s oldest boutique wineries, accompanies its tempura lobster taco with wasabi and chipotle aioli. On the beach, where comforting ceviches and quesadillas are served, draft from 2021 Lagrimas San Vicente Verdejoa Spanish grape grown in Valle de San Vicente, was bright yellow and tasted of citrus and white fruits. The beach wine was spot on, and it was another wine I might never have encountered if it hadn’t been curated for me.
Guests who prefer formal wine tasting experiences—or want to delve deeper into Mexico’s history—can book a private tasting session called The road to Tierra Adentro. Over four or more glasses of authentic wine, this tasting traces the journey of how Spanish vines were grown in Mexico during colonialism, and reveals the story behind how almost all of these vineyards were destroyed after Spain became concerned that Mexico’s wine production would outpace its own. The oldest winery in the country Casa Maderowas the only Mexican producer allowed to keep the vines, a requirement if they agreed to make wine for religious purposes only.
Jose Luis Martinez, the hotel’s assistant director of food and beverage, designed the hotel’s wine experiences to add different layers to the stay. The property focuses on Mexican creatives across the board, in disciplines like architecture and design, and the wine selection was no different. “Long before opening, the team wanted Mexican wines to be part of the culinary experience,” Martinez tells Observer. “For foreign guests discovering Mexican wine, most only know a few brands, usually from Baja California – our program focuses on Mexico as an entire region.”
It’s simply too hot and sticky to grow grapes in Costalegre, a humid tropical region in the state’s southernmost tip, but elsewhere in Jalisco, wine territory is slowly developing. Martinez and his team have chosen not to include this local wine in their program at this time; The production there is quite new, and he believes winemakers need more time to get to know their terroir and what is best for the region. But across the board, Martinez brought wines from Guadalupe, Chihuahua — a region he considers Mexico’s next wine-growing scene — and Coahuila and Guanajuato, which is famous among American travelers as the city of San Miguel de Allende.
“Most of our wine list is Mexican wines, and we have included international wines, but it all depends on the flavor profile we want to deliver: crispness, acidity, saltiness,” Martinez says. “We’ve built our wine list around mostly sparkling, white and rosé wines, and then of course, reds. While most guests will already have wine knowledge, we hope Mexican wines will be something they can discover during their stay.”
One of my personal favorites from Valle de Guadalupe is We have enougha pioneering winery in the region where British-born winemaker Phil Gregory and his wife, Eileen, have worked to create a small production of land-based wines for over 20 years.
An extra tough Vena Cava rosé was one of the pairings served during the Grand Prix at Coyul, and several other wines are on the wine list at Sal, the hotel’s oceanfront dining venue with an emphasis on seafood and a luxurious, barefoot feel. A bottle of orange vina cava or sauvignon blanc would be well suited to sal’s specialty, a fish charcuterie plate of partly raw and salted fillets, similar in texture to sashimi. Typically, I pair this dish with a dry German Riesling, or a glass of Sancerre, which I always have. But that evening, as I looked out over the ocean at golden hour, Mexican wine suited the moment.
As the country’s wine production continues to grow in stature and technology, there will likely be more and more opportunities for travelers to access wine, which is already more readily available in Los Angeles than in most other cities. If you come across a glass of Bruma on a wine list in the future, perhaps opt for a glass of that rosé instead of your favorite Provençal label? Next time you visit Mexico, consider pairing your favorite local cuisine with wine made from grapes that come from the same region. This may seem like a small thing now, but wine regions around the world are built on less than that.
