Monday, May 23, 2011

Handcrafted Mexican Fine Wines from Vinart Winery

'Vino-Tourism' by Steve Dryden

There seems to be a global trend among serious wine lovers in consuming wine that is handcrafted by passionate artisans rather than bulk wines created in large, impersonal commercial operations. Fortunately, here in Baja California, Mexico, we have an entire army of gifted artisan winemakers and handcrafted wines.

One prime example is Jose Jesus Ibarra of Vinart Winery; he’s a brilliant scientist in Ensenada who handcrafts premium artisan wines in his spare time. Although his passion is a part time endeavor, he is fully focused on creating some of Mexico’s best small quantity, high quality artisan wines.

Jose Jesus Ibarra has resided in the charming seaport of Ensenada for over 30 years as a scientific researcher and investigator in microwave, high-frequency technology.  Originally from Guadalajara, Jesus was first introduced into the world of winemaking by Hugo D’Acosta. In fact, Jesus and ten of his friends attended the first winemaking classes offered in this region of Mexico by Hugo in 1998.

According to him, “Hugo D’Acosta had a vision and intuition that through education of artisan winemakers the local wine industry could develop and evolve in a positive manner. Hugo felt that the more people were educated about wine and artisan techniques, the better for the entire region.”

During his beginning year of serious winemaking, Jesus and his partners produced their first barrel of wine. Jesus adds, “Every year we made different blends from diverse grapes from many distinct regions of Baja California. Our goal was to explore the possibilities of the region and let the fruit speak for itself.”

One side benefit is that this new “hobby” gave him an opportunity to relax, bond with nature, and focus his artistic passion in a new direction.  In addition, this winemaking experience has opened a whole new world, gaining for him an appreciation of the daily miracles and abundance of nature. Jesus comments on his craft by stating, “My goal is to make the best possible wine in limited quantities that fully express the message of the grapes. We use different grapes from specific vineyards, thus we gain complex flavors that are more reflective of the entire ecosystem of Baja California. For me, as a winemaker, I feel that making good wine is really a true art form, not an accident.” 

Vinart selects quality grapes from some of Mexico’s top growers, transforming their juice into stunning samples of handcrafted delights. Currently they craft three awesome wines from the 2007 season, one white and two red blends, with a limited production of about 2,500 cases per vintage.

Vinart has artfully developed a refreshing and attractive 100% Viognier. Their Cielo, Mar y Tierra is a stunning red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. Temple is their other delicious premium red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petite Verdot.

Jesus uses a custom blend of American and French oak barrels to “frame the expression of the fruit with the unique flavors enhanced by the wood.”  The 2007 vintage has been aged in oak barrels for 12 to 16 months, followed with over three years of bottle time. Jesus proudly adds, “This whole process of crafting wine for us is like raising children, this is our gift, our expression and our love.”

Further touches to these handcrafted bottled treasures of delight are the original hand painted labels from the artistic wives of the Vinart owners.

Jose Jesus Ibarra of Vinart Winery has been making wines in Baja California for over 13 years. “During this learning period, I continue to always make small changes in search of that ever-evasive perfection. We’re always evolving, exploring and making improvements. We know that starting with great grapes is the key to crafting the best wines, so we try to let the grapes express their own personalities and characteristics. Of course, with each season and vintage the fruit shows different aspects due to weather and other elements, so we have to be in tune with what nature offers to us each year. Learning to make good wine takes many years; you can’t use a recipe, because the fruit and the conditions change every year. Here at Vinart we let the fruit guide us to [its] own destination naturally, rather than trying to control and manipulate the outcome superficially.”

Vinart Winery is making some of Mexico’s best handcrafted wines. They have a small tasting room located a few miles north of Ensenada, in El Sauzal. For directions, information or further details contact Jesus Ibarra at vinart@prodigy.net.mx or (646) 151-6976.

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For a Baja California Wine Route map, click on MexiData.info "Links," and go to "Mexico Maps and Time Zones"

Steve Dryden, an international wine, food and travel writer, and filmmaker, has lived in the Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s premier wine country, for a number of years where he also guides small group wine tours.  He can be reached at sbdryden@hotmail.com.  For more about the international wine culture visit www.winefoodguide.com.