Mexico was the first country in the Americas to produce wine in 1521, immediately after Cortez conquered the Aztecs. The Spanish Kings at first actively promoted winemaking in New Spain, mandating the planting of vineyards, but by the end of the 16th Century the wines of Mexico had become so successful that they then employed protectionist measures as well as mandating vine-pulling on a massive scale, culminating in a complete ban on Mexican wine production in 1699. With Mexican independence in 1821 the wine industry began a steady growth until phylloxera wiped out all but a few hundred acres of the vineyards in the early 20th Century. Without a strong wine drinking culture (even now, per capita wine consumption is just two glasses per year) and stiff international competition, growth of the Mexican wine industry has been slow but has been building momentum in recent years. The Valle de Guadalupe is a northeast running valley in northern Baja California beginning just north of Ensenada that is completely open to the cooling influence of the Pacific, with alluvial and limestone soils. Begun in 2009 by Hector Corona the organically and sustainably farmed vineyards yield healthy fruit that winemaker Jac Cole, a 30+ year veteran in Napa who made wines at Spring Mountain Vineyards, Krug and Stag’s Leap, can turn into wine with no manipulation. Flavors of cacao, strawberry, plum, blackberry and bing cherry, gravel, licorice and vanilla are framed by medium acid, alcohol and tannins. Length, complexity and intensity that will stand up to strongly flavored dishes such as grilled pork tenderloin or chicken or, yes, carnitas tacos.