San Antonio’s solely tasting room devoted to Mexican wine is making strikes at La Villita. The West Aspect’s Casa Guipzot will formally debut its second bottle store within the internationally recognized historic district on Friday, August 15.
Proprietor Salena Guipzot fell in love with wine whereas residing in Portland, Oregon, however she by no means tasted Mexican varieties till an anniversary journey to Cuatrociénegas, Coahuila, with husband Eduardo “Lalo” Guipzot. Since then, the nation’s viticultural exports have grow to be a ardour.
She opened the primary Casa Guipzot at 118 S. Sabinas St. #101 in 2022 earlier than increasing to La Villita this yr. Each neighborhoods have a deep private which means for the couple. Through the ’60s, Eduardo’s grandfather lived on the West Aspect, commuting downtown to assist construct the Tower of the Americas for HemisFair ’68.
“La Villita is the proper place to deliver our imaginative and prescient to life — it is a cultural crossroads the place historical past, artwork, and wine meet,” says Salena by way of an Instagram message.
Though wine has been produced in Mexico for the reason that arrival of Spanish colonists within the sixteenth century, it was seldom imbibed. The Mexican wine trade, nevertheless, has skilled important progress during the last twenty years, with a brand new concentrate on microclimates and terroir as a substitute of the method of winemaking.
“It is unusual to think about a area with 500 years of winemaking historical past as ‘rising,’ however few areas have leaped as considerably in high quality during the last a number of years as Mexico,” wrote Wine Fanatic contributing editor Nils Bernstein in an trade overview. “Whereas its heat local weather delivers full-bodied, fruit-forward wines with ease, producers are changing energy with steadiness, complexity, and selection experimentation.”
San Antonians can fall below the spell of Mexico’s wines via Casa Guipzot’s packed calendar of occasions, from guided tastings to pairing courses. As soon as absolutely transformed, they’ll be a part of a wine membership that gives curated bottles each quarter.
Casa Guipzot will have a good time its grand opening from 5-8 pm on August 15 with bites, mariachi, samples, and a ribbon chopping at 6 pm. The primary 30 folks to reach will obtain a complimentary glass of bubbles to toast the debut.
