Vinas del Tigre 'Burro Choyero' Colombard
well, you all know how much we love Mexican wine here at Molly’s! And so, in March, we closed up both shops and went to the Valle together to visit some winemakers we carry in the shop and meet some new ones. There were so many great experiences, friends we checked in with, amazing meals and new friends we made! Aldo Quesado Lucero of Vinas del Tigre was one such new friend and I know I feel very blessed that he is a new member of our community.
With no idea what to expect and bellies full of fish tacos (hello Tacos Corona - i miss you!!) we ventured into the Valle del Tigre, just a hint northwest of the Valle de Guadalupe and a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. A windy ride over a hilly highway and through the morning’s rain brought us into the Valle del Tigre. Through the gorgeous green hills and on one of the only paved roads, we were greeted with a gorgeous herby, ocean breeze and a pack of sweet dogs vying for our attention (happy to oblige!). Aldo’s big smile and warm hugs ushered us on to the tiny property.
Aldo took us to the cellar, just under the distillery (where he makes distillations from the spent seeds, stems & skins of his wines plus wild foraged herbs & rain water collected in large tubs). We grabbed glasses and followed Aldo for a tour of the family property - bottle to taste in hand, of course. It had rained that all morning so the air was clean and the greenery of this magical valley glistened. Lucky us, the sky cleared just in time. We wove through the vines, past the goats and sheep and chickens, past the greenhouse where native plants from the surrounding hillsides are being propagated and cared for so they can be replanted after fires. Spending any time with him, it’s so immediately clear how deeply Aldo cares about this land and these vines and making wine that’s truly reflective of this little slice of bliss. He only breaks the ground once to plant the vines, and from there focuses on supporting the soil which feeds the vines. And he is firm in his belief that with this care in place, no corrections or additions of any kind are necessary in wine.
We stopped under a huge live oak and listened to him talk about his family, the land and the amazing community while sipping on his fresh, crunchy red (more on that later!). It’s as we rounded out our loop around the property that we ended up back in the cellar and got to taste the Burro Choyero Colombard…and it was SO fun and bright and full of life unlike any Colombard I’ve ever experienced. Try it for yourself and see what you think!
