April 2026
April 2026: Mexico!
In April of 2024, I took a trip to Mexico City, my first adult trip to Mexico at 37 years old. That alone was enough of a reason for me to choose Mexico for April’s theme, but I’m sure uplifting products and crafts from Mexico will make sense to most of you at this moment in time. This month, we have one wine from Valle de Guadalupe, the region most well known today for quality wines, and one wine from Valle de Parras, in Coahuila, where some of the first vineyards in Mexico were planted.
RGMX: Scielo Blanco
The RGMX Estate was founded in 1998 by the Rivero Gonzales family (hence, the RG in RGMX) in Valle de Parras, one of the original wine regions in Mexico, planted first in the 1500s. RGMX only produces estate-grown wine and their vineyards are planted at 5,000 ft in mixed clay and sand soils. Their vineyards are farmed organically, and they grow ten varieties and focus on low-intervention winemaking and working to lessen their impact on the environment. The Scielo line is their line of fully organic wines, based on a fresher style.
Tasting: This wine is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Chenin Blanc, one of my favorite grapes. The texture will surprise you: the elegant clear bottle led me to expect a lighthearted summery sip, but this wine is complex (don’t serve it tooooo cold), and one of the reasons I think it’s perfect for Portland spring. Fermented and aged in stainless steel with only a small amount of malolactic conversion, it tastes nothing like an Oregon Chardonnay but has a rich plushness from the ripeness achieved at high elevations in Mexico. This wine would be great with roast chicken or carrots, or a well-appointed cheese board. Only 1800 cases were made.
Monte Xanic: Calixa Blend
Monte Xanic is referred to as the first boutique winery in Mexico, established in 1988. Today, they have one of the largest vineyard holdings in Valle de Guadalupe, all farmed sustainably (and our chosen wine is organically grown) from 900 to 1800 feet in elevation (for context, Willamette Valley wines top out at about 800 feet). They practice modern farming methods as well as old world traditions to grow and produce wine. Xanic is the name of the first flower to bloom in spring in Valle de Guadalupe, so the brand itself celebrates spring. Calixa takes its name from the Náhuatl language, meaning “house”, meaning this wine is meant to be an everyday wine at home.
Tasting: This blend is 40% Tempranillo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. A Cab/Merlot blend is traditional in Bordeaux, so this blend is big, red fruited, and bold like a Bordeaux, but elegant and softer with leathery tannins from the Tempranillo. Fermented in stainless steel but aged in French oak, this wine is round and thought-provoking on the palate, with dark cherry, baking spices, and a dusty rock minerality. This can be enjoyed as a sophisticated pour or as a casual food pairing, with a meaty paella, red sauce pizza, a grilled steak, or tacos. A little bit of spice would be perfect with the spicy notes in this wine, but not hot heat.
