At a glance
- Founded
- 1997
- Winemaking
- Hugo D'Acosta, founding winemaker
- Grapes
- Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache Blanc
- Style
- wines of place · age-worthy reds · traditional-method sparkling wines
- Visits
- By appointment
The house
Hugo D'Acosta made the first harvest of El Vino de Piedra in 1997, a red of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, in a stone winery on the edge of San Antonio de las Minas. People in the valley began calling it Casa de Piedra (stone house) for the stony landscape where it was built, and the name stuck.
D'Acosta studied at the Montpellier school of agronomy and at the University of Turin. Other projects of his grew out of this house, among them La Escuelita, the workshop in El Porvenir where many of the valley's producers learned the trade. Casa de Piedra remains his family home and belongs to the VYVA group, along with Paralelo and Aborigen.
The building is horizontal and austere, a tribute to Mexican vernacular architecture. Winemaking happens in the original stone structure, and the tasting area sits higher up, on the hillside. Two years after the red came Piedra de Sol, a white from vineyards near the sea, and later a line of traditional-method sparkling wines, including a Blanc de Blancs with at least 18 months on the lees. The catalog also includes a special edition called 25 Cosechas, a top-tier red.
Tastings are by reservation only and subject to availability. They are requested on the VYVA website at least 48 hours ahead, and pets are not allowed.
The wines
The house works with few, sharply defined labels: a red of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, a white from vineyards near the sea, and a line of traditional-method sparkling wines. It wants each wine to speak of the place it comes from.
Red
El Vino de Piedra
Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon
The flagship wine of the house, first harvested in 1997.
White
Piedra de Sol
Grenache Blanc
A white from vineyards near the sea, first harvested in 1999.
Sparkling
Espuma de Piedra
A traditional-method line: Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noir, and rosé.
Grapes it works with
- Tempranillo
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Grenache Blanc
What to taste
El Vino de Piedra, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo red the house began with in 1997. For contrast, Piedra de Sol, a white from vineyards near the sea.
Why go
The sober stone building where Hugo D'Acosta began, with the tasting room at the top of the hillside.
The visit
Receives visitors by appointment. Reservations are required.
Offers:Tastings
Tastings and tours
House rules
- Pets are not allowed
The tasting is requested on the VYVA website at least 48 hours ahead and is subject to availability.
Getting there
Carretera Federal 3 de Tecate a Ensenada (Federal Highway 3, Tecate to Ensenada), km 93.5 marker
Carretera Federal 3 Tecate a Ensenada km 93.5, San Antonio de las Minas, Ensenada, B.C., C.P. 22755 · Get directions ↗ (opens in a new tab)
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