At a glance
- Founded
- 2009first label, made at the Estación de Oficios del Porvenir
- Winemaking
- Thomas Egli
- Grapes
- Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, Grenache
- Style
- minimal intervention · organic vineyard · Petite Sirah · Pét Nat and Brut Nature sparkling wines
- Visits
- Open to the public
- Hours
- Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. · see hours
The house
Stone, wood, and reclaimed bottles make up Clos de Tres Cantos, a building that looks like a monastery. Architect Alejandro D'Acosta designed it to follow the topography and the paths of the vineyard, and the house says more than 90% of the materials come from the region. Inside there is room for wine, cooking, music, and the visual arts.
Behind it are María Benítez, who is Spanish, and Joaquín Moya, a former professor of philosophy and ethics. In 2009 they left Mexico City and arrived at the Estación de Oficios del Porvenir, the collective workshop where many valley producers made their first wines. Their first label, Resilencia, was born there, and there Petite Sirah became the grape of the house.
The vineyard is certified organic and the winery runs on solar power. Swiss winemaker Thomas Egli, trained in Wädenswil and experienced in Switzerland, France, Italy, and California, works with minimal intervention.
The house is built for staying longer rather than making a quick stop. It has a tasting room, the restaurant Ariete, cultural spaces, and an ecolodge with cabins among the vines, at km 89 on the Tecate to Ensenada highway, in San Antonio de las Minas. According to its contact page it opens Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and tastings and the restaurant are booked through its website. The cabins include a continental breakfast.
The wines
The house makes a white, a rosé, varietal reds, and blends, plus a Brut Nature sparkling wine and a Pét Nat, all in what it calls a minimal-intervention style. Petite Sirah, the grape the owners say chose them, shows up in several of its reds.
Red
Resilencia
The house's first label, born in 2009 at the Estación de Oficios del Porvenir.
Red
Nada
Tempranillo, Petite Sirah
A blend of Tempranillo and Petite Sirah from Guadalupe Valley.
Sparkling
Pét Nat
Part of the house's sparkling line, along with a Brut Nature.
Grapes it works with
- Petite Sirah
- Tempranillo
- Grenache
- In the vineyard and the cellar
- certified organic vineyard · solar power · building made with reclaimed regional materials
What to taste
Nada, which joins Tempranillo with Petite Sirah, the grape that has marked the house since Resilencia.
Why go
Eat at Ariete and sleep in the cabins, in a compound built almost entirely from reclaimed materials from the valley.
The visit
Receives visitors. Confirm the hours before you go. Reservations are recommended.
Offers:TastingsRestaurantLodgingEvents
Tastings and tours
Hours
- MondayClosed
- TuesdayClosed
- Wednesday10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursday10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hours from the contact page of the official website. It is best to book the tasting online.
Hours are subject to change. Confirm with the winery before your visit.
Tastings and the restaurant are booked through the house's website.
Lodging and amenities
Cabins: EcoLodgeCabins with views of the vineyard and the hills, with continental breakfast.
- Restaurant
- Event hall
Other activities
- cultural activities, music, and visual arts in its spaces
Getting there
Mexico Federal Highway 3 (Tecate to Ensenada), km 89 marker (Rancho Santa Lucía)
Carretera Tecate–Ensenada km 89, Rancho Santa Lucía, San Antonio de las Minas, Ensenada, B.C., C.P. 22813 · Get directions ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Open the driving route in Google Maps:
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