At a glance
- Founded
- 2004the year of planting, on a hacienda dating from 1707
- Vineyard
- about 5,100 ft (1,560 m)
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Tempranillo, Chardonnay
- Style
- age-worthy reds · aged in French oak · whites and sparkling wines
- Visits
- To be confirmed
The house
Editorial review · reviewed on October 11, 2026The hacienda was founded in 1707, when Captain Benito Pérez de Rivera established it along the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. Over the centuries it grew to cover about 20 million acres (more than 8 million hectares), around a third of present-day Chihuahua, and three centuries later its land was worked again, this time with vines.
Eloy Vallina relaunched it and planted the vineyard in 2004, hoping to prove that the Chihuahua desert could produce wine of international standing. The vines grow in the Valle de Encinillas, at about 5,100 ft (1,560 m) in elevation, on clay and gravel soils and in a climate of extremes, and the house says it follows sustainable farming practices.
The press cites about 180,000 bottles a year and more than a dozen labels, from Chardonnay and sparkling wines to reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Shiraz. The wines for aging rest in an underground cellar, in French oak barrels, and the Megacero 2014, a Cabernet Sauvignon, won silver at Vinalies Internationales 2017.
The hacienda opens its doors at the Festival de la Vendimia (the harvest festival), held every year since 2018 and in its eighth edition on August 30, 2025, with grape stomping, a blessing of the harvest, tours of the cellar and the historic chapel, and a concert. Encinillas is about 50 miles (80 km) from Chihuahua City, on the road to Ciudad Juárez.
The wines
The weight of the house is in its long-aged reds in French oak, with Cabernet Sauvignon as the main grape, but the catalog is broad and includes Chardonnay, a Merlot rosé, sparkling wines, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Shiraz varietals, and blends.
Red
Megacero
Cabernet Sauvignon
At least 16 months in French oak barrels and 6 in bottle before release. The 2014 vintage won silver at Vinalies Internationales 2017.
Red
Anxelin Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Red
Anxelin Shiraz
Shiraz
Red
Hacienda de Encinillas Selección Especial
Grapes it works with
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Shiraz
- Merlot
- Tempranillo
- Chardonnay
- Soils
- clay and gravel
- Vineyard
- desert climate of extremes
- Production
- about 180,000 bottles a year, according to the press
- In the vineyard and the cellar
- sustainable farming practices · aging in an underground cellar
What to taste
Megacero, a Cabernet Sauvignon with at least sixteen months in French oak and half a year in bottle, the house's age-worthy side.
Why go
The story of a 1707 hacienda on the Camino Real, with a chapel and an underground cellar, that opens to the public for its harvest festival.
Awards
- SilverVinalies Internationales · Megacero 20142017
The visit
We have not yet confirmed whether it receives visitors. Ask before you go.
Offers:HarvestEvents
The hacienda opens to the public at its harvest festival, with tours of the cellar and the chapel.
Other activities
- blessing of the harvest and grape stomping
- tour of the cellar and the historic chapel during the harvest festival
Events
Every year
- Festival de la Vendimia Encinillasevery year since 2018, at the end of summer. With grape stomping, a blessing of the harvest, and a concert. The eighth edition was on August 30, 2025.
The dates of each edition are confirmed with the winery. The ones already announced are on the wine calendar (in Spanish).
Getting there
Valle de Encinillas, Chihuahua · Get directions ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Open the driving route in Google Maps:
- Directions from your location (opens in a new tab)
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- Directions from San Ysidro Port of Entry (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from Chihuahua (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from Aeropuerto de Chihuahua (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from Delicias (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from Ciudad Juárez (opens in a new tab)