Parras de la Fuente
The Oldest Winery in the Americas
“… The wine cellar occupies the ground floor of the house, we find it well stocked with wine and brandy, which is distilled by ten stills. Don Antonio Esparza, its administrator, assured us that there are as many as 3 million vines, well endowed with water since they are blessed by abundant springs of water resulting in 1,000 arrobas of wine [approx. 3,000 gallons] and 700 of brandy [2,100 gallons].”
- Fray Agustín de Morfi, relating a 1777 visit to the Hacienda San Lorenzo (Casa Madero)
Where?
Casa Madero Winery in Parras de la Fuente, Coahuila, México (140 miles west of Monterrey, and 270 miles southwest of Laredo, Texas).
Parras de la Fuente is also the birthplace of the Mexican revolutionary, Francisco Madero.
When?
In 1597, an endowment of land and permission for the planting of vines and the making of wine and brandy was awarded to Don Lorenzo García with the authorization of King Felipe II of Spain. Originally known as Hacienda San Lorenzo, the desert oasis complex became the genesis of the Bodegas Casa Madero.
This official document is the evidence that Casa Madero is the oldest winery in the Americas, without interrupted operation since its foundation to today - 424 years!
What?
For the first time, grape vines were planted for the domestic production of wine resulting in the oldest continuously operated winery in the Americas.
The grape vine cuttings from Spain that were introduced by the missionaries were the variety Vitis vinifera, the frequently termed "mission grape." This variety is still grown throughout the borderlands.
Casa Madero currently exports its products to 27 different countries.
Why?
In order to hold mass, the region’s Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries needed a local source for sacramental wine for communion. Imported wine from Spain took months to arrive and was expensive with incorporated shipping costs.
Spirits like brandy, also made from grapes, were popular at the time in New Spain making their production a lucrative trade.
How?
Situated between the desert and the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains, the Parras valley is home to an abundance of springs in the Parras valley, resulting in oasis-like conditions that provide for a flourishing viticulture.
The region was noted to have a profusion of wild grapes by Spanish expeditions in the 1500s.
The name, Parras de la Fuente, literally translates from Spanish to: “vineyards of the fountain,” referring to this special geography and wild grape presence noticed by the members of these explorations.
Sources:
“Coahuila, México: La Mejor Tierra Del Vino Que Debes Conocer.” CNN. Cable News Network, April 5, 2018. https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/.../coahuila-mexico-la-mejor.../.
“Felipe II Dona Tierras Y Autoriza La Plantación De Vides.” Historia y Legado. Casa Madero , 2021. https://madero.com/.../felipe-ii-dona-tierras-y-autoriza.../.
“NMSU Viticulture: History.” College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), New Mexico State University, 2017. https://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/viticulture/history.html.
“Parras De La Fuente, Coahuila: Atractivos y Lugares Turísticos.” México Desconocido. México Desconocido, July 1, 2021. https://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/parras-de-la-fuente....