Queretaro

Querétaro's vineyards lie between 20° and 21° north, at an average altitude of about 1,965 metres. Summer rains can lower night-time temperatures, while hail poses a significant risk. Soils are mainly clay-loam, including vertisols and phaeozems. Grape production consolidated here in 1942, but high costs, low grape prices, imports and gaps in technical knowledge brought a severe crisis in the 1980s and 1990s. Vineyard area has since grown again. Red grapes include Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Marselan, Tempranillo and Cabernet; white varieties include Macabeo, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Xarel-lo. Querétaro produces and exports sparkling wine. The protected geographical indication Vinos de la Región Vitivinícola de Querétaro identifies wines from the region.