If you’ve read my blog more than a couple of times, (thank you), you know that I like variety. More than just variety, I seek out the obscure. Be it a small production bottle, a little-known varietal, or a grape not normally associated with a particular region, if I can get my hands on it, I will buy it and try it.
Stay with me here, I promise its relevant. A Facebook friend recently posted the following question: “What is your favorite wine?” I assume the idea was to see what kinds of varied responses he would get. Perhaps out of simple curiosity, or maybe as a parlor game. Or maybe he was genuinely looking for ideas or recommendations of what to try. Regardless, I could not provide a simple answer. In my response, I stated that there were simply too many options and variables for me to select a single “favorite” wine. White or red? With what meal would I be serving the wine? The point is, I don’t want to limit myself to a favorite. I crave variety.
Chenin Blanc seems to be making a comeback in recent months, and I am quite happy with this. Don’t get me wrong; a few years ago, I may have turned my nose up at Chenin Blanc. As a child, I remember my parents drinking Chenin Blanc wine from a gallon jug, so as I got into wine as an adult, I associated Chenin Blanc with cheap, jug wine. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago, when I received a sample of a Clarksburg Chenin Blanc from NakedWines.com that I came to appreciate the delicate, floral, tropical-fruity goodness that is this grape. Since then, I’ve enjoyed a number of bottles from California, South Africa, and its native home, France.
So there I was, cruising the Italian Wines aisle of my local Total Wine & More store, looking for an interesting white wine to enjoy during the last few hot days of summer. Something caught my eye. L.A. Cetto Chenin Blanc 2014. A Chenin Blanc from Italy? Say no more – into the basket it went. I didn’t even take the time to examine the label.
As I unpacked the wine at home, preparing to log it into my Vivino app before setting it aside in the chiller until the right moment, I noticed something odd. On the label were these words: Valle De Guadalupe, Baja California. Eureka! I had accidentally stumbles across my first Mexican wine! Clearly someone at Total Wine thought L.A. Cetto sounded Italian, so it ended up in the wrong bin.
The website listed on their label, lacetto.mx, is in Spanish. Fortunately, I took Spanish in high school, Google Chrome has a translation feature, so I could read the information. From the L.A. Cetto website:
“LA Cetto Winery is undoubtedly the Mexican company that is the leader in the production of quality wine. With 88 years of experience acquired by 3 generations, its wines are now found in Mexico and in 27 countries in the world.”
L.A. Cetto was founded by Don Angelo Cetto. Born Angelo Cetto Carli in Selva di Levico, Trento, Italy in 1900, Don Angelo arrived in Mexico in 1924. It was he who, in 1928, had the vision and planted wine grapes in Baja California. In 1951, Don Angelo’s son, Don Luis Agustin Cetto, took over and grew the company, hiring an Italian oenologist, Camilo Magoni. In 1983, the L.A. Cetto label was introduced to the wine market, and the third generation of the family, Luis Alberto Cetto, joined the team.
In my quest for variety and the obscure, I was excited to try this new find. So on a recent, warm Sunday afternoon, I liberated the cork and poured a couple of glasses. Here’s what I thought of it:
Light straw color in the glass. On the nose, aromas of apricot and citrus. There are flavors soft citrus, yellow apple, pear, and hints of quince and apricot. The wine has lively acidity and a soft, round mouthfeel. The finish lingers with delightful of tropical fruit notes. A very smooth and easy drinking wine, and a great introduction to the wines of Mexico. At just $8.99, an excellent value, too!
I encourage you to seek out a bottle of this fun and delicious wine, and give it a try. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Cheers!
Appetite for Wine 