It starts with a glass
The “L” de Liceaga never rushes you. First, the color settles in the glass. Deep ruby. Clean and bright. It moves slowly, leaving broad legs that hint at volume and patience. It looks like late afternoon light stretching across Valle de Guadalupe.
Then the aroma opens, calmly. Ripe blackberry and blueberry lead the way. Raspberry follows. Black pepper shows up quietly, not aggressively. As the wine breathes, oak steps in. Fine wood, chocolate, coffee, and a soft toast round out the bouquet, layered and deliberate.
On the tongue, the wine builds with purpose. Syrah brings depth, spice, and structure. Meanwhile, Merlot smooths the edges and adds roundness. The tannins are firm but well-mannered, evolving gently through the mid-palate. The finish is long and persistent. It does not shout. Instead, it stays.
This wine knows where it comes from and because of that, the conversation begins.
When place becomes the point
Baja California wines have spent decades earning respect one bottle at a time. However, legally speaking, many still compete without formal protection of origin. For that reason, Provino Baja California, together with COLEF and CODEEN, is pushing for an Indicación Geográfica Protegida, or IGP.
According to the Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Intelectual, an IGP identifies products whose quality, reputation, or characteristics are essentially linked to their geographic origin. At least one production stage must happen there. The link must be provable. The name must carry weight.
Unlike a Denomination of Origin, an IGP allows flexibility. In the world of wine, that difference matters.
Why Baja is not a one-grape story
Baja California is not defined by a single varietal. In fact, it never has been. More than 100 grape varieties grow across seven wine valleys. Styles change from producer to producer. Creativity is part of the regional DNA. Therefore, forcing rigid rules would suffocate what makes Baja interesting in the first place.
An IGP protects identity without freezing innovation. It says where a wine comes from, while still allowing it to evolve. For Baja, that balance is everything.
The uncomfortable math of making wine here
Producing wine in Baja California is expensive. Not metaphorically. Literally, water scarcity remains the biggest challenge. Meanwhile, land prices have surged. In Valle de Guadalupe, agricultural land once sold for two or three dollars per square meter. Today, prices reach twenty or even thirty.
As a result, planting one hectare can require over two hundred thousand dollars. That figure comes before vines, irrigation systems, labor, electricity, or barrels enter the picture.
At the same time, more than ninety percent of Baja wineries are micro or medium producers. They do not play the volume game. Instead, they play the quality game. That choice has consequences.
Imported wine and the uneven playing field
Here is where the issue becomes uncomfortable. Some wines sold in Mexico are bottled locally but made with imported bulk wine, often from Chile. These imports arrive legally. Customs clears them. Paperwork checks out. Yet the cost difference is stark.
Local producers report that Baja grape juice alone can cost around fifty pesos per liter. Meanwhile, finished imported wine can arrive cheaper than that. On the shelf, both bottles may still read “Mexican wine.”
Without geographic certification, consumers rarely know the difference. That confusion is not accidental.
Why an IGP actually matters
An IGP brings clarity where the market currently has fog. It tells consumers that a wine labeled Baja California truly comes from Baja grapes. It introduces traceability. It creates accountability. Most importantly, it builds trust.
Still, the challenge goes beyond paperwork. Implementation matters. Querétaro already has an IGP, yet it is not fully executed. Baja aims to do both: obtain the certificate and enforce it. Paper alone changes nothing but practice changes everything.
More than wine, this is identity
Baja California still produces around 2.5 million bottles per year. It still leads national production. Over the last five years, its wines have earned more than one thousand international medals. And yet, the pressure is real.
Recently, grape purchases dropped sharply. Some grapes stayed on the vine. That had never happened before. Economic slowdown, tourism shifts, and rising costs all played a role. Therefore, protecting origin is no longer optional. It is strategic.
Because wines like “L” de Liceaga do not come from nowhere. They come from land, water, risk, and stubborn people growing vines in a desert. If the label says Baja California, it should mean exactly that.
No bad news. Just overdue recognition.
