Cultural Journal

San Miguel de Allende Wineries: Where to Taste and How to Plan the Day

A hand holds a glass of white wine in front of a lawn, stone walls and columnar cacti

San Miguel de Allende is ringed by vineyards. The Guanajuato tourism portal lists five on its San Miguel wine route: Dos Búhos, San Lucas, San José La Vista, San Miguel and Toyan. All five are 10 to 15 minutes from the center. Toward Dolores Hidalgo, another wine route begins, with wineries farther from the center: Cuna de Tierra, a little over 30 minutes away, and Tres Raíces. Book ahead at every one.

The Five Wineries on the San Miguel Route

San Lucas

About 15 minutes from the center, among lavender and olive fields. The visit covers the vineyard, where merlot, cabernet sauvignon and malbec grow, and the winery. The tasting that closes the visit lasts an hour. On the same grounds you will find two Mediterranean-style restaurants and a shop for wine and olive oil. There is also a hotel, with a spa and horseback rides. Reserve ahead.

San Miguel

Its website puts it 15 minutes from the center. The vineyard offers tours and tastings. It has an underground cellar. There is also a chef-driven restaurant and a gourmet food counter.

Dos Búhos

Dos Búhos sits on the road from San Miguel to Buenavista, San Felipe, at kilometer 2.8, next to Zirandaro. This organic vineyard has a gallery and art installations. You can take a tour with a tasting or spend an afternoon with tea and wine. Lunch is served among the vines. Picnics are available. Reservations are recommended. For groups of more than eight, they are required.

Toyan

Toyan was founded in 1995. It works with an organic approach. It is 15 minutes from the center, and its website highlights one of the deepest underground cellars in Mexico. There are three tours. Silver lasts 45 minutes and goes down into the cellar. It pours three wines with Mexican appetizers. Gold lasts an hour and a half, adds a walk through the vineyard and pours four wines. Diamond lasts two hours. It pours five and comes with gourmet appetizers. Gold and Diamond include an orange wine: a white made with the grape skins. On Saturdays, from 12:00 to 5:30 pm, Toyan serves country cooking, and on Wednesdays, from 9:00 am to noon, a breakfast buffet.

Hacienda San José La Vista

Ten minutes from San Miguel, at kilometer 10.2 of the Nuevo Libramiento, with a view of the reservoir. It has a restaurant and lodging. Its wine bar is downtown, at Calle Umarán 10, steps from the Parroquia, the parish church. Guided tastings come with tapas. No car needed.

Toward Dolores Hidalgo

Dolores Hidalgo, the cradle of Mexican independence, lies in the opposite direction from Querétaro.

Cuna de Tierra

A little over 30 minutes from San Miguel, on the Dolores Hidalgo to San Luis de la Paz road. The vineyard opens Tuesday through Sunday, from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. Visits go from less to more: the guided tour covers the vineyard, the winery and two wines, the tasting tour goes up to four wines with a board of cheese and cold cuts, and the pairing tour adds a four-course lunch at Raigal, its restaurant. There are also cooking classes and a workshop where you blend your own wine. For two, there is a romantic evening with wine, dinner and sunset at the Torre de Tierra.

Tres Raíces

Tres Raíces is on the road from San Miguel to Dolores Hidalgo, with a restaurant and a boutique hotel on site. Its idea: Enologist for a Day. You make your own wine.

How to Choose

With an hour to spare, Toyan's Silver tour lasts 45 minutes and goes down into the cellar. Want lunch? San Lucas, San Miguel, Dos Búhos and San José La Vista have restaurants. Staying overnight? There is lodging at San Lucas, San José La Vista and Tres Raíces. For a group of more than eight, Dos Búhos requires a reservation.

Before booking, ask how many wines the tasting includes, how long it lasts and whether food comes with it. It varies a lot. At Toyan it is three, four or five wines. At Cuna de Tierra, two or four.

Planning the Day

Pick two wineries, not four. Each keeps its own hours, so confirm before you leave. If you are tasting, have someone else drive.

A Base in the Historic Center

Orchid House San Miguel de Allende is on Calle Hidalgo, a four-minute walk from the Parroquia, inside the area declared a World Heritage Site. Querétaro is an hour away by car. The Bajío airport is 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes away. The center is cobbled. Its streets are narrow. If you drive, ask about parking. You can do most things on foot, and the house arranges the rest, including tastings at the San Miguel and San Lucas vineyards, about 15 minutes from the center. For the rest of the city, there is our guide to San Miguel de Allende.

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