Food & Wine

AlexSunrise
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Tequila, anyone?

This past November while visiting Guadalajara for the WTA Finals, we took the opportunity to venture out for a day trip to Tequila, Jalisco, where we visited Cava de Oro Distillery in El Arenal, in order to learn more about the tequila making process, and of course get to try an array of them.



The day started just before noon in the lovely hacienda that houses Cava de Oro.






A gorgeous and sunny day was to be enjoyed.







Cava de Oro has two lines. The industrialized and the artisanal made one. The following images show the process for the artisanal, which is made the old and low yield way.

The agave pine (piña in Spanish) arrive after being harvested into the facility. They are then cooked for 24 hours with wood in the ovens in the background, and left for another 24 hours to continue to cook with the vapor generated as well as allowing for them to cool down before being chopped into smaller pieces and then smashed with the stone tahona, where all the juice will be pressed.























The juice (mosto) then flows to giant cilinders in the cellar were they will filter out the fibers and begin with the fermentation process.








The artisanal line is twice distilled in copper stills.



Then it is down to the cellar, where the tequila is left to rest and age accordingly to what it is to become in the future:
Blanco, 0-3 months
Reposado, 6 months
Añejo, 9-12 months
Extra añejo, over 12 months.

At this stage it is still at a high alcohol content of 57-58 degrees of alcohol.





Being November, cempasúchil flowers abound.




Now to the fun part… Tasting!









We got to sample the full line Cava de Oro offers of 5 tequilas and 2 mezcals.

From left to right, the first 3 bottles are the regular production, whereas the next two are the artisanal variety.











Some scenes from the property and surrounding agave field








After our tasting, we made our way into the town of Tequila, where we enjoyed lunch in a former hacienda belonging to Sauza Tequila.

A beautiful property and tasty restaurant, for sure.


















Afterwards, a brief walk around town and time to go back.






Here’s hoping you enjoy this brief tour, and in case that you do not know what to drink this weekend, may I suggest a tequila?

Salud!

Alex