Mexicans Abroad

"Paisanos" that make/support Baja Wine all over the world

 Aquiles Chávez - Chef from Tabasco (La Fishería - Houston, TX)

He was born in Mexico City on February 3, 1977.

Currently he is considered one of the best chefs of the country. He grew up in Tabasco where he says , “everything began”, when as a teenager he dreamed to purchase an electric guitar, so he got a job in the summer of 92’ as a “cochambrero” (dishwasher) in a restaurant chain in Villahermosa, Tabasco, MX.

It was there where he discovered the ease of cooking, so he developed a passion for studying cooking.

Check out his Bio and Info HERE!.

 Bulmaro Montes - Maritas Vineyard, Napa Valley, CA

At the age of 16, Bulmaro Montes came to California from Oaxaca, Mexico to fulfill the American dream. With a high school education and speaking very little English Bulmaro started working as a laborer along with his father Manuel Montes Sr. and his brother Manuel Montes. After working seven days a week to accomplish his dream, Bulmaro's destiny changed and was recognized for his hard work and dedication. In 1973 Bulmaro was promoted to Vineyard Manager of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. With continuous passion and dedication with the industry Bulmaro was later promoted to Vice President of Operations for Joseph Phelps Vineyards. His passion for the vineyards and his willingness to continue growing has made him one of the most respected Vineyard Managers in the Napa Valley. He was behind JPV's key wines, Insignia, Backus and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In June 2003 Bulmaro retired from Phelps but could not stay away from his obsession with his vines. Marita's Vineyard is now a new era in Bulmaro's life. With over 30 years of experience Bulmaro introduces Marita's Vineyard and SOMA wines in continuation of generations of creating superior wines. With the same dedication, knowledge and passion Bulmaro will continue to dominate the industry.

Buy his wines online in our store.

 James Suckling - www.jamessuckling.com

He worked for 29 years as an editor of the American wine magazine The Wine Spectator as well as its sister publication on cigars, Cigar Aficionado. He probably tasted about 150,000 wines in his career. Read Wikipedia for his full, more detailed biography.
He is also the wine editor for Asia Tatler, with magazine editions in such key cites as Hong Kong, Macau, Beijing, Shanghai, Taiwan, and Singapore, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand. He does regular tastings in Tuscany, Los Angeles, Bordeaux, and Hong Kong.
One of the main focuses of his website is reporting on many of the best wines of the world through videos in vineyards and cellars with winemakers, vintners, and owners. Most of the videos are the work of James Orr, the Canadian-born filmmaker, and himself. He believes that today’s wine drinker deserves more than just written wine reviews and criticism. They need to see with their own eyes the place, the people, and the rating process. There’s so much more to learn about wine than just simple numbers and prose.
He tastes thousands of wines each year as well. Those on location are generally not blind, but he brings out the paper bags for the larger, more organized ones.
He tastes young wines for both the pleasure they give as well as their potential to improve with age. He was told early in his career that an outstanding quality wine must improve with age, and he has always believed this since. When rating older wines, or mature ones, he puts more emphasis on their current drinking pleasure.
He rates wines using the 100-point scale. He has used this point system for close to 25 years. He still believes it is the simplest way to rate a wine, with its origins from grade school in the United States. A wine that he rate 90 points or more is outstanding (A), and worth buying. If he rates a wine 95 points or more (A+), it is a must buy. Wines rated from barrel, or unfinished wines, are rated with two point ranges such as 90-91 or 92-93.
In general, he focuses on outstanding quality wines, regardless of their price or origins. He doesn’t see it necessary to publish notes of wines with scores of less than 90 points. Photo by: Alessandro Moggi.

Buy his wines online in our store.