Hi all! Long time since a post ... part of it being the travel between Zihuatanejo and Puerto Vallarta. But then the old computer is slowly losing its mind so no wireless at anchor. Or even in the bars! We've got a bunch backed up (along with many photos), but in the meantime our friend here in Puerto Vallarta, Laurie Ailworth, wrote the following account of our trip with them and others to the pueblo of Tequila. Her husband, Jay, did all the driving, so a gracious tip of the hat to him as well.
Amazing Trip to TequilaAll our friends are amazing, and our friend Naomi is one of the most special. She knows everyone … just because she’s about the friendliest person that exists, with the energy of a small tornado and smiles that don’t quit.
Thanks to her, a group of 7 of us took the most amazing trip we could imagine. Naomi was surprised too, but here’s the story…..
It’s a hint that you’re in for a unique trip when the person Naomi casually mentions as "my friend Sylvia" is the Sylvia Sauza you’re reading about in the Moon tourist book – she’s the living legacy of the Sauza tequila dynasty, the #1 brand in sold Mexico (!).
The 4 hour drive inland to the small town of Tequila (pop. 35,000) is through hills and mountains, acres of sugar cane and, of course, blue agave as far as the eye can see. As you near the town, there is no doubt of the main product produced here – tequila is sold on every corner, and every store in between.
When we arrived, our first stop was to the museum. Sylvia is the 4th generation of the Sauzas. Her great-grandfather Cenobio Sauza de Madrigal established a local distillery in 1873, approximately 200 years after the town was first founded. Subsequently, through the years, the Sauzas have won international awards for their products, which are renowned for their purity and taste. This museum is the passion and lifelong project of Sylvia, and is filled with antiques and memorabilia. It was closed for renovation, but Sylvia had made special arrangements to open it to us, including her very special museum store, La Tiendita. It’s filled with artisan objects she finds from across Mexico, which she sells at remarkably affordable prices. It’s as if she wants to share the art with everyone, without price being an issue. Some of the artists are personal friends, such as the internationally famous ceramist Gorky Gonzalez (
http://www.gorkypottery.com/).
We’d already started to fill the car with bags from La Tiendita when we checked in to the delightful hotel Naomi had found for us, Casa Dulce Maria. Inner open courtyard, a fountain, handmade leather rocking chairs and also sofas for relaxing, and the room was only $45/night. They even served us all complimentary tequila as we waited to check in.
We sampled a local restaurant for la comida (main afternoon meal), and several of us tried Chile en Nogada for the first time. It’s the Mexican national dish – a poblano pepper, stuffed with a mixture of ground meat (usually pork), nuts, and dried fruits, topped with a walnut or almond cream sauce, and the top sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. The red, green and white dish (colors of Mexico’s flag) was invented by nuns many years ago.
Sylvia had made late afternoon reservations for us to tour the Sauza distillery. As we walked to the plant, we walked on streets named for Sylvia’s father, and learned of the schools and medical services her father Francisco Javier Sauza had built for his beloved town. At the distillery, for 2 hours we learned about the process from start to finish. The "pineapple" of the blue agave plant, the large giant bulb that yields the final product, weighs 250 lbs each and takes 7-8 years of growth before it can be harvested. We saw mounds of pineapples, and learned that they process 36,000 lbs each day. Since tequila is regulated by the Mexican government for quality, purity, alcohol percentage, etc, we learned what is and isn’t a true tequila. The 3 grades of tequila are Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo, which represent the amount of aging – from Blanco right from the distilling pot with just some dilution of distilled water to bring the 70% alcohol content down, to Repesado at 1 or more months in an oak barrel, and up to 1-3 years or more in the barrel for Añejo. The Sauza business had been purchased a year ago by Jim Beam, the US bourbon company. But the Sauza family still makes a limited distribution product, which we were to learn about soon.
Sylvia had asked that we come to the family estate for desert. It’s a true hacienda. The grounds stretch forever, filled with flowering trees, a small lake, bougainvillea in full bloom, stables, an assortment of animals, and the crown jewel -- the old mansion. It sits atop a hill, overlooking all of the town of Tequila, and the mountains in the background.
As soon as we entered the hacienda gates, we were surprised to learn a tour had been arranged for us of their private distillery. The small, many decades-old distillery now makes the limited edition of Los Abuelos ("the grandparents") tequila. The huge old grinding stone to grind the cooked pineapple pulp is now pulled by a tractor instead of horses, but all else is essentially the same as when her father originally built the site. After touring and learning of the history, we were led to a "surprise". Sylvia’s husband Bernardo was so excited, he was almost jumping up and down, waiting to lead us in.
We were led into the caves – caves carved out of the rock for aging the tequila in the oak barrels. As soon as we entered the dark caves, a path was illuminated for us with candle-lit luminarias, and candle wall sconces. When we came into the large tasting room, glowing with table candelabras, and chairs set and waiting for us, a guitarist/singer started to serenade us with traditional Mexican songs. His voice in this unique sound chamber was so incredible, and we could scarcely believe what we were experiencing. For the next hour, while he was singing, were treated to tasting their 3 Los Abuelos tequilas. Sylvia and Bernardo looked delighted to see our excited reactions, as they shared this piece of family history with us.
These tequilas are truly limited, due to the traditional manual and labor intensive methods they use. For example, each bottle stopper, wood carved into the shape of an agave pineapple, is hand carved. Each hand blown bottle is different due to hand crafting, not mass produced. The 3 tequilas range in price from $35 - $60/bottle, and in the US can only be found in select restaurants, since production is only ~2500 cases/year. The bottle itself is a work of art, not to mention it is delicious tequila! This is true sipping tequila, enjoyed slowly. (The US perception of a shot glass, salt, and lime is for tourists drinking white lightening!).
Afterward, as is this wasn’t enough, Sylvia invited us into her home – the hacienda mansion – for dessert. It’s filled with 3 generations of antiques over 100 years old, and reflects the history of her family. Sylva is a "Doña" in every sense of the word. She is an elegant, stately, extremely gracious Lady (capital "L") who doesn’t show her years in any way. She looks under 60, but must be older. She treated us as if we were her family, and welcomed us with warmth and affection. We do believe there is nothing anywhere like Mexican hospitality! She gave us a tour of the home, the art, the artisan collections, family pictures, and shared stories of the family.
One would think this was more than enough for an amazing adventure. But… we weren’t finished yet!
The next morning, Sylvia invited us all to the birthday party of her most trusted assistant for many years, Gabriella ("Gabi"), who is like family to her. We joined the hacienda staff hiding in the kitchen, to all greet Gabi with a loud "Sorpresa!", and once again the guitarist treated us to music. Everyone sang the traditional birthday song "Las Mañanitas," then sat down to a breakfast of homemade tamales and atole. Atole is a drink, traditionally served with tamales, made from chocolate, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and masa or cornstarch.
Afterward, we gave ourselves a tour of the grounds, not quite able to get over the gorgeous view from the hacienda. We made a last visit to La Tiendita, again opened especially for us, to make some last purchases of Los Abuelos. Then, we were off for the drive back to Vallarta. Meanwhile, Sylvia and Bernardo invited us all to stay longer, one more day, and accompany them into Guadalajara to go antique shopping. There is no limit to their hospitality!
However, it’s time to go, and we headed back to Vallarta. This magical weekend will always be a special, wonderful memory of a warm and wonderful couple, and a lovely town. Thank you, Naomi!
Next, from Barra de Navidad, a shot of someone who missed the channel going out of the lagoon. Wasn't us!
