A country already world-famous for its tequila, Mexico is also trying its hand at winemaking, with successful results. In the past few years, the country's leading wineries have collected an impressive array of accolades, gaining a following among wine lovers excited by the prospect of finding excellent vintages in unexpected places. Discover the varieties of wine from Mexico and learn about the award-winning vintages, as well as the myriad of local festivals celebrating the winemaking tradition.

Mexico's largest wineries can be found in three regions conveniently located near the town of Ensenada, 70 miles south of the U.S. border: San Antonio de las Minas, the San Vicente Valley and the Santo Tomas Valley. Guadalupe Valley is located in San Antonio de las Minas. Others states such as Zacatecas, Sonora and Coahuila also boast boutique wineries producing high-quality wines: Coahuila is home to the aforementioned Casa Madero, and grapes produced near Sonora's capital city of Hermosillo are often used in the production of wines from Baja wineries.

The varieties of red wine produced in the Baja California region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Ruby Cabernet, Zinfandel Grenache and Mission. The white wines are Chenin Blanc, Palomino, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Saint Emilion and Malaga.

The following is a partial list of Mexico's wineries, many of which conduct tours:

Monte Xanic: Located near the town of Zarco, 25 miles northeast of Ensenada, this winery is less than two decades old, but has quickly gained a reputation as one of Mexico's finest and is credited with putting the country's wine on the map. For more information, call (011-52-555) 545-1111 or visit www.montexanic.com.mx

Chateau Comou: Inspired by what he saw in the Monte Xanic winery, Ernesto Alvarez-Murphy Camou took his mother's maiden name, bought 1000 acres in 1995 and created Chateau Camou. Like Monte Xanic, Chateau Camou aims at creating top-quality wines and is considered one of Mexico's most modern and sophisticated wineries. Camou offers tours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon for US$3. For more information, call (011-52-646) 177-3303 or visit www.chateau-camou.com.mx

Case de Piedra: This discreet vineyard, located at Km 93.5 in the valley of San Antonio de Las Minas, is considered by some as Mexico's most innovative and ground-breaking winery. For more information, call (011-52-646) 155-3097 or visit www.vinoscasadepiedra.com

Bodegas Santo Tomas: Open since 1888, this winery has been producing wine longer than any other winery in Mexico. The winery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call (011-52-646) 178-3333.