Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/230154
planting vineyards and undertaking some rudimentary wine production. Vinos Bibayoff is the legacy of Russian immigrant Alexei Dalgoff, who planted grapevines in Valle de Guadalupe in 1906. The winery is now run by his grandson, David Bibayoff, who makes nebbiolo, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and chenin blanc, and runs a museum devoted to the legacy of Russians such as his grandfather, who were called "Molokans," or "consumers of milk." Don Angelo Cetto came to Mexico from Italy in the 1920s and successfully operated a wine shop in Tijuana. His heirs continued the legacy, farming grapes for a house-brand wine before founding their own large- scale winery, Vinos L.A. Cetto, which produces a range of wines at several price-points and farms about 2,500 acres of grapes. The wines of Monte Xanic showed that world-class wines can be produced in Valle de Guadalupe. Another leap forward was made when Monte Xanic was founded in 1987 by a group of five friends determined to make world-class Mexican wines. Sonoma County-based winemaker Scott McLeod (formerly of Francis Ford Coppola's Rubicon Estate) consults, and Kelly Maher (formerly of Clos du Val and Domaine Chandon) is the viticulturalist. Mogor Badan, founded in 1986, is also widely admired, the vision of enologist and doctor of marine physics, Antonio Badan, who arrived in Mexico with his Swissborn father at the age of 2. Meanwhile, Mexican-born, Bordeaux-trained winemaker Hugo D'Acosta, who interned under Cathy Corison when she was at Napa Valley's Chappellet Winery, is most visibly leading the charge toward quality, taking over vineyards and making a push for terroirdriven wines at his Paralelo and Casa de Piedra wineries. MODERN INDUSTRY Today, approximately 50 wineries are based in Valle de Guadalupe, and a bevy of modern accommodation and food options have firmly taken root, including the restaurant Laja, which many, including The New York Times, have taken to calling the French Laundry of Mexico. Engineered Like No Other to Manage and Grow Your Club Efficiently • Advanced online club member registration and secure login • Intuitive customer and staff mobile interfaces • Integrated Shopping cart • Many CRM and marketing features • PCI compliant, with integrated credit card capture and payment processing options • Integrated shipping and compliance • Free expert training and support • Integrated with QuickBooks POS, VinNow, ShipCompliant and more Leader in wine club softw are technology since 2003 Call 877-441-CLUB (2582) or email info@activeclubsolutions.com for a personalized demonstr ation. www.activeclubsolutions.com w w w. v w m m e d i a.com J a n - Feb 2014 | V INE YA RD & W INE RY M A N A G EM EN T 83