A Frugal Grape Nut’s Guide to Cozumel
I appreciate a good vintage — especially if we come across hidden treasure bargains. But once we settled permanently on Cozumel, the copious flow of the good-quality, inexpensive-to-moderately-priced stuff to which we’d become accustomed in the states dried up like an LA drainage ditch in August.
The following article lays out what I discovered. I hope it will help other wine-lovers visiting Cozumel to fulfill their guzzling dreams at an at least somewhat affordable price. And if you find out anything good, please email us so we can add the info to this article!
Introduction
Yucatecan’s, traditionally, have never been big wine drinkers. Beer, rum and tequila have long been readily available at affordable prices. Unlike wine which for many years was very expensive to ship from one of the few good vineyards on the west coast of Mexico and also expensive to import from international sources.
Cozumel had the additional supply problem faced by all islands—more expensive to get it here from the mainland. And, for many years, there just wasn’t enough local demand to make this economically feasible without charging high prices.
In recent years, however, local demand has increased markedly. This was certainly due in part to the steady influx of well-heeled nationals moving in from sophisticated cities like Guadalajara and Mexico City. And, of course, there are also a growing number of foreign ex-pats who now choose to make Cozumel their home on a full or part-time basis.
As of this writing, there is a vastly greater selection of wine available locally than there was even five years ago. Prices are still higher than you will be accustomed to paying in the US – particularly if you’re on the west coast. But you can find some excellent choices in the moderate ($6-12) price range as well as plenty of the high price spread for those special occasions. Right label for Errazuriz Reserva, a reliable, mid-priced Chilean wine to watch for at the stores here.
Click Here for a breakdown of what’s available locally with a few recommendations to get you started with your own shopping
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