First of all, greetings again, and I hope you enjoyed our previous newsletter and continue with us on this adventure. Throughout our newsletters, we will tell you how mezcal is made and even share interesting details about its history. But before that, I would like to delve into the following question: What is a Denominación de Origen (D.O.)?
You've probably heard this term before. I'll explain it in a simple way; if you'd like to know more, I recommend checking out the description provided by the blog of the Federal Government's Ministry of Economy.
A D.O. is a type of geographical indication, primarily applied to a food product, whose quality and characteristics are essentially and exclusively due to the geographical environment in which it is produced, transformed, processed, and packaged. In other words, factors such as soil, topography, climate, and more influence each denomination. Here's a list of examples of D.O. around the world and their generic equivalents.
- **Champagne (France):** Sparkling wine.
- **Roquefort (France):** Blue cheese.
- **Mezcal (9 states of Mexico):** Distilled agave liquor.
- **Parmigiano-Reggiano (Italy):** Parmesan cheese.
In the previous newsletter, I mentioned that Mexico has 3 agave spirits with Denomination of Origin, granted by the IMPI (Mexican Institute of Industrial Property). They are:
- **Tequila:** Published on October 13, 1977, originating from the municipality of Tequila in the state of Jalisco.
- **Mezcal:** Published on November 28, 1994, originating from the area known as the "Mezcal Region," covering the municipalities of Solá de Vega, Miahuatlán, Yautepec, Santiago Matatlán de Tlacolula, Ocotlán, Ejutla, and Zimatlán.
- **Bacanora:** Published in the year 2000, originating from the municipality of Bacanora in the state of Sonora.
On November 28, 1994, the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) declares the Denomination of Origin Mezcal to be applied to the alcoholic beverage of the same name. The geographical region is established as the states of Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, and Oaxaca. In the latter state, there is an area called the "Mezcal Region," including the municipalities of Solá de Vega, Miahuatlán, Yautepec, Santiago Matatlán de Tlacolula, Ocotlán, Ejutla, and Zimatlán. This region gives rise to the product's name due to the historical tradition in the production process in artisanal factories. It's important to note that each state has its own characteristics derived from agave variety and the processes used.
I hope you've learned something new! As a side note: our 3 labels are produced in Santiago Matatlán de Tlacolula, Oaxaca. I invite you to visit our store, where you can read more about the technical details of each product: www.mezcalmitre.com/tienda
Greetings, and enjoy a good mezcal!
