In rural Tamaulipas, one entrepreneur is testing whether wine can take root 

In the Tamaulipas Highlands, a region long tied to cattle ranching and traditional crops, Viñedo Monterredondo is testing whether wine production can become more than a novelty. 

The private project, located in the ejido Monterredondo at kilometer 105 of the Victoria–Tula highway in Jaumave, is introducing grape cultivation in a state with little to no winemaking tradition.

The effort is led by entrepreneur Eloy Reyna, who said the idea grew out of years spent around the wine trade in Tamaulipas.

“It all comes from a personal interest, a long-standing passion for wine,” he said. “I was involved in buying and selling wine to bring it to Tamaulipas, and every year I traveled to learn what wineries were doing.”

Testing wine in Tamaulipas

Reyna acquired the land in late 2018. The first planting trials began in 2019, when the vineyard set out to answer a basic question: what, if anything, could survive and produce quality fruit in the climate and soil conditions of the Tamaulipas Highlands.

During that first stage, the project planted five French varieties — Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon.

“We gave them five years to go through the adaptation process and see what grew, what developed, and what produced quality fruit,” Reyna said.

The results narrowed the focus. 

After the trial period, Reyna said the project kept the grapes that showed the strongest performance under local conditions.

“Out of those five varieties, we kept Tempranillo and Malbec, which were the ones that adapted best to the soil, the climate, the water and the environment,” he said. 

Those grapes were used in small young-wine trials in 2023 and 2024, part of a broader effort to evaluate fruit quality before any larger-scale commercial push.

Why Jaumave — and what it takes to grow

For now, the footprint remains small. 

The vineyard began with one hectare (about 2.47 acres). Today it covers one and one-third hectares (roughly 3.3 acres). 

Reyna said he is considering another expansion this year.

“This year we are considering expanding it to between 2.5 and 3 hectares,” he said. 

That’s about 6.2 to 7.4 acres.

But that growth will depend largely on water.

“If you want to grow, you have to have water,” Reyna said. 

Water was one of the reasons Jaumave emerged as the chosen site. 

Reyna said the municipality offered a combination of factors that made the gamble worth taking.

“Altitude, water, and proximity to Victoria were the factors that led me to choose Jaumave,” he said. 

That decision put the vineyard in a place with little institutional memory for this kind of crop. 

Reyna said one of the hardest parts of the project has been building something in a state where viticulture has no local precedent.

“Starting is difficult because you are in a place where no one else grows this crop,” he said. “Everything you do is trial and error.”

The technical hurdles have gone beyond simply choosing varieties. 

Reyna said the soil where the vineyard was established has low organic matter, which forced additional work to prepare the land and manage water conditions.

The capital requirements are significant too. 

“Each plant I bring costs about three euros, and each hectare requires between 3,000 and 3,200 plants,” Reyna said. 

At that density, plant costs alone run from about 9,000 to 9,600 euros per hectare, or roughly $12,150 to $12,960, before other vineyard startup costs are added.

From vineyard to tourism bet

Even at that early stage, Reyna is trying to build more than a crop. 

On Saturdays, the vineyard opens to visitors, offering food and wine tastings featuring bottles primarily brought from Valle de Guadalupe, which he distributes in the state.

The audience is regional. 

Reyna said there is already demand for this kind of experience even before the vineyard reaches full production.

“Most of the visitors come from the border region,” he said. “Many people also visit from Tampico.”

Groups typically range from 15 to 20 people, though the site has also received full buses and private reservations for family events. That tourism layer is central to the project’s long-term vision. 

Reyna is not only trying to prove grapes can grow in Jaumave. He is trying to test whether a winery, tastings, tours, and food service can create a new rural economic niche in the municipality.

The wine itself is still in early stages. 

“The first wine trial I made became the first wine label produced in the state of Tamaulipas,” Reyna said.

That first blend combined Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.

“I think it’s very interesting, and I personally liked it,” he added. 

This year could mark a more important production step. 

Reyna said the maturity of the vines may allow for stronger fruit output, with harvest expected around September. After that, the grapes would still need to move through fermentation, filtration and possibly aging before the wine could be sold.

“I think this year could be interesting for me,” Reyna said. 

The broader vision extends well beyond a single harvest. 

Reyna said the vineyard has been built mostly through private capital, with limited backing from public entities despite the potential tourism and economic development angle.

“We’ve tried to approach people in tourism and economic development, but there hasn’t been much interest,” he said. “We’re still pushing forward on our own.”

Even so, he said the project is meant to do more than establish a vineyard. He sees it as a possible catalyst.

“My idea is to spark development in Jaumave with this project,” Reyna said. 

That future, if it materializes, would be gradual. 

The expansion plan contemplates growing the vineyard to as much as 7 hectares, planted primarily with Tempranillo. At the project’s estimated density of 3,200 plants per hectare, that would amount to about 22,400 vines.

The larger ambition goes beyond planting rows of grapes. 

The project also envisions a regional wine association and the development of complementary activity around tours, tastings, food, and events, effectively creating the foundation for a wine route in a part of Tamaulipas where none exists now.

For now, Viñedo Monterredondo remains what many early agricultural bets are at the start: a test of climate, capital, patience, and market demand. 

But it is also a test of whether a municipality better known for ranching and conventional agriculture can carve out a new identity around wine.

Visitors can reserve Saturday visits beginning at 1 p.m. by calling +52 834 111 4247.