Are You A Tequila Lover?
Mexicans savor tequila just like the French savor cognac or wine.
And just as there are wine lovers everywhere, so too are may tequila passionistas especially among the young travelers.
Sommelier Audrey Formissano – a French-born and trained sommelier – is now one of a handful of certified tequila experts in Mexico and gives the following information which Tequila lovers would probably want to know. Formissano aims to dispel the myths of drinking tequila and educate visitors and locals alike on the rich history and culture behind tequila.
Tequila is made with the "pina" or fruit of the blue agave plant grown in Jalisco, Mexico. Hundreds of years ago, Mexicans would use the leaves of the blue agave for making sandals and handicrafts while the "pina" was thrown away. Locals noticed that the smell from the garbage was sweet and so they began to use the "pina" and eventually created tequila.
It takes at least eight years for a blue agave plant to mature before it can be used to make tequila. One mature blue agave will grow to weigh 70-80 pounds but can yield about five bottles of tequila. Only tequila that is produced from 100% blue agave from Jalisco is considered real tequila. Year-round, travellers can visit the Jaliso region to watch blue agave plants being harvested in fields and many distilleries.