5 to Try: Mission Wines

A red wine grape with centuries of history throughout the Americas, Mission goes by several names. You might hear it called Listán Prieto in Spain or Mexico, Criolla Chica in Argentina, País in Chile, and Misión or Mission in Mexico and the United States. Many believe the grape originated in Spain’s Canary Islands and made its way across the Atlantic in the 15th century. 

In recent years, winemakers from southern Chile to the Pacific coasts of Mexico and California have been embracing the centuries-old grape in thoroughly modern ways. Writer Jessica Dupuy examines this movement in her feature, “Grape on a Mission,” in the September/October 2024 issue of Imbibe.

Next-generation Mission wines are a diverse lot, spanning zippy rosés, rich reds, and light-bodied, ruby-hued wines that are especially refreshing when chilled. They might hail from regenerative or organic farms, be carefully blended with far-flung or indigenous grape varieties, and undergo minimal-intervention winemaking. Here are five bottles to get to know the new wave of Mission wines.mimi castle

Bichi Listán 2022

From the granite, loamy soils of Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico, comes this fresh, ruby-hued wine. It’s dry-farmed on high-elevation plots, fermented with native yeasts, and aged in both stainless and neutral oak barrels. Light-bodied and easy-drinking, it has peppery red fruit flavors and a refreshingly salty finish. Serve it with a chill alongside tamales, burgers, or pretty much anything that comes off the grill at a cookout. $35.99, astorwines.com

Catena Zapata La Marchigiana Criolla Chica 2020

This tart rosé from an esteemed Argentine winery has a savory character. Lemon rind and briny herbs offset ripe strawberries and raspberries. The grapes grow in a loamy, sandy vineyard in Mendoza and are fermented in clay pots. The results are bright, balanced, and food-friendly. Pair this wine with everything from root veggies to roast pork to pizza. $21.95, empirewine.com

Scythian Wine Co. Lone Wolf 2022

Celebrated winemaker Rajat Parr created this single-vineyard Californian red from a singular collection of Mission grapes. Planted in 1896, and untended for decades, some of the grapes interbred with indigenous varieties, creating a dynamic wine with tart cherry and lemon flavors and ample acidity. The fruit for Lone Wolf is hand-harvested, fermented in stainless steel, and finished in neutral oak barrels. $64.99, dtwine.com

De Martino Los Olvidadas

The grapes for this low-intervention red wine grow on hundred-year-old vines in Chile’s southern Itata Valley, less than 15 miles from the Pacific coast. All are hand-harvested and fermented with native yeasts, then aged in French oak barrels for a year. Los Olvidadas, which translates to “the forgotten,” uses País alongside San Francisco, a grape grown in Chile since the 1640s, according to historians. It has elegant red fruit flavors and velvety tannins on the long, dry finish. $38.04, decantalo.com

Viñas del Tigre Zopilote 2022

A blend of Listán Prieto and Tempranillo, this organically farmed, limited-production red wine from Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe has spicy, smoky, and fruity flavors. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with native yeast separately in two types of vessel: stainless steel for Listán and French oak for Tempranillo). Malolactic fermentation before bottling creates integrated tannins and a smooth, velvety finish. $47.99, mexicanwine.us