Michael C. Higgins’s EXPLORING WINE REGIONS: MEXICO is not only a useful reference for tourists, but also a tempting lure to inspire the wine-loving reader to look at places they might not have previously considered. The photography here is the biggest draw; the book is rich with brilliant and colorful pictures of gorgeous landscapes, lively city streets, growing vines, winemaking processes, and, most of all, luscious-looking food and drink. It’s practically a vacation in itself to thumb through it, enjoying the beautiful scenery and dreaming about (or actively planning) a trip.
The book is well-organized, as it features color coding in the upper right corner for each of the two main wine regions of Mexico; general descriptions of each region and area described; and an easy-reference section for each resort with contact information, hours, and approximate price range. The writing is chatty, informal, and personal—rather like a friend telling you about all the exciting things he did and saw on his trip—but it also includes cultural and technical information about the winemaking process. Indeed, Higgins can be delightfully enthusiastic about his favorite places, and his delight is catching—especially when talking, for example, about his experiences at Pai Pai Ecotourism Park, where he met his “girlfriend” (an adorable and very affectionate monkey named Rebecca).
The author does have an occasional tendency to write choppy prose, alternating between incomplete and run-on sentences: “Everything is here. Starting with the winery and wine tastings. And they have more than just delicious cheeseboards, they have a full restaurant at the winery as well as at the hotel. And the hotel offers luxurious boutique lodging.” Also, the food descriptions sometimes read as if they were taken straight from the menu, without much commentary on how the different flavors worked together or what the actual experience of the meal was like. Nevertheless, it’s generally quite enough to make the reader’s mouth water.
All in all, this is a very useful and inspiring reference for tourists, as well as a thoroughly enjoyable read for those who just want to explore the beauty and charm of Mexico’s wine regions from their own living rooms.
Michael C. Higgins’s EXPLORING WINE REGIONS: MEXICO is a well-organized, beautifully illustrated guide that promises to be of substantial use for travelers wishing to experience the culture of Mexico.
~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader