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The top priority then and today is growing grapes for brandy. Several international brandy firms have invested in Mexican viticulture, and set up their own facilities there in order to avoid heavy import duties into Europe, especially on brandies.
The Domecq wine family of Spain was the first to make a significant investment, in 1953. With Mexico City as its headquarters, the company now has brandy and winemaking facilities at 11 locations. Other well-known firms with a big stake in Mexico are Gonzalez Byass and Freixenet from Spain, Hennessy and Martell Cognac from France, Martini & Rossi and Cinzano from Italy, Suntory of Japan and Seagram from North America. Devoting considerable time and money to wine production as well, Domecq has emerged as the leading table-wine producer, and some of its lines are now exported to the USA.
Today Mexico's vineyards exceed 70,000ha (175,000 acres). Close to 80% of the wine-grape harvest goes directly into brandy or vermouth production. Traditional wine production has been on the increase since 1980. As more vineyards are converted to traditional wine varieties and suitable land on coastal or high-elevation sites is developed, the modest momentum achieved by the 1990s should be sustained.
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