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3 + Tess Rose Lampert
/ Durango Part 1
Tess is back to talk about her recent trip to Durango!
In this episode, Tess discusses the difference in production styles between Oaxaca and Durango. She explains the characteristics of the Cenizo (Durangensis) agave which is endemic to the area. We learn about several vinatas Tess visited including Lagrimas de Dolores and the head Vinatera, Fabiola Avila. Tess talks about the flavor profile of cooked dasylirion (the plant used to make sotol) and how it differs from agave plants.
Durango Part 2
This is the second episode in a two-part series about Tess’s recent trip to Durango. In this installment, Tess talks about Casa Cortez and how they have forged family-like relationships with their producers to offer a variety of terroir-driven mezcal expressions. She explains the difficulties producers in Durango experienced in getting their distillates certified by the CRM. We talk about a threat to the environment which can only be described as agave poaching, why it’s happening and what should be done to bring this issue to light. Tess also describes a CBD infused mezcal she tried from Bosscal, an urban distillery.
Please check out Tess’s article on the Mezcalistas website that goes into even more detail about her recent trip to Durango!
Tess is a scholar and educator specializing in the culture of beverages and food. She is an advocate for the responsible cultivation, promotion, and preservation of agave distillates. Tess holds an MA from the University of East Anglia, UK, in Philosophy of Food and Drink and an Advanced Degree from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
¡Hey Hey! Agave is dedicated to all things agave. Join us for conversations with industry experts, enthusiasts, producers and educators as we discuss the fascinating world of agave spirits.
¡Hey Hey! Agave is a podcast from TUYO NYC
Music: Milagro Verde
Production: Sabrina Lessard and Gabriel Velazquez Zazueta
Editor: Brittany Prater
Correction: The capital of the state of Durango is Durango city. Not Tamazula Please forgive my poor geography. G.
1. Durango, Mexico (link)
2. Some of the mountains and valleys in Durango
3. A rocky road in Durango
4. Oven at El Ojo (Origen Raíz)
5. Oaxacan style tahona and tinas at El Ojo Vinata
6. Unloading the oven and bagazo (cooked, crushed agave) coming out of the line at the 618 Vinata
7. Fermentation tanks at the Cuero Viejo Vinata
8. Agave being crushed using a tahona at Cuero Viejo Vinata
9. Martha Garza, the COO of Cuero Viejo at the Vinata
10.,11.,12. Examples of the Cenizo agave plants in the municipality of Nombre de Dios in Durango, Mexico
13. The Vinatera, Fabiola Avila, standing by fermenting agave in wood tinas at the Lagrimas de Dolores Vinata
14. Barrels in Lagrimas de Dolores
15. Dasylirion (sotol) plants (link)
16. Vinatero in Temoaya breaking into roasted sotol
17. Vinatero in Temoaya holding a roasted sotol
18. Tess holding the roasted sotol
Durango Part 2
19., 20. Durangensis Agave (Cenizo)
21. Durangensis Agave (Cenizo)
22. Tepemete Agave
23. Tepemete Agave
24. Cenizo agave (possibly a hybrid) where its quiote has been cut (known as capón)
25., 26. Fully bloomed quiote
27. A bat pollinating an agave's inflorescence (flower cluster) (link)
28. Seed pods of a Cenizo agave
29. The breathtaking landscape of Durango
30. An example of what happens to normally clear CBD infused mezcal when water is added (Bosscal Mezcal)
+ All photos courtesy of Tess Rose Lampert unless otherwise noted +
