A Little Crazy, A Lot of Heart

The Altos Norte story begins with land — 1922, when the family grandfather purchased the farm that would become Hacienda San José del Tepozán in Encarnación de Díaz, between San Juan de los Lagos and Lagos de Moreno. For decades, the land grew monoculture corn and raised livestock, the standard agricultural rhythm of the Altos de Jalisco. But in 1994, the family made a pivotal decision: they began prepping the land for organic farming, adopting an agro-ecological model that would take two decades to fully realise. This was not a quick conversion; it was a generational commitment to regenerating soil, biodiversity, and purpose.

In 2016, after extensive preparation, José Miguel Vega — a civil engineer by training — and his wife Aida Karim Hernández planted their first grapevines. The initial half-hectare was Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, French Mercier and Richter vines brought from France. Three years later, they expanded to four hectares, adding Albariño and Malbec. José Miguel, meanwhile, had begun studying enology at the Escuela de Vino del Altiplano (EVA), becoming a self-taught, disciplined winemaker who would eventually serve as the estate's sole vigneron.

The first harvest came in 2018. Convention suggested waiting three to five years before commercial release, but the quality of those early grapes — reflecting two decades of soil regeneration — spoke for itself. The family bucked tradition and bottled early. In 2020, the Altos Norte brand was officially born with three still wines: a rosé, a red, and a white. The first sparkling wines were made using traditional methods, advised by the Technological University of Northern Aguascalientes, with selected yeasts and controlled fermentation.

But the family's philosophy was evolving. As the vineyard grew, Vega and Hernández sought methods that aligned more deeply with their care for land, crops, environment, and workers. They wanted less intervention, more authenticity. The change came in 2021 — the year they embraced natural winemaking fully, producing their first Pét Nat using wild, endemic yeasts and abstaining entirely from sulfites, filtration, and stabilization. The name "Zafado" — Spanish for "crazy" — came from José Miguel's uncle, who called him exactly that when he announced he would make wine in Jalisco, a region no one associated with viticulture. Today, Zafado is a manifesto: you have to be a little crazy to pursue your dreams.

At Altos Norte, intervention is minimal and trust in nature is absolute. Since 2021, all wines have been made with wild, endemic yeasts — the indigenous microorganisms present in the grapes and the environment. The wines are not filtered, clarified, stabilized, or sulfited. Nothing is added, nothing is taken away. This is live wine, without makeup, as the family describes it — wine that responds to the pulse of the year rather than a commercial calendar.

José Miguel Vega, though a civil engineer by original training, interprets each harvest as one who translates an ancient language. Decisions about which wines to produce are made based on the grapes themselves: acidity, ripeness, Brix degrees, and the unique character of each vintage. The first still wines (2018–2020) were made at the Value Center of the Technological University of Northern Aguascalientes. From 2021 onward, all winemaking moved to their own winery in Jalisco, where they began producing sparkling wines with spontaneous fermentations.

The portfolio is divided into two distinct lines — Zafado and Bruto — each representing a different facet of their natural sparkling philosophy:

Zafado (Pét Nat / Méthode Ancestrale): The impulse, the daring, the crazy. 100% Pétillant Naturel. Wild yeasts only. Fermentation begins in stainless steel tanks, monitored for 10–12 days, then continues in the bottle. As sugars are consumed, sediments accumulate; bottles are constantly shaken to prevent clumping. No sulfites, no filtering, no stabilization. Disgorged to remove sediment, then released as slightly effervescent, light, balanced wines with small bubbles that dance on the palate. Three versions: Rosé (Tempranillo and Malbec), Orange (Albariño — one of the few orange wines made in Mexico), and Red (Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec).

Bruto (Traditional Method): The restraint, the purity, the essential before the polished. First fermentation with wild yeasts in stainless steel tanks. Technical tests confirm fermentation completion, then selected neutral yeasts (which add no flavour) are introduced for the second fermentation in bottle. Bottles rest horizontally in cages for months, remaining on lees. Workers shake bottles repeatedly over weeks to break sediment into powder. Bottles are cooled, necks frozen, and disgorged to expel lees — no carbonated bubbles added, no dosage for Bruto Cero. Clean, pure, traditional method sparkling wine.

Still Wines: The estate also produces still Tinto (Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon blend) and other limited still releases, though sparkling wines remain the focus and the reputation of the house.