The latest from me is this article for Seven Fifty Daily on why some mezcal brands aren’t even certifying to begin with or are dropping their certification. As Graciela Àngeles says, it wasn’t an easy choice for her and Real Minero because the entire identity of so many in the mezcal world is tied up in that word, “mezcal.” But the bureaucracy, friction, and cultural issues are causing something of a boomlet in agave spirits. Meanwhile the certification bodies have multiplied without addressing the issues that are driving brands away, a well defined appellation managed by a transparent and accessible administration body.
I’ll be writing more on this topic soon because it isn’t going away and there are so many angles to it. And, it speaks to the larger question of how appellations are working.