The Places · Mexico
Santiago Matatlán
Made By profiles 11 places in Santiago Matatlán, spanning winery — each tied to the people and producers behind it.
01.Winery
Los Danzantes
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
Los Danzantes sits at the heart of Santiago Matatlán, the Oaxacan township that produces more mezcal per square kilometre than anywhere else in Mexico. Recognised with a Pearl 3 Star Prestige award in 2025, it occupies the upper tier of the village's production scene, where questions of agave variety, roasting method, and resting time carry more weight than any single bottle.
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02.Winery
Los Javis
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
Los Javis operates in Santiago Matatlán, the Oaxacan municipality widely regarded as the mezcal capital of the world, and holds a Pearl 2 Star Prestige rating for 2025. Set against a backdrop of agave fields and palenques, it occupies a distinct position in a town where production heritage and hospitality overlap. For visitors tracing the origins of mezcal culture, this is a deliberate stop rather than an incidental one.
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03.Winery
El Rey Zapoteco
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
El Rey Zapoteco sits along the Carretera Internacional in Santiago Matatlán, the Oaxacan valley town that produces more mezcal than anywhere else in Mexico. A 2025 Pearl 2 Star Prestige award places it among the recognised producers of the region, operating within a tradition of agave distillation that predates the spirit's global commercial moment by centuries.
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04.Winery
Gracias a Dios
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
Gracias a Dios sits at the heart of Santiago Matatlán, the Oaxacan valley town that produces more mezcal by volume than anywhere else in Mexico. Recognised with a Pearl 2 Star Prestige award in 2025, the producer operates within a tradition where agave cultivation, pit roasting, and open-air fermentation remain the technical vocabulary, not a marketing narrative.
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05.Winery
Ilegal (Palenque Mal de Amor)
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
A palenque-style mezcal producer in Santiago Matatlán, the self-declared mezcal capital of the world, Ilegal (Palenque Mal de Amor) earned a Pearl 2 Star Prestige rating in 2025. Positioned at km 46.2 on the Carretera Oaxaca-Istmo, it sits within a village where agave cultivation and artisanal distillation are inseparable from daily life. The recognition places it firmly in Santiago Matatlán's upper tier of producer destinations.
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06.Winery
Real Matlatl
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
Real Matlatl sits along the Carretera Internacional in Santiago Matatlán, the Oaxacan valley town that produces more mezcal than anywhere else in Mexico. Awarded a Pearl 2 Star Prestige rating in 2025, the producer operates within one of the most closely watched agave spirits corridors in the world, where heritage varietals and traditional production methods define the competitive tier.
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07.Winery
El Cortijo (palenque)
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
El Cortijo is a palenque in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca's mezcal heartland, earning a Pearl 2 Star Prestige rating in 2025. Operating from Independencia 29 in the village that produces more mezcal by volume than anywhere else in Mexico, it sits in a small prestige tier among the town's traditional producers. Plan ahead: Santiago Matatlán rewards visitors who research producers before arriving, and recognized palenques fill their tasting slots quickly.
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08.Winery
Fidencio
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
Fidencio sits on Carretera Internacional km 48 in Santiago Matatlán, the Oaxacan valley town that produces more mezcal than anywhere else in Mexico. A 2025 Pearl 2 Star Prestige award places it among the most credentialed producers in a region where the gap between serious craft and volume distillation is wide and consequential. For anyone tracing the origins of artisanal mezcal, this address is a primary source.
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09.Winery
Sombra
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
Sombra in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca is a craft mezcal distillery producing small-batch, 100% Espadín expressions. Signature bottles include Sombra Mezcal Joven and Sombra Agave de Oaxaca Mezcal (750ml). Founded in 2010 by Master Sommelier Richard Betts, Sombra pairs traditional palenque roasting and a solar-powered tahona with rainwater cooling to create spicy, fruity mezcal with a whisper of smoke. Recognized for its sustainability and community work, the distillery delivers tactile, mineral-driven aromas, warm agave sweetness, and a long, savory finish, an immersive taste of Oaxacan terroir for discerning travelers.
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10.Winery
El Buho
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
El Buho operates out of Santiago Matatlán, the Oaxacan valley town that produces more mezcal than anywhere else in Mexico. Awarded a Pearl 1 Star Prestige in 2025, it sits at the upper end of a production village that has become one of the most closely watched spirits destinations in the Americas. For anyone tracking how agave terroir translates from field to still, El Buho is a fixed point of reference.
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11.Winery
Macurichos
Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
Macurichos sits on Oaxaca's Carretera Internacional in Santiago Matatlán, the municipality that produces more mezcal by volume than anywhere else in Mexico. A 2025 Pearl 1 Star Prestige recognition places it among the village's most considered destinations, making it a reference point for understanding how food and mezcal interact in the heartland of agave production.
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