Unconventional thinking leads to the world’s first certified regenerative tequila
On the land he has converted to regenerative agriculture, Mestas grows naturally occurring cover crops between the agave rows and then grazes livestock – including cattle, horses, donkeys and sheep – to further improve soil health. (Rodrigo Mestas)
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Life is short, so embrace change. That’s the distilled philosophy Rodrigo Mestas brings to his tequila business, his regenerative agriculture management style and his approach to life.
In an industry where 99 percent of agave growers (including himself originally) use chemical-intensive conventional farming methods, Mestas has always believed there is a better way to farm.
“Conventional agave production uses a lot of chemicals to control pests, diseases and weeds,” he says. “These chemicals are becoming increasingly expensive and I realized I had to do something different.”
Inspired by the soil health documentary “Kiss the Ground,” Mestas began his personal regenerative journey in a familiar way: first watching YouTube videos featuring soil health pioneers Gabe Brown, Ray Archuletta and Alejandro Carrillo, then attending a Soil Health Academy school to meet and learn from other experts in the field of regenerative agriculture.
“Four years ago, I started talking to Allen Williams, Gabe and others at the Alabama SHA, sharing photos of my operation and inviting them to visit my farm,” Mestas says. “Gabe suggested that I implement the six principles of soil health on just a small portion of my operation so I could compare what was happening in that regenerative area to my conventional fields.”
After returning from SHA school, Mestas began his transition from conventional to regenerative farming with a single agave field of about 12 acres and gradually added more over the following years. Today, about 250 acres of his 2,200-acre farm in Guadalajara, Mexico, is fully regenerative.
“Over the next five to seven years, we plan to convert the remaining conventionally farmed areas to regenerative agriculture,” he says.
The world’s first Regenified™ Tequila
Mestas recognized a potential commercial opportunity to produce the world’s first regeneratively certified tequila and contacted Regenified™, a regenerative product certification company.
Because Mestas is still early in his regenerative journey, he was only expecting Level 1, or entry-level, certification, but Mestas was pleased to learn that Regenified’s soil health, functional, and other testing showed his regenerative growing area had achieved Level 3 certification (with Level 5 being the highest). Mestas says Regenified™’s certification process included taking the product through fermentation, distillation, and refinement.
The end result of this process was Tequila Torrente™, the world’s first regeneratively produced tequila bottled in recycled glass. Despite the international trade challenges, Mestas says he’s working with Regenified.™ to place its product in California retail and create the first regeneratively certified tequila in the US market.
Slow, steady and calm
Mestas says that implementing the regenerative transition gradually has allowed him to learn, adapt, plan and innovate over time without being overwhelmed. Implementing regenerative farming principles and practices, including grazing animals, requires constant observation, adjustment and, most importantly, rest.
“Every field is different, every day is different, so you have to observe and adapt,” he says. “You have to stay calm because if you’re afraid, you can’t make good decisions.”
Just four years after beginning its regenerative conversion, Mestas has seen its soil’s organic content and infiltration rates double, and a steep increase in insect, bird and predator species and populations. In one recent case, a pest infestation typically controlled with pesticides was eliminated by ladybugs present in its regenerative agave fields.
“In conventional agriculture, solutions are sold by the big agrochemical companies,” he says. “In regenerative agriculture, solutions arise through thinking and working with nature.”
An unconventional and experimental way of thinking
Mestas also admits that a dislike of the status quo can inspire innovation and progress. “In life and in business, I don’t like static,” he says. “It’s just my nature.”
A marketing professional by trade but a scientist at heart, Mestas is constantly studying, observing and experimenting with every aspect of his business. From varying the densities of agave plants in his fields to planting agave plants in forests to using different types of wood in the barrel-finishing process of tequila making, Mestas is always trying and testing new approaches and techniques.
“The only way to know if something works is to find out,” he says. “Some people think I’m crazy, but my people trust me and we see the positive difference our regenerative farming is making on the land, and that’s very rewarding.”
Since it takes 6-7 years for an agave plant to be ready for harvest, Mestas says it’s probably too early to tell whether his regenerative farming techniques will result in a more flavorful or unique tequila product. But he’s optimistic that over time, it will.
“I am sure that the presence of more micro and macro nutrients in the soil and agave plants will have a positive impact on the taste of our tequila,” he says. “In the future, we also plan to source regeneratively produced aging barrels, which will surely add further dimensions to make Tequila Torrente™ a truly unique and environmentally friendly drink.”
— Tequila Torrente
