Parras de la Fuente

In the middle of the Coahuila desert, springs surface and turn a valley green: Parras - "vines" - is an oasis of walnut trees, orchards and grape rows, and it has been making wine since the sixteenth century. Casa Madero, founded in 1597 as the Hacienda San Lorenzo, claims the title of oldest winery in the Americas and still operates: its stone patios, chapel, cellars and copper stills are open for tours and tastings, and its wines and brandies come from vineyards spreading around the buildings. The town beyond is a pleasure in its own right - adobe and stone streets, the hillside chapel of Santo Madero on a rock above the valley, spring-fed public swimming pools that have served as the town's social centre for generations, and the birthplace museum of Francisco I. Madero, the revolution-era president whose family owned much of the valley. August brings the harvest festival, with grape stomping, parades and concerts. The contrast - vineyards and walnut shade in the middle of desert - is the whole charm.

What you actually see

• Casa Madero - the 1597 winery, cellars and tasting rooms.
• The spring pools - the town's swimming tradition.
• Santo Madero chapel - the rock-top church over the valley.
• The oasis - walnut groves and vines in desert country.

When to go

August for the harvest festival; October to April for mild weather and quiet streets. Book ahead for festival weekends - the town is small.

Honest expectations

Winery tours run to a schedule and can fill; reserve. The pools are municipal and busy in summer holidays. The drive from either direction crosses long, empty desert.

Nearby

Saltillo's sarape workshops and desert museum lie east; the Cuatro Cienegas pools are three hours north.