Rows of blue-grey agave stretch across the red volcanic hills of Jalisco in lines so regular they look drawn with a ruler, and they climb the slopes of the Tequila volcano as far as the eye can see. This is the heart of the agave landscape, where the blue Weber agave has been grown for tequila for more than three hundred years, and UNESCO recognised it in 2006 with the old distilleries and towns around it.
The plant takes seven to ten years to mature, and when it does, field workers called jimadores cut away the long spiky leaves with a sharp tool called a coa, leaving a round heart, the piña, that looks like a giant pineapple. The pinas are baked, crushed and fermented, and the juice distilled. Haciendas, brick chimneys and stone ovens still stand, and the old distilleries at Tequila, such as the one whose founding dates to the eighteenth century, welcome visitors for tours and tastings.
Tequila, the town, lies about six kilometres from Amatitán, in a valley beneath the volcano, with a cheerful plaza, a handsome church and painted houses. A train runs from Guadalajara on weekends, with tasting on board. The riding around is a pleasure. Roads are curving and quiet, among fields and old stone walls, and the colours of red earth, blue plants and green hills in the rainy season are extraordinary. Summers are warm with afternoon storms, and winters are dry and pleasant.
Fuel is available in Tequila and Amatitán, and so are restaurants serving birria, carne en su jugo and fresh tortillas. If you taste, do it sensibly, with a designated non-rider or an overnight stay, since a motorbike and tequila do not mix. Take time to learn the difference between blanco, reposado and añejo, and buy a bottle from a small producer. Late afternoon light turns the fields golden.