Marco Massarotti owner of Casa Nostra
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by Dave Butner

In my previous article on the wine scene in San Miguel de Allende, I highlighted the restaurant Casa Nostra, and noted the restaurant's wine program had earned the prestigious Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence" for two consecutive years, 2023 and 2024.

Since that publication, Wine Spectator has released its 2025 awards and once again, Casa Nostra received the Award of Excellence, marking its third consecutive win. Casa Nostra is the only restaurant in the state of Guanajuato to have earned this award. I took this as the perfect opportunity to visit the restaurant. Owner Marco Massarotti graciously agreed to sit down with me for an interview to discuss the award and the evolution of his wine program.

Marco is clearly a wine connoisseur, speaking passionately about his love of both wine and food. In between warmly greeting guests entering the dining room, we sat and talked for over an hour about his approach to hospitality, cuisine, and curation.

His passion for food began while working in kitchens in Switzerland, where he grew up. Without formal training, he learned the craft by immersing himself in the kitchen and recreating cherished family recipes.

When he opened Casa Nostra in 2017, his vision was to bring his classic family recipes to life in San Miguel. The wine program was a priority from the start. Initially offering just four Mexican wines, Marco has steadily expanded the list in step with the growth of Mexican wine production. Today, of the more than 150 wines in his cellar, roughly one-third are from Mexican producers.

Marco's dedication to building one of the region's most thoughtful wine programs is ongoing. He spends considerable time researching and sourcing new additions to the list, carefully curating a selection that balances accessibility with excellence. While offering world-renowned classics like Opus One and Margaux, he also makes a point not to mark up wines excessively.

Even as a hands-on restaurateur, Marco continues to spend time in the kitchen, working closely with his core team, a staff of 15 that includes Chef Alex and Ricardo, the in-house sommelier, both of whom have been with him since the restaurant's inception.

Now, Marco is looking to evolve the menu by blending his European roots and love for Sicilian food with the vibrant flavors and ingredients of Mexico. "I'm putting my life on a plate," he says. "This next chapter is about honoring where I come from, but also where I am, bringing Mexican tradition into the family recipes I grew up with."

Looking ahead, he's considering the concept of hosting focused wine tastings paired with charcuterie. With three Wine Spectator awards in hand and a clear vision for what's next, Marco Massarotti continues to shape Casa Nostra into one of San Miguel's most dynamic wine and dining destinations.

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Dave Butner had a 40+ year career in IT as a software engineer. Winemaking was a hobby that turned into a second job, opening a winery with a tasting room. He contracted with vineyards to purchase grapes for his wines, ran the winery for eight years, doing it all by himself, a one man operation, selling it in 2016 and then did winemaking consulting for start up winery for some years afterwards.

It was always a small operation. He made 1,000 cases a year at most, doing it all while keeping his day job. Had a ton of fun and was successful in the sense of being written about in wine publications and such, pouring at wine events and competitions. Wine has been a big love of his for 40 years. He has traveled and tasted all over the major wine regions in the US.

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