An Unexpected Wine Sanctuary in Baja California

While attending a wedding reception for some friends (which was a private party) my sunglasses and a portable charger/iPhone charge cable got stolen from the table where I was sitting. No one was at the restaurant except for staff and wedding. When I noticed my stuff was missing and suggested the staff had to have seen something since they cleared the tables, they did not comply and when I requested camera footage they acted like I was crazy. I even went back the next day to ask about footage again, but they said the footage was accessed through the owner remotely. I was told if it was staff they would pay for my lost items. I have been in distant email contact with them for over a month but after 2 1/2 weeks they finally told me they only hold footage for 48 hours and that I should have my friend replace them as he offered (he was the groom). After replying to them that they should pay for items lost especially it it was staff they never replied again. DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE. They have motive to steal things there since Mexico salary and wages are not high.

My business partner and I have been going down to the wineries in the Guadalupe Valley for the past 4 years. We have met dozens of the wine makers and know many of the best of them well. They strive for perfection like most winemakers and the wine school in the valley keeps many of them up to speed with the industry trends. Thanks to the valley's most famous pioneer, Hugo D'Costa, and other pioneers like him, there are excellent quality wines coming out every year without fail.

We have probably tasted the wines from over 100 Vineyards. We did ultimately base the choice of our collection on the consistency of the taste from year to year and the reliability of the supply, because we had heard all about the issues from years gone by. With wine, you can never be absolutely certain from year to year because mother nature has her hand in all outcomes, but we have been shipping Valley wines all over the US for the past 2 years now, Restaurants, Bars, Liquor Stores etc. and the response has been really impressive. We are 1 of only 3 serious wine importers that have a realistic supply of “any” Mexican wine that supply stores consistently. The most popular store we know is Vintage Wines in San Diego, who carry the largest Mexican collection I have seen.

We did just a quick sampling in early April. It was beautiful after last winter's rains. We only sampled wineries at random and ate lunch at one of them. I would certainly like to go back and spend a longer time exploring.

I'm born and raised in Mexicali, Baja California, a town near to Valle de Guadalupe; my Fiance and I decided to get married in a winery called El Cielo located on Ruta del Vino; they have an excellent service!!!! We live in South Bend, IN, we visited my family for New Year's eve last year, and it was her first travel to that area; she fell in love with the atmosphere and how pretty the area is. Once we got to El Cielo, we tried their wines and they were really good!!!; then we asked for wedding services, and here is the coolest part, they take care of everything!!!! We got a tour for their facilities and their wine tasting bars, they also have a coffee bar that is also excellent; We decided at that moment we were going to get married there.

We are a month from getting there for our ceremony, so far, they have been taking care of all exactly as we wanted.

Special Thanks to Yolanda Dueñas (wedding coordinator at El Cielo Winery) for all her effort to make this happen!!!!

Great article!!! Hope to recieve many of you soon in the valley!!!

Your mention of Mr. Backoff's initiative to begin the era of "high-quality" wines from Guadalupe Valley seemingly truncates the historical contributions of Spanish friars, who were the first to plant vines in Baja, as well as relative vintner-pioneers such as L.A. Cetto and Santo Tomas. Production from these recent vintners is quite good, and it makes up a large portion of wines consumed domestically in Mexican. Having added the opinions of local Mexicans about wines from this region would've added a nice facet to your piece.

Great article. Baja California wines have been good, but unknown for most people, for a long time. The winers' problem is that they cannot mass produce (and maintain the quality) to satisfy huge demands, not only the US, but not even the Mexican market. It looks like they have found a solution in the "wine tourism" niche. Instead of getting their good wines to the clients, the clients have to come and get it where it is produced.

As for who started wine-making in Baja California, the story in the article refers only to modern times. Jesuits were the first to bring vines and grapes to the dry desert lands of the peninsula. The most famous of whom would probably be Padre Kino (which happens to be the name of one well known but not so good Mexican brand of wine).

Speaking of missionaries, another great trip in Baja is to follow the old missions' route, and learn about its colonization by the Jesuits and other religious orders, following Cortez trip to the region around 1530. Baja California is also a paradise for ecological tourism, including whate and bird watching. For those who prefer to avoid Cabo San Lucas, it is an undiscovered treasure and I hope it remains so for as many years as possible.

Let's not kid ourselves: wine contains alcohol, which is actually terrible for you physically, especially once you're past the age of 50. This according to my doctor, who told me I could probably fix my severe insomnia by stopping drinking. He was right by the way.

Does it really make sense that drinking something that in pure form is flammable could possibly be good for you?

Would we drink wine if there was no alcohol in it? I don't see a lot of alcohol free wine for sale.

Great article! The Guadalupe Valley wine country is just one of the Baja's gems. Another is taking a Scripps Oceanography whale watching bus tour down to the San Ignacio and other lagoons where the gray whales mate and birth their babies. Seeing the whales and being able to touch them tops even a great glass of wine and a good meal!

A beautifully crafted article. Thanks

Really enjoyed your writing style. Look forward to making the trip.

Lest we forget that all those vineyards have destroyed the natural habitat that supported native plants and animals for millennia. Why do we 'foodies' celebrate such decimation? All over the planet the vineyards march on and we simply drink and marvel at the fine wine that comes out of this 'terroir' while ignoring the destruction.

Thank you for a wonderful article. I was interested to see how those wine makers weren't afraid to take grapes from different parts of the world and blend them. It brought to mind how my father when we came to this country from Italy, south eastern Italy to be more exact, blended different kinds of grapes from California and invariably always produced delicious wines. His grape of choice though was always Zinfandel and no wonder. He pronounced that grape not Zinfandel but by it's true name ,Primitivo. And no wonder it was a grape familiar to him as it is the primary red wine grape from our region. Funny how he knew this fact decades before genetic testing proved him correct.

Good overview, however, as someone who grew up in New England and now has a vacation home in Baja close to the Valley, I enjoy the charm of back country dirt roads. I find it humorous that writers from the NY Times have historically complained about the dirt roads. Pavement does not add to the ambiance. The Valley of Guadalupe has an abundance of wineries that have adopted cutting edge modern architecture rather that adopting the faux Spanish colonial or European architecture. The Valley is a great place to explore the culinary delights of modern Mexican cuisine paired with delightful local wines.

Could you explain the reference to a "Campeche-style restaurant" in paragraph 25. I am a frequent visitor to the Valle and its restaurants, was intrigued by the association to Campeche, or was the intended reference "Campestre-style restaurant"? Great writing by the way, enjoyed the article greatly.

It seems that everyone on the San Diego side of the border has friends and family with harrowing tales about Baja. Five years ago, before my partner and I drove across the border the first time on a four-month winter RV vacation, friends in San Diego admonished us as "fools," "stupid," and one explicitly said, "you are going to die." They all said that they used to visit often, but citing secondhand experiences, they now refuse to go because of crime and violence.

We just returned from our fifth winter in Baja. This time, after reading an article about the region in the Los Angeles Times, we took the Wine Route (Mexico 3) south from Tecate to Ensenada, and marveled at the scenery, the wine, and the food. Viticulture is also spreading further south on Highway 1, as well. And, with the exception of some of the highways and dirt roads eating tires alive, we have yet to experience anything in Mexico even remotely like the anecdotal horrors that thrive in San Diego.

I was lucky enough to visit this area on my way down to San Ignacio in February. Imagine a place as beautiful as Southern California but with only a small percentage of the people. Even if you don't like wine, it's well worth the visit just for the scenery, the culture and the lovely people.

Great to read and hear more & more the recognition Baja and Guadalupe deserve. I am not so much afraid of what more tourists do to the Region, but more worried about what the local Government tries to do or change the lands, meaning bigger and taller hotels for example. Born and raised in Tijuana, grandparents rode on horse carriage in Guadalupe back when there were 3 or 4 vineyards at most. Glad to see more and more tourists visiting the area; forget the bad rep Baja has had, get a Sentri card (Global Entry) gringos and come down for some great and affordable food and wine!

Although wines from Baja California Norte are relatively unknown in the US, they are fabulous. A friend of mine brings them from a store in Mexico City where a couple establishments feature several varieties.
We lived in the area in the 1980s and there was almost no wine culture. I am delighted that the Valley de Guadalupe now produces fine wine.

My wife & I lived five years in Mexico City (during the mid-1990's). When shopping for wines, we learned to look for recent rather than older Mexican wines: they were improving significantly from year to year.

We noticed spectacular differences between Baja wines from vineyards that were right next to each other. A young lady native to those parts told us the microclimates vary spectacularly.

5 cases of wine are allowed back into the USA if not a California resident.

Finca Altozano is actually about 15 miles from the coast. The bouncy dirt roads? One becomes accustomed quickly and we locals actually rue the signs popping up. It's kinda fun getting lost ( you can't get too lost ) and stumbling onto a new discovery. That's how I found La Lomita, wending my way out from Troika Food Truck at Vena Cava.

Still a sense of discovery and adventure here.

Please someone either confirm or deny the "Note: California law allows for up to five cases of wine to be driven across the border into the United States"! As far as I knew, there has ALWAYS been a one liter/person limit to alcohol imported from Mexico to US as a federal law? NEED to know as I may have to make a wine road trip pronto! Thanks in advance for clarification.

I've JUST returned from a 10 day motorcycle tour through Baja. I live in Tucson, AZ and no idea about Baja Wine Country. My opportunities to drink wine are extremely limited when traveling by motorcycle, but I can tell you I had an shockingly excellent glass of Tempranillo from Santo Tomas one night while there. I'll be back, and in the meantime, I will see what I can hunt down at the specialty wine shop in town. Curiosity and tastebuds are piqued!

I am lucky enough to live in the Ensenada area, with the Valle de Guadalupe in my back yard. I was shocked when I moved here about six years ago to learn that Mexico makes such amazing wines. The climate is much like California's Central Coast, but the terroir is different enough that the wines are truly unique.

It's nice to see the Valle finally getting the attention it deserves, but the gentlemen who commented in the article that we don't want to see it turn into a tourist zone is correct. Those of us who live here and love the Valle want to see it succeed but still maintain what makes it unique: its rugged landscape, serenity, and distance from big city troubles. Hopefully, the ejido system and property buying laws here will keep it from being overdeveloped, especially by foreign interests. It's just about perfect right now.

A wonderful review of one of Baja's gems. I must write, however, you left something out: the graciousness of the Mexican people. Smile and say, "Buenos Dias" and you will get a smiling reply. Breakdown on a dirt road or on the main highway and drivers will stop to help you out.

I have lived for 20 years on the south coast of Ensenada bay and daily enjoy the rural beauty, the clean air, the quiet world where I awaken not to the sound of traffic but to the call of quail. I am blessed.