Mexico Has A Wine Region?

When my daughter told me that she was taking a group with her travel company, Gusto Mexico, to the wine region of Mexico, I had no idea that Mexico produced wine, or where it was. I had no idea how developed it was, the long history, the quality of wines being produced.

I recently went with that group. We flew to San Diego, spent the night, and were picked up for our van ride south. Smooth sailing as we entered Tijuana, got good close ups of the border wall, and continued down the coastal route to Ensenada. Big celebration for Mexican Independence Day (September 16th), lots of music, fun shops to browse, happy people enjoying themselves. We even did a beer sampling at Wendlandt craft brewery.

Then east about 45 minutes into the Valle de Guadalupe, the Guadalupe Valley, home to over 200 wineries that have been producing wines for over 100 years. Scenic countryside, vineyards as far as the eye could see, we arrived at the Hacienda Guadalupe, a beautiful, authentic, small 12 room hotel property. Spanish architecture, a restaurant with a view of the valley, a winery on premise with a modernistic tasting room of white tile and glass.

Activities during our four day stay included a fabulous four course meal at Finca Altozano with each course complemented with different wines from the region. Each course was a true farm to table creation. Healthy and delicious.

We visited wineries Chateau Camou, Los Nubes Bodegas y Vinedos, Domecq, and finally Cuatro Cuatros, Bar Bura which overlooks the beautiful blue Pacific and puts out a mean margarita. Napa Valley has nothing on these places. Fabulous décors, welcoming staffs, wines that were truly delicious, both whites and reds. Not producing enough to export, but it won’t be long.

Another stop was El Cielo Winery & Resort. Truly an amazing, and huge, property. Outdoor tables to enjoy charcuterie boards and wine, a massive area where people could wander around, take pictures, and a shopping store that would rival any retailer in the United States.

We spent an afternoon creating our own wine at Concierto Enologico. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a ball, and I admit I did produce a pretty good wine (not my words, but the opinion of my daughter, who is much more knowledgeable about wine than I).

Gusto Mexico seeks to find truly unique, out of the way, places to visit and things to see, so we drove a little out of town, down a long dirt road into a canyon, then climbed stone steps to a small palapa style facility where we enjoyed more wines and snacks from local fare.

My advice? Try it, the Guadalupe Valley – an experience that I enjoyed, and worth the trip.