Valle de Guadalupe

Baja // Mexico

By Lauren di Matteo

WRITTEN BY NICOLE BRAVO

Drug cartels. Trafficking. Kidnapping. Danger.

These were the fears that assaulted my mind when I considered crossing the border into Mexico. So you can imagine my hesitation when some friends invited me for a weekend trip to Baja. They assured me it was safe, and though the news proved my fears legitimate in years past, the area was making major strides. They bewitched me with their talk of beautiful vineyards, olive groves, and local specialties with a fine dining flare—I could not resist the opportunity and set out to explore Mexico’s wine-country, Valle de Guadalupe.

VALLE DE GUADALUPE

Located an hour-and-a-half south of the border, just a few miles north of the city of Ensenada, Valle de Guadalupe is brimming with wineries and new restaurants. Its unique, mediterranean microclimate, and porous soil make it the perfect landscape for sprawling vineyards and olive groves. While Russian immigrants planted vineyards there over a hundred years ago, it has only been in the last twenty years or so that the business of winemaking has truly begun to flourish. Our little weekend jaunt is in the winter, when the land is peacefully resting and the grapevines bare, but there is still much beauty to behold—whetting our appetites for the lush, bountiful vines we are sure to encounter during the summer months.

Delightful jams at Sol de la Media Noche

The view from Finca La Carrodilla Winery

CLOS DE TRES CANTOS WINERY

We feel privileged to get a peek into the heart and soul of the Clos de Tres Cantos winery as we explore the grounds with co-owner, María Benitez. Originally from Spain and born into a lineage of winemakers, María is living out her passion of cultivating grapes with her Mexican husband, Joaquín Moya. Together they have brought to life their shared dream of an environmentally conscious, sustainable vineyard.

Architect, Alejandro d’Acosta, successfully designed this masterpiece with over 90% reclaimed materials. The Mayan-inspired buildings were constructed with laja stones from a nearby mission, iron from an old ship, and the artful windows were made of recycled glass bottles. We venture down narrow steps and find a cool, cave-like cellar which successfully creates the feel of an ancient monastery. The subdued, heavenly light overhead pours down through an entire wall made up of multicolored bottles. As we continue onward, warm golden light fills windows comprised of yellow bottles to the east, and dark green bottles to the west—the darker color successfully softening the fiery afternoon sunlight. These beautifully designed windows provide sufficient lighting during the day so that artificial lamps are needed only in the evening during the harvest. Every detail of the winery is full of purpose, meaning, and beauty. Even the paintings adorning the cellar walls are a great treasure, for they have been passed down in María’s family for generations.

FINCA ALTOZANO

Turning off the main road, we traverse a bumpy dirt trail which—despite our wondering how this could possibly be the right way—leads us to Javier Plascencia’s Finca Altozano. As expected, there is a 40 minute wait, so we wander over to the little café set inside a giant oak wine barrel, overlooking the dark and dormant vineyards. We try their specialty, a café de olla latte—a treat so delicious I swear I’ll make the drive down again just for this drink.

We eventually make it over to the outdoor dining area, thankfully equipped with heaters on this misty evening, and order as many dishes as possible to get a taste of true ‘Baja Mediterranean’ cuisine. We partake of everything from a platter of local cheeses to lamb in “caja china,” lengua tacos to oven-baked beef ribs in black mole, and keep our poor server busy replenishing our stock of fresh tortillas. Finca Altozano is a beauty to behold and a delight to the tastebuds—we look forward to a return visit soon, for more than just the café.