Travelogue

Along the road north on Mexico 1877 miles to go.

However, we did have a fun event planned for the day: visiting a winery in the Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s version of Napa Valley. We live in Sonoma Valley, so we were curious to see what their wine country was like.

Based on advice from fellow travelers we had met along the way, we were going to cross the border in Tecate rather than Tijuana. Besides being a quicker border crossing, this route would bring us along La Ruta de Vino (Wine Route), a rapidly growing wine region in northern Baja, just an hour south of the Tecate border crossing.

Wildflower bloom along Mexico 1La Ruta del Vino (Wine Route) is the name given to the roads that connect the more than 120 boutique wineries in the valley. There are only three paved road in the Valle de Guadalupe, the rest being a network of unnamed dirt roads. Blue signs designate the turn-offs from the paved roads for various wineries and restaurants.

In addition to the varietals we are familiar with in the states, lesser known grapes, such as the Spanish tempranillo and the Italian nebbiolo, are grown here. Also, the region produces many blends, thus creating unique taste profiles not found anywhere else.

The demands for wines from this valley is so great in Mexico, that 96% of the wines produced here go to Mexico City. Because of this great demand, U. S. citizens are only allowed to bring back one liter of wine per adult into the U.S. every 30 days.

Enjoying lunch at Finca Altozano in the Valle de GuadalupeIn addition to great wines, there is great food to be found at one of the many outdoor campestre restaurants serving gourmet farm-to-table food with views of the vineyards.

Since this was a long driving day for us, we were more interested in the food rather than the wine. We chose Finca Altozano, a campestre that received a star rating in our Moon Baja guidebook. That guide had not steered us wrong yet in its recommendations.

The restaurant was located about a mile down a dirt road off La Ruta del Vino. Compared to the places we passed along the way, the parking lot was quite full - always a good sign.

The atmosphere was lovely, open-air dining with views overlooking the vineyards, and the food was excellent. I had an incredible pasta dish with their house-made sausage and Herb had a breaded Chicken Milanese. A refreshing wine spritzer with melons and oranges completed our fabulous lunch.

Lolo enjoying the view from atop a wine barrel at Finca Altozano in the Valle de GuadalupeAfterwards, we walked around the property, where they’ve turned large wine barrels into lookouts with benches at the top. What a great place it would have been to sip a glass of wine and enjoy the views if we didn’t have a border crossing and miles of driving still ahead of us.

The rest of the day went smoothly. The Tecate border crossing was quick and uneventful. We spent that night, our last on the road, at a Days Inn outside of San Diego.

Description

Often referred to as the “Napa of Mexico,” the Valle de Guadalupe is a rapidly growing wine region in northern Baja, just an hour south of the Tecate border crossing. As a result, it is a popular weekend destination for people from the San Diego area.

La Ruta del Vino (Wine Route) is the name given to the roads that connect the many wineries in the valley. There are only three paved road in the Valle de Guadalupe, the rest being a network of unnamed dirt roads. Blue signs designate the turn-offs from the paved roads for various wineries and restaurants.

Although wine has been made in this region for over 100 years, it has only been in the past 20 that it has received some well-deserved attention. Today, there are over 120 boutique wineries producing small batches of high-quality, award winning wines.

In addition to the varietals Americans are familiar with, other grapes, such as the Spanish tempranillo and the Italian nebbiolo, may be less known. Also, the region produces many blends, thus creating unique taste profiles not found anywhere else.

90% percent of the wines from Mexico come from this region, and 96% of the wines produced here go to Mexico City. That is why they have not received much exposure outside of Mexico.
Because of this great demand, U. S. citizens are only allowed to bring back one liter of wine per adult into the U.S. every 30 days.

In addition to great wines, there is great food to be found at one of the many outdoor campestre restaurants serving gourmet farm-to-table food with views of the vineyards.