Surprisingly Perfect Wine Destination: Valle de Guadalupe
I was skeptical. Mexico is known for tequila and mezcal, but most certainly not wine. Right?
WRONG! Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe boasts over 100 boutique and commercial vineyards. Located 2 hours directly south of San Diego, this hidden gem produces some world-renown wines and has a booming food scene.
Why you should consider visiting (short version):
- Weather is great all year long
- Food and wine scene is world class
- Local valley residents are welcoming and kind to tourists
- Restaurants/Bars with beautiful elevated views of valley and Pacific Ocean (pictures below)
- Extremely affordable
What to Expect
The pace of living is slow. Sleep in, grab coffee/breakfast, and plan what vineyard(s) you are going to try that day. If you are there on a weekend, it might be best to call ahead and make a tasting reservation. Weekdays are less crowded and you can just show up. An average tasting costs $6 and includes 4-5 healthy pours.
Drinking Tourist Tip: Uber is no longer available in the valley and cabs are expensive. You are better off hiring a driver for the day or signing up for a wine tour if you plan to hit a couple vineyards in one day. We hired a driver for from 11am-9pm for $100.
A differentiator between Valle de Guadalupe and other wine regions I’ve visited is the level of service. Knowledgeable vineyard staff members will spend a lot of time with you to give the history of their wine and what makes it special.
They are extremely patient, make recommendations and answer your questions. Additionally, most vineyards have bilingual staff in English and Spanish so language barrier is not an issue.
Where to Eat and Drink
While there are some touristy things for visitors to do in Valle de Guadalupe (horseback riding, children’s zoo, etc), the main attractions are mostly eating and a drinking. Below are my three favorite vineyards and two fantastic restaurants we tried.
Vineyards
Cuatro Cuatros is a 144 acre compound that is right on Mexico’s coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. While it does include a vast vineyard and tasting room, it also boasts zip-lining, camping, whale watching, hiking, and much more. You could spend the whole day here exploring. But if you have limited time, you should definitely finish your day watching the sunset here.
Plan to arrive an hour or two prior to sunset at their restaurant. You can sit on covered hay bails or picnic tables, sip delicious wine, and watch the natural light show unfold as the sky changes into colors you’ve never seen and the sun disappears majestically into the water. I’ve added some pictures, but please know that they don’t even come close to watching this in real life.
Another vineyard with great wine and elevated views is Las Nubes. Las Nubes means ‘clouds’ in Spanish and they have a spectacular patio that looks down on countless rows of vines and mountains.
Las Nubes is one of very few high tech vineyards. They have a reservoir that is custom built and collects water from the mountain when it rains. These types of sustainable practices give them a sizable advantage as all of these vineyards are in the dessert and goes through a long dry season. Worth checking out!
The third vineyard I can recommend is Vina de Frannes. They were a first-mover into developing Valle de Guadalupe’s wine culture and utilize land that has grown grapes since the 1930’s. The owner, Ernesto Alvarez Morphy Camou, is employing a high tech, micro-climate vineyard with the goal of creating Mexico’s first 100 point wine. Their wine was great and we also tried the smoked marlin quesadillas and tuna ceviche.
Restaurants
One of our favorite restaurants was Finca Altozano. Priding themselves on fresh and local ingredients, Finca Altozano serves up dishes like ahi tuna tostadas, pan grilled octopus, braised ribs, and of course, their homemade salsas. Also, their house wine pairs well with most of their menu options.
The restaurant is completely open air and the views are beautiful in the daytime or at night. If you go at night, the stars are particularly stunning. And I award bonus points for the gigantic wine barrels you can sit in!
Our other favorite restaurant we tried was Deckmans en el Mogor. Deckman’s setup is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They cook all of their food outside (no indoor kitchen) right in the middle of the restaurant. I’m not sure what happens when it rains, but lucky for us it was beautiful weather.
It does get a little smokey depending on the wind, so I recommend sitting in the covered part of the restaurant which was charming as well. The food was phenomenal and the oysters were particularly incredible (we ordered them twice). The owner and head chef, Drew Deckman, already has a Michelin star so we expected the food to be good, but it surpassed our expectations. Their tagline is “We bring the table to the farm”. Really cool spot.
In conclusion, you should check out Valle de Guadalupe. It is the perfect destination for foodies, wine lovers or couples just looking for a relaxing and affordable destination. Highly recommended!