Mexico may be known for its fine tequila and beer, but Mexican wine is making a huge surge in popularity. Welcome to the Napa Valley of Mexico...the Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California! Not only is the Valle de Guadalupe an important wine-producing region, but it is also quite simply one of the most beautiful areas in all of Mexico. Whether you are a wine aficionado or you know next to nothing about wine (like us!), taking a visit to the Valle de Guadalupe should absolutely be at the top of your list of places to visit in Mexico!
During our time in Baja California, we teamed up with Valle Wine Life to take a one-of-a-kind tour of Mexico's most important wine region, which accounts for 90% of all wine production in Mexico!
How to Get There
We flew directly from Mexico City to Tijuana, where we took a bus to Ensenada. We based in Ensenada for several days and this is where our particular wine tour began. After a few days, we spent several more in Tijuana exploring that area as well. After spending time in both Ensenada and Tijuana, we would absolutely recommend flying directly into and staying in Tijuana. Valle Wine Life has tours from the border--making Tijuana a great option to stay in and base from!
Where to Stay
There are tons of super cool places to stay in the area--most of them out in the beautiful valleys and some of them right ON the vineyards. As an alternative, you can also choose a place to stay in Tijuana to be able to explore the town too!
Wineries We Visited
♦ Relieve Vinicola-- This was our very favorite stop of the day. We were greeted by the owner, Wences, who was more than hospitable and so very kind. Their wines were incredible and the ambience and total feel of the place was SO nice. The tasting room is comfortable, very modern-ly decorated, and brand new. The place was so nice and fancy without feeling stuffy or snobby, which is something we were concerned about before the tour. We would absolutely SUPER highly recommend checking out Relieve as your first stop! There is also a restaurant on site (run by Wences' sister) and while we didn't have the chance to try it during our visit, it looked delicious! Address: Calle Berilo San Antonio de las Minas, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California
♦ Santo Tomas-- Santo Tomas has been around for more than 130 years and is widely known and recognized across the country. The vineyards are huge and so beautiful! They have concerts and events in this magnificent outdoor space that stretches as far as the eye can see through the valleys. The tasting room was quite small and not as impressive as Relieve, but we still had a nice time here learning more about this mega-winery. Bonus: we got to taste some chocolates that are made by the Santo Tomas group too! A tasting here costs $250 pesos (about $13 USD) and includes five wines. Address: Km 94.7 Carretera Federal No. 3, Ensenada-Tecate
♦ Viña de Frannes-- This was definitely the most fancy/upscale visit during our full-day tour. We had a delicious cheese board and we tried some great wines here! This place is absolutely quite upscale though, and we felt a bit out of place while here. The place was very, very quiet, tranquil, and the tasting room and terrace were really quite impressive, but the views of the vineyards weren't our favorite of the day. That said--still beautiful! Address: Camino Vecinal al rancho Cañada del trigo, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California
If you are looking for something completely different than most other experiences in Mexico, taking a tour of Mexico's beautiful wine country is absolutely top of our list! Thanks again to Valle Wine Life for having us and for showing us around the beautiful Valle de Guadalupe for the day!
As always, feel free to email us at kinetickennons@gmail.com with any other questions about Mexico's biggest wine region!
Until next time, Have Less. Do More. Be More.
