Mexico's
best kept secret is being exposed! Mexican wines are
fast becoming a prized commodity among the most refined
and sophisticated wine lovers around the world. Discover
the secret of Mexico’s
international award winning wines and explore this
beautiful valley with it's excellent wineries, inns,
restaurants and gracious people.
Guadalupe Valley is northeast of Ensenada
on Highway 3 that leads to Tecate. You can find Highway
3 ( 70 miles south of San Diego) two miles south of
the last toll station before Ensenada. About six miles
from the start of Highway 3 at El Sauzal you drop into
the western end of Guadalupe Valley at San Antonio
de las Minas. This is the beginning of the wine country
which is about two-thirds the size of Napa Valley,
fourteen miles long and about three to five miles wide.
The valley is blessed with ideal conditions for growing
and producing world-quality premium grapes and wine.
The soil is rich, the climate is Mediterranean, water
is abundant, and the winemakers and growers are very
creative and innovative. In fact, Camillo Magoni, winemaker
for L.A. Cetto Winery, was named as the best winemaker
in the world by the Dutch wine magazine, Vinbladet.
Today there are over sixteen established
wineries in Guadalupe Valley and four wineries in Ensenada
which together produce over eighty percent of all Mexican
wines. Many superior wines are being created to include
both white and reds. L.A. Cetto Winery is the largest
wine producer in Mexico and is mostly responsible for
giving Mexican wines international attention through
winning global awards and with aggressive, ingenious
marketing tactics. Several boutique wineries: Vinicola
Suenos, Monte Xanic, Chateau Camou, Dona Lupe, Bibayoff,
Mogor-Badan, Baron Balch'e, Vinisterra and others make
award-winning wines of distinct character. Dona Lupe
Winery has a wonderful selection of premium organic
wines, natural jams, jellies, salsa, cheese, herbs
and more.
You can enjoy the wine country during
an overnight stay at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. It's
about a one hour drive to the wine country from the
hotel down along the beautiful coastal highway towards
the seaport of Ensenada. The new Baja wine country
maps are available at the front desk of the hotel or
at the Baja Tourism offices in Tijuana and Ensenada. |