The Wines of Adobe Guadalupe

By Steve Dryden

This might be the only winery in the world where you could say, “It's Miller Time!” However, we would not be talking about beer, but about Don and Tru Miller, owners of the fabulous Adobe Guadalupe winery, vineyards, equestrian center, bed and breakfast inn. The Miller's are among a few Baja boutique wine producers leading the renaissance in creating “world class wines” from Mexico.

They have blended some of this wine region's most passionate and renowned wine professionals into a symphony of artisans quite capable of orchestrating magnificent compositions using terroir, grapes and weather, transforming them into master works of art and classic wines.

Don Miller discovered the “silent revolution” of Mexican winemaking while visiting the Valley of Guadalupe back in the early nineties and became convinced that this region was very capable of producing great wines. He combined this belief with his dream of growing grapes and was able to purchase land in the “heart “ of Baja's premier wine growing country. Don quickly befriended two of Mexico's most respected and dedicated wine professionals; Hugo D'Acosta and José Manuel Fernández. These men are helping Don bring his dream into reality and are drawing global attention to the new age of Mexican wine production and “world class” quality wines.

Hugo D'Acosta is one of Mexico's top winemakers and consultants. Hugo studied agronomy at the University of Querétero and oenology at the University of Montpellier. He was the winemaker and manager for several years at Bodegas Santo Tomas and now heads a school of winemaking at El Porvenir in Guadalupe Valley. Don Miller and Hugo have partnered together with the goal of providing sophisticated wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs in Mexico with the best blends from classic grape varieties grown in Baja California. And they're succeeding....

Hugo D'Acosta in an intensely focused wine artisan determined to lead Mexican wines to their fullest potential creating national pride and consumption. His “free spirited” philosophy is that wine should be a reflection of the passion of the winemaker and the expression of the real character of the grape in the vineyard. Don and Hugo both believe that the wine is made in the vineyard and this idea has been their key to success in growing and producing excellent wines.

José Manuel Fernández is “the icing on the cake” completing this dynamic trio of wine artisans. José is a respected and experienced vineyard manager known throughout this region as one of the best in the profession. His love of the land and the wine culture is reflected in the care and attention his provides to the vineyards and surrounding ecosystems using minimum chemicals and maximum natural and biodynamic methods. He provides the winery with superior grapes.

José's vineyard strategy here at Adobe Guadalupe is to produce small, high quality yields and to harvest grapes at their fullest maturity. The 50 acre vineyard is planted with a variety of classic Bordeaux and Rhone grape varieties such as: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Syrah, Grenache and Viognier. This diverse selection of grapes grown on French rootstocks with grafted shoots allows the winery to focus on high quality red wine blends.

The boutique winery artistically creates 5,000 cases of premium estate grown wines each year. High quality equipment, technology and standards are moving the winery to national and global recognition. Wines are aged in one-third new oak, one-third year old barrels and one-third, two year old barrels. In addition, the barrels are one-third American oak and two-thirds French oak. The wines are bottled aged for an additional year in their new underground wine cellar and tasting room.

Five wines are currently being produced and marketed in Mexico and a few prime locations is the U.S. Most of the wine is sold to wine collectors, connoisseurs, and upscale restaurants. The wines are: Gabriel, Serafiel, Kerubiel, Rosa and Manuel. Gabriel is a regional favorite made with a blend of seventy percent Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Malbec. Serafiel is superb blend of sixty percent Cabernet Sauvignon and forty percent Syrah. Kerubiel is marvelous blend of Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Tempranillo and Viognier. Rosa is a pleasant and unique blend of seven different wine varieties. The newest wine is Manuel made with Tempranillo, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon. All wines retail for $25. and are a good value for sophisticated wine enthusiasts, serious collectors and connoisseurs looking for high quality and superior craftsmanship.

The winery is located near the village of El Porvenir in the center of Guadalupe Valley. The tasting room, bed and breakfast inn, and equestrian center are open by appointment only. Specific directions and reservations can be obtained at: adobegpe@telnor.net. or Telephone:(949) 863-9776 U.S. or (646) 155-2094 MX.