Recently, TSB staff took a south-bound trip to Baja, Mexico, to relax in the sun and take advantage of one of the coolest things about living in San Diego: the short distance to an entirely new country and culture. We stayed in a cliff-side house in La Mision, which is just a few minutes south of Rosarito, the town probably best known for 18 year olds celebrating spring break in all of it’s booze-soaked glory. Baja is possibly the best weekend getaway for San Diegans. It’s super close and inexpensive with beautiful ocean views and insanely delicious eats.
We definitely drank a lot of beer while we were in Mexico. Mostly Pacificos and Modelos, often with a splash of Clamato thrown in for good measure. However, one of the days we rented a van and driver and took a tour of one of the true gems of Baja; Valle de Guadalupe.
Valle De Guadalupe has become the wine and gastronomic center of Baja, producing world-class wines as well as cutting edge cuisine, from some of the best chefs anywhere.
L.A. Cetto (the one with the long driveway)
L.A. Cetto is the biggest winery in the Valle and easily one of the most picturesque. They are the biggest producing winery in the region and even make their own olive oil which is exquisite and sells for only $11 (USD) a bottle. We went on a tour of the expansive facility and tasted four different wines, all with a knowledgeable guide.
Encuentro Guadalupe (the one with the pods)
Although this place isn’t a winery, Encuentro Guadalupe one of the coolest spots in Valle De Guadalupe. Not only do they have gorgeous views of the valley, but their hotel “rooms” are actually pods that sit up on the cliffs overlooking the valley and are specifically designed so that, although each pod isn’t that far from the next, there is a feeling of seclusion and privacy that would make any romantic getaway worth the $300 and change for the room.
Here, we decided to taste craft beer because it’s rare for us to find so many different craft beers from Mexico all in one place. We bought 12 different bottles and poured out some in everyone’s glass. Then one of our brewers talked us through the different styles and we compared and contrasted with out own brews.
Monte Xanic (the one that was closing for the day)
Although we didn’t get to taste at Monte Xanic because they were about to shut down for the day, we certainly enjoyed the view. We were here in wine country on a Monday and while there were plenty of wineries open during the day, as the afternoon wore on many of the spots closed at 5 pm and 7 pm at the latest.
This is the look that you get when 12 people traipse into a winery 5 minutes before they close…
Baron Balch’e (the one that’s underground)
Although we aren’t picking favorites, Baron Balch’e was really amazing in that they have built all of their wine cellars below-ground. For the tour they take you down below the depths of the restaurant and gift shop into the bowels of the winery. The air cools immediately when you reach the level below and you feel transported into another realm. A realm where a guide is constantly pouring wine for you as you are led through the winery. The wine was delicious at all of the stops but our favorite wine was hands down the 2010 Baron Balch’e Zinfendel that they poured us. So smooth and velvety, and a steal at $26 a bottle for something that would easily cost you $100+ north of the border.
All in all, the trip was a fantastic time and a great reminder of the travel gem that Baja has become. Although beer is our first love, the wine that we tasted in Valle de Guadalupe was delicious and we will definitely be making the trip back soon and tour more of the wineries. With more than 30 wineries to make it to, we better get started!
Anna Brigham
5/6/16