Santiago
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Recent trip to the wine valley
Spent a few days last week visiting some old friends and made a few new ones.
Day 1:
Restaurante y Vivero la Hacienda: great Desayuno spot just as you are entering the valley. Off the beaten path a bit, across a river and in a nursery
so very quiet and cool. Good food and full bar for those that can’t wait. Opens at 9:00 so definitely not a fisherman’s spot.
Lechuza: We always start there as we rent the two cabanas from Maria Teresa and it's next door. We all agreed it may well be our last tasting there
due to the road noise. Lechuza has some of the best wine in the valley in our opinion, but the truck noise on the other side of the wall is just too
much. You literally have to stop talking for a moment. Too bad. Stop in, buy a bottle and taste later. Music was thumping DJ stuff.
Torres Alegre y Familia: New for us and now on our every-time list. Victor Alegre earned his PhD. In viticulture in France and while working there,
discovered a better way of making white wine. Needless to say, the French were not happy and told him while it was true, they could/would not change
and said he could not publish his findings while still employed. When he came to the valley 20 some years ago, he was the only PhD. in all of Baja
(viticulture I’m guessing). He has a white that if you close your eyes, you will think it’s a red. Very odd. Three lines of wine and lots of
unusual styles. Gonna take a lot of visits to figure this one out. Music was Beatles and just perfect.
Vinacola Xecue: One the western edge, behind the huge radio tower, figure an extra half-hour just wondering around the dirt roads. Brutal…..but
well worth the effort. One of the best wines of the weekend was their rosé, a blend of 5 wines and just perfect. We all were trying to figure out
how to get a case or two for summer. This is a great spot to plan on 90 minutes, get a cheese tray, look out over the valley and enjoy jazz, the kind
you can stand.
Deckman’s for dinner: Whole grilled fish for two and we could not finish it. Butternut squash soup for starts not to be missed. It’s been 3 or
4 years and a lot of improvement in the grounds and seating area. Still quasi-outside, heaters all around if needed and blankets for all. Get a
bottle of the Meritage blend from Mogor next door. The steak was very tender and perfectly grilled. Not cheap, 4 with wine and all in the $250
range.
Day 2:
Doña Estrella for breakfast, just no point in anything else. However, don’t make the mistake I did – pointing at the menu for my selection.
Instead of the special of the house eggs/machaca/etc, I ended up with 3 pancakes made with corn. Really. This was just above the especial eggs and
either the young lad needs glasses or I do. O well, this was the comic relief for the rest of the day. By 9:00am the place was packed and a long line
waiting.
Monte Xanic: Tastings are by reservation only, easy to do on their web site via Open Table. Standard tasting is $25 per and goes up from there. Just
gotta get used to it, they have all figured this out. But we came up with our own work-around: just buy a glass for $5, you get just as much wine as
4 or 5 tastes for $20 less. Became our go to scheme, one or two tastings and the others just a glass. Monte Xanic used to be one of the best, now
just in the ‘generally good wine’ category. Competition is way, way up. Remodeling their top of the mountain room so tasting is down by the lake
– our preferred location anyway. Big water fall fountain and lots of waterfowl, mostly coots.
Adobe Guadalupe : Make reservation for the cellar tastings, $25 per and they will charge your card at time of reservation – you snooze you lose.
The other tasting room is by the food truck and open to walk ups. Do the cellar where you and your group are the only ones at that time slot.
Basically, this could be your best flight of wine you will get, it was ours. Tru Miller has done an outstanding job of putting a team together than
know what they are doing, been at it for 25-30 years and they got it down. Reds are local, whites come from Ojos Valley and San Vicente. Met the
agronomist and talked shop while SWMBO talked shop with our server who just got her masters in special ed. Don’t miss this.
Las Nubes: Still one of our favorites, reservations a must. Killer view, the young servers were still in diapers when we first started going there.
Just a wooden table in the storage room but we knew then that these guys were going to make it. Good food service as well, had a local cheese tray
with all the expected sides. Very full even for a Saturday in January, mostly Mexicans out for the afternoon.
Vinos Paoloni: Last stop of the day, new for us in the Montefiori compound. Nothing stood out, good or bad, just another decent spot. Maybe we were
all flagging by then, heh.
La Esperanza for dinner: Baja Med is the style, across the ‘steet’ from L.A. Cetto. Saturday night and the tables were full of Ensenadans
celebrating birthdays and such. We all had the onion soup and two giant mounds of smothered French fries, for goodness sakes. Pretty darn good side
for fish and meats. Got out of there for $175 so considered that a win.
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4323
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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Appreciate the updated info.
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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BajaTed
Senior Nomad
Posts: 859
Registered: 5-2-2010
Location: Bajamar
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The Deckman's Rib Eye for two and a bottle of Mojor Merlot overlooking the winery and the valley is as good as anywhere in Napa and much cheaper too.
Es Todo Bueno
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jwheel1970
Newbie
Posts: 24
Registered: 5-16-2017
Location: San Diego
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Thank you Santiago, a ton of good information.
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bajadogs
Super Nomad
Posts: 1058
Registered: 8-28-2006
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I'm saving this post for future endulgance, Santiago. Muchos gracias! Especially about having to listen to the Beatles in Baja.
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