BajaNomad

Baja Wine and Food website

bajadock - 6-24-2011 at 01:27 PM

Baja Wine and Food is a newish website from Steve Dryden, a familiar oenophile from the Valle de Guadalupe.

Wine recommendations, wine tasting info and event information can be found here.

He's pumping up the 2006 L.A. Cetto Private Reserve Nebbiolo at $15USD in the current issue. cheers

capt. mike - 6-25-2011 at 06:18 AM

finally.... a baja website with purpose!!
thx!

i have some earlier LA Cetto Nebbiolo someplace in my cellar if only i can find it.
i doubt the 2006 would go for $100 tho.
but all the Cetto Nebbiolo i have had was good to great.

Howard - 6-25-2011 at 08:28 AM

I have both the 2005 and 2006 in my collection. I have really like both and after more than a few taste tests I have figured out that I need another 10 or so comparisons to make a final decision! But then again after consuming that much wine at one sitting, a bottle of Thunderbird or Red Mountain would go down OK.

Seriously, I give the slight nod to the 2005 but after a little time the 2006 might surpass the 2005. I think I paid around 160 pesos for the 2006 at the winery. Give it a little time before it hits the shelves at the big supermarkets and they will sell it for less than the winery.

Thumbs up to either year.

If you are considering going to the valley and wineries, I highly recommend you get in contact with Steve as he will bring you on a tour that include the history of the area as well as tours of the different vineyards.

David K - 6-26-2011 at 10:00 AM

Nice... but with the limit of one bottle per person into California, where can we buy Baja wine already imported to the U.S. (here in San Diego County)?

2011 Fiestas de la Vendimia

bajaguy - 6-26-2011 at 10:10 AM

Don't forget the 2011 Ensenada Wine Festival....Fiestas de la Vendimia:

http://www.bajabound.com/events/vendimiaschedule.php

David K

Howard - 6-26-2011 at 12:49 PM

I feel your pain in not finding the L A Cetto wines in So Cal. I guess one benefit of a large RV is that there are lots of hiding places.

bajaguy - 6-26-2011 at 02:04 PM

Patch

There is a great wine store downtown........also Smart & Final has a limited selection.

Soulpatch

Howard - 6-26-2011 at 02:43 PM

That's what you get for drinking wine wine!:biggrin:

Make that white wine!

[Edited on 6-26-2011 by Howard]

[Edited on 6-26-2011 by Howard]

toneart - 6-26-2011 at 02:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by soulpatch
Boy, at our recent stay at El Estero Beach Hotel we bought a bottle of 2007 LA Cetto Chardonnay and it was AWFUL!
Maybe it hadn't been stored properly but it is rare that we won't finish a bottle of wine between the two of us let alone a glass.
I have to think it was an anomaly.


LA Cetto Nebiollo is very good. Their Chardonnay is terrible no matter the vintage.

Soulpatch, 2007 is getting a bit old for a white wine anyway. They don't keep very long.

krafty - 6-26-2011 at 02:45 PM

Just returned from Smart y Final in Rosarito and their LA Cetto Nebiollo Reserva 2006 was priced @ 156.5

Kalypso - 6-26-2011 at 03:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Howard
I feel your pain in not finding the L A Cetto wines in So Cal. I guess one benefit of a large RV is that there are lots of hiding places.


David, I recently (as in the last month) purchased a 2008 L.A. Cetto Petit Sirah at Windmill Farms in Del Cerro for about $10. 6386 Del Cerro Blvd, very close to SDSU, just off the I-8 at College Ave.

Any of the Wine Steals will do special orders regardless of how much you really want.

You can also try the SD Wine Bank downtown. They tend to be a little snooty, but they've got a good selection.

And finally, check out Holiday Liquors in Escondido. They have an enormous wine selection downstairs in their basement.

[Edited on 6-27-2011 by Kalypso]

Kalypso - 6-26-2011 at 03:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by soulpatch
Boy, at our recent stay at El Estero Beach Hotel we bought a bottle of 2007 LA Cetto Chardonnay and it was AWFUL!
Maybe it hadn't been stored properly but it is rare that we won't finish a bottle of wine between the two of us let alone a glass.
I have to think it was an anomaly.


One of the more interesting whites coming out of the Valle de Guadalupe is Chasselas, which is a Swiss grape. It's grown and bottled by Mogor-Badan. It's a dry, fruity wine with a (or at least I think) strong though not unpleasant mineral quality to it.

[Edited on 6-27-2011 by Kalypso]

capt. mike - 6-26-2011 at 05:28 PM

DK - it is the wine bank in DT SD.
that's where i used to get all my baja wines. and not have to cross border.

David K - 6-26-2011 at 08:21 PM

Thanks amigos... I will check Holiday in Escondido... as I go near there more often than downtown SD.

How about Santo Tomas wine? This was Baja's first commercial winery... (since 1888) I really enjoyed their Vino Blanco on a trip back in '78!

preston - 6-27-2011 at 10:32 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by soulpatch
Boy, at our recent stay at El Estero Beach Hotel we bought a bottle of 2007 LA Cetto Chardonnay and it was AWFUL!
Maybe it hadn't been stored properly but it is rare that we won't finish a bottle of wine between the two of us let alone a glass.
I have to think it was an anomaly.


I just had 2 different bottles of Cetto Chardonnay ... one the standard and the other was thier Reserve. Reserve was great, standard was awful as you suggest.

elgatoloco - 6-27-2011 at 02:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by toneart
Quote:
Originally posted by soulpatch
Boy, at our recent stay at El Estero Beach Hotel we bought a bottle of 2007 LA Cetto Chardonnay and it was AWFUL!
Maybe it hadn't been stored properly but it is rare that we won't finish a bottle of wine between the two of us let alone a glass.
I have to think it was an anomaly.


LA Cetto Nebiollo is very good. Their Chardonnay is terrible no matter the vintage.

Soulpatch, 2007 is getting a bit old for a white wine anyway. They don't keep very long.


My experience with the Baja wines is that when I have had the chance to drink the re$erve wine$ they have been exceptional, the regular wines not so much. One night years ago we were at LAJA and a gentleman walked in with two bottles of wine, sat down at a table, we assumed he would be joined by others but it turned out he was alone and the owner of Mogor-Badan. Since we were the only others left in the place we got to help him and the owner of LAJA drink the wine along with the pastry chef who kept coming out of the kitchen with desserts to die for. The wine was exceptional and next day we stopped at winery and they were getting $130.00 US for it.

Toneart - I think you meant to say many, but not all, white wine don't keep very long? :saint:

Last night we had a 2004 Joseph Phelps Ovation and because it is summer in the last few weeks we have had these Chardonnays: 2000 Chateau Montelena, 2002 Chateau St. Jean Reserve,2003 Gary Farrell Starr Ridge,2004 Pine Ridge Charmstone,2006 Frank Family Reserve. The key is starting with good winemakers and storing the wine properly. Also we prefer french 'style' whites with less oak and that style seems to age better. IMHO.

elgatoloco - 6-27-2011 at 02:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajadock
Baja Wine and Food is a newish website from Steve Dryden, a familiar oenophile from the Valle de Guadalupe.

Wine recommendations, wine tasting info and event information can be found here.

He's pumping up the 2006 L.A. Cetto Private Reserve Nebbiolo at $15USD in the current issue. cheers


Nice website with lots of great info. Thanks for the tip. I have seen Steve Dryden's writings on Baja wine elsewhere. He has a nice job.