Valle Wine Tasting - No Reservations - mostly

We had a great time on my wife's Baja BD Bash. Wine tasting (no res) and lunch Saturday at Frannes - bought some of the Sauv Blanc, Cab & Mezcla de Tintos. The manager saw how much fun we were having and since the owner Ernesto Camou was having lunch there he gave us a taste of the 2010 Camou y Camou (old label that they can no longer use-when its gone its gone) Reserva Cab. We bought two of those as well. We started with some almejas ahumado from the mesquite grill and then the Wifey had shrimp dish with piña and risotto and I had short rib with veggies and mashed - nice light lunch to get the weekend started off. The pours were healthy and the fee was 'comped' after we ordered half a case + to go. Frannes was a great take in and we will be back there, beautiful setting and friendly people and we liked the wine.

Spent the afternoon tasting/visting at Sol y Baro - bought a bottle of their blend and some red wine vinegar and olive oil. Interesting architecture and artwork. Worth the time. (No res)

3 Mujeres is right up the path so we headed there and tasted (no res). Bought a couple of bottles of a blend that included a varietal I never heard of, part of a collaboration between some vinters in the Valle and some in France. Last year wehn we were at Mogor they told us about it. It was good and a good value. Lots of art and sculpture to enjoy here as well. There was a small group of folks having lunch at the restaurant El Pinar on the property and it looked good. Will need to check it out someday.

Checked into our 'room' - Posada San Antonio - it was a small one room out building behind a house. Very quiet. I took a nap.

http://www.sanantonioposada.com/es-es/

We had dinner at Malva. Sopes de pato and bone marrow on the grill, salad greens picked that morning, conejo wrapped in bacon and ribeye grilled to perfection. We went with a recommendation from server on a bottle of red wine from Mina Penelope winery. It was 250 pesos and we ended up getting one to go. We plan to go back here when the winery is open. Bill including tip and 2 bottles of wine was $96 US. That meal in San Diego would be 2 1/2 times that. Highly recommend Malva.

Sunday we got up and headed to Doña Esthela for breakfast. 2 hour wait so we head back out to where we came from and Corre Caminos. 20 minute wait and good eats.

While we waited for our food to be made I sent an email to Kristin at Lechuza and booked a tasting at 1:00 PM. We headed up there and had a really good time. Really great people and really good wine. Adam and Kristin alternated pouring in between tasks and chasing their son around. Kristin's parents were there as well and we sat around and chatted with everyone and had a leisurely, relaxing time. Had some local cheese, bread and olive oil and tried all the wines including some oaked Chard straight from the barrel. The wife and I concur that this is some of the best wine we have had from the Valle. We are not experts but we know what we like. We ordered a case of wine and it will be delivered to us in July sometime. We will definitely be heading back there and soon. I sent two of my cousins there (today) and a group of four friends are going there this Saturday. Cant say enough about the hospitality and the wines.

After almost 2 hours we left and headed north up 3 to find Las Gueritas. Two other trips to the Valle we were headed in that direction but got 'distracted'. The specialty here is quail (the wife's favorite bird) grilled over mesquite. Two birds with rice, beans & salad for 10 bucks US. After lunch we drove around and checked out a few places to stay. We plan to get a small group of like minded amigos and do a trip early fall after the temps die down. In the meantime we will do a few more 'fact-finding' excursions of our own.

We were in the Valle for only about 30 hours but we packed a lot in and as they say - happy wife happy life.

Thanks again bajaguy, Santiago, BajaBound and bajadock for the links, info, recommendations!

And here i thought no rez needed for Campo Lopez!

We have Sentri so we only bring back the legal limit. We have a beach house so we store what we buy there and then bring it back a bit at a time. BUT - Lechuza has a deal with an import/distributor on this side of the border and the case we bought there will be delivered to us stateside. Mexican government taxes wine as a luxury when sold in country at 47%. The tax is less (20% something I think) when its 'exported' so the distributor can afford to make some money and the winery makes some money and we get some great wine to share with friends that's not from Napa, Sonoma or Mendecino

Quote: Originally posted by Maron

Super report, great info on the food and wines. How do you get that much wine across? Do you have it shipped or just take your chances. My last crossing, I told the truth - 3 bottles of wine. Thought I was going away forever. Thanks again for the info

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view

And here i thought no rez needed for Campo Lopez!

You are correct. Sort of. Just tell em at the gate your with me and paddle out!
We are going down tomorrow for the day and taking the parents. Get to bring back 4 more bottles.