V. Guadalupe grape harvest & upcoming winemaker dinners
http://www.mexidata.info/id2784.html
by Steve Dryden
August 30, 2010
The official celebrations of the annual Fiestas de la Vendimia ended on August 22nd with the paella competition in San Antonio de las Minas, Baja
California, Mexico. And while the L.A. Cetto family winery has two more events planned for September and October, for now the parties are over.
It’s time for the 2010 harvest in the wine valleys surrounding Ensenada. Again, I’ll remind folks to plan early next year (April) in order to get
tickets for the Fiestas de la Vendimia events. Tickets are always hard to come by because a large portion are sold to private vendors, thus leaving
locals in a difficult situation to find tickets unless they move fast, well in advance.
For best results, or to insure ticket purchases (100%), I suggest you visit (in person) the office of Provino next April to get your name on the
waiting list — or forever hold your peace. Tickets were available online this year, but they went fast.
Comité Provino, Ave.
Lopez Mateos No. 582-208
Zona Centro, Ensenada, BC.
Contact:
http://www.provinoac.org
http://www.fiestasdelavendimia.com
email: info@provinoac.org
phone: 646 178-3038
Harvest season is upon us in Mexico’s premier wine country. I walked through my vineyard of Nebbiolo grapes today, tested the Brix (sweetness) level
of my grapes at about 20% Brix scale. I’m planning to harvest somewhere between 24-26 Brix this year, so that probably means about 7-10 more days
before harvest.
Many other vineyard managers are either in the process of picking fruit, or are making planes to harvest soon. The white grapes usually ripen first,
followed by the red varietals. This season has been the coolest summer in the last 78 years, so we are seeing a later harvest with some inconsistent
ripening of the fruit in some areas.
Last winter we were blessed with an abundance of rain, so water shortages were not an issue this summer. So far, everything looks good for the 2010
harvest, but it was sort of a strange year as far as weather in the grape growing regions of Baja California, Mexico.
This year has been a period of long-deserved recognition for the premium wines in this region. Several new wineries have sprouted up with some coming
from nowhere towards the top of the pack with respect to quality. The newest super stars are: CA 126 or Madera 5, Viñas de Garza, Las Nubes, Vinart,
and Emeve.
In fact, Emeve took the Grand Award for the top Mexican wine for 2010 at the Annual International Wine Competition in Ensenada on August 7th and 8th.
Their 2008 Malbec received the top honors. Winemaker Reynaldo Rodriguez harvested 100% Malbec at 13.5% alcohol and transformed it into a remarkable
and elegant wine of great finesse. This wine is a perfect match for red meats and pastas in spicy/herbal red sauces. We’ll be featuring this winery
in the next addition of the Baja Times, as well as on our TV show, The Grapevine.
Starting September 10th, we’ll be hosting “Dinners with Winemakers” in Guadalupe Valley on the second Friday evening of each month. Hacienda Guadalupe
has opened their new restaurant where we’ll be hosting bilingual presentations each month. Our first guest winemaker/owner is Antonio Escalante of
Roganto Winery. Our talented Chef Omar Garcia will match three premium wines with a three course dinner. Live music, valley view sunsets, and
unsurpassed hospitality will greet lucky wine and gourmet cuisine lovers in this new valley view restaurant. Rooms will be available at special
pricing for those who want to spend the night, and/or take a bilingual van tour of the wine country on Saturday morning at discount pricing of $20 per
person; tasting fees and lunch are additional. For reservations or information: [52] 646-151-3273 Mexico; (714) 313-5138 US.
http://www.haciendaguadalupehotel.com
Wineries to be featured, beginning September 10th and then the second Friday of each month at Hacienda Guadalupe Restaurant, will first be as
mentioned above Roganto, and subsequently La Garza, Tres Mujeres, Tres Valles, LaFarga, Madera 5, Bibayoff, Pijoan, Emeve, Hacienda La Lomita, L.A.
Cetto, JC Bravo, Vinart, Encino, and more.
Portions of our TV show, "The Grapevine – Mexican Wine and Culinary Adventures," was filmed at several Fiestas de la Vendimia events this summer, and
we want to thank Provino and David Bibayoff for their generous support. Between our wine column in the Baja Times (six years), with Vino-Tourism at
Mexidata.info, and now the TV show at Varivision Cable 8 of Ensenada, we have been able to spread the news about “Mexico’s Silent Revolution in
Creating World-Class Wine” and letting the word out about how Ensenada has become “The Wine and Culinary Capital of Mexico.”
During the remainder of 2010 and into 2011 we’ll be filming at several wineries in the region, and then taking their best wines to top culinary
establishments in the area for wine and cuisine marriages in a bilingual format. You can view clips of these shows, purchase DVD’s and access the most
current and accurate wine country information at:
http://www.bajawineandcusine.com
Somehow we survived the Vendimia Fiestas season, after attending and filming at many incredible events. The La Cofradia event was fantastic, the
paella event remarkable, and the concert at Baron Balch’e was transformational. Paco Renteria, with three gifted guitar players, one phenomenal horn
player, a lively flute player and a soulful drummer performed some magical compositions to a happily wine-infused international group.
Our crew was hoping to get some sleep now that the fiestas are over, but we must tend our vineyards and make our wine. Life is always good in
Mexico’s premier wine country. The wines keep getting better and the artisans who craft gourmet cuisine, olive oils, local cheese and other culinary
delights are becoming skilled at marrying their culinary treats with our premium wines.
Next time you are feeling like an adventure, come discover the truth about living the good life in Baja California. The fact is the Rosarito Beach and
Ensenada areas offer some of the best quality of living in the world for the money. In addition, we have a new supply of wine, abundant fresh seafood,
many gourmet culinary venues, and organic fruit and vegetables, all situated in or near a seaport setting with Mediterranean-like weather.
The cost of living in Baja California is about one-third that of California, offering retirees and independent business owners a golden opportunity to
enjoy the good life at discount pricing. Visit the wine country of this region and witness for yourselves our premium wines, gourmet restaurants and
experience quality “life in the slow lane.”
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For a Baja California Wine Route map, click "Links" at http://www.MexiData.info , and go to "Mexico Maps and Time Zones"
Steve Dryden is a wine, food and travel writer living in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s premier wine country in northwestern Baja California, where he
guides individual and small group wine tours. He can be reached at sbdryden@hotmail.com. Visit his blog at:
http://www.winefoodguide.com
..or: http://www.bajawineandcuisine.com
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