Don Jorge
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Valle de Guadalupe
Me and the kids did a quick 2 day trip trip Guadalupe Valley Saturday and Sunday. The kids I get to work with and know are so refreshing and fun too.
Left to right: Kylie, friend, Cal Poly SLO graduate, winemaker at Rancho Capistrano. Wyatt, oldest boy, 6th and final year architecture student.
Fat, old guy is moi, Stacey, friend, employee, Waldorff teacher.
First day was wine tasting:
Mogor Badan, average, did not eat at Deckmans.
LA Cetto, found a nice $9 bottle of Chardonnay, oak aged, old school California type, nice, buttery, smooth, was very surprised.
Doña Lupes, average wine but great herb infused olive oil.
Monte Xanic, decent, overpriced, duh.
Adobe Guadalupe, decent wines, overpriced.
Chardonay from stainless was good, ut $40 a bottle. It reminded me how much I prefer oak school chardonnay. Nice setting too but the taco truck was
closed until March 3. Bummer.
All the wineries when asked of the water situation at their operations were very concerned. I know that valley very well and they should be. There
is going to be huge problems for the wine growers there if relief in the form of major rain events does not happen this season.
Sunday, we forget about wine, switched to ale and hot springs for what ailed us. Beautiful weather. Since we had the big rig we parked at Fedrico's
and hiked in. Fedrico is 83 years old now but still the same windy old coot I remembered him to be. Pools were hot, stream had water, scenery was
lovely.
The arroyo is green and blooming.
Not much water to fall though.
Low flow, but more than we expected.
Small, but hot pool.
Sunday night, 7:00pm we arrived a TJ/SY border crossing. We finally crossed at 11:30. 4.5 hours to cross. Since the car was fool of young folks the
time flew playing games and yakking it up.
The kids had a blast and so did i!
�And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry
years. It was always that way.�― John Steinbeck
"All models are wrong, but some are useful." George E.P. Box
"Nature bats last." Doug "Hayduke" Peac-ck
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Hook
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Great report, Jorge.
What were the growers water concerns; amount of water, salinity.........or both?
Tell me about the wines of Rancho Capistrano.........what varietals are you growing?
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David K
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Yes, nice report Jorge!
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bajaguy
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Next time you are in the Valle, try Vina de Frannes
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Don Jorge
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Hook, we are not affiliated with Rancho Capistrano Wineries, only their winemaker. But they buy grapes to make wine, they do not grow them.
Water issues in the Valley are indeed salinity and volume which are inversely related. Less volume more salinity. It is bad and getting worse. I
remember in 1995/1996 when many of the wells we used for farming in the valley went sour then dried up. Those are the same wells and the same aquifer
the vineyards use now and it as dry now as it was it then and getting worse.
Thanks for the recommendation BajaGuy. We will be going back soon and will definitely try Frannes. There are so many wineries there now it would
take weeks to explore them all.
We did cap Saturday night off at Barón Balché which has a great sunset and night time ambience. The place was hopping.
There we purchased a 2009 blend, 80% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. We enjoyed that bottle very much. It went well with our cigars. From there
we went to Rancho Sordo Murdo and parked the camper for the night. Their RV Park is convenient and clean.
�And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry
years. It was always that way.�― John Steinbeck
"All models are wrong, but some are useful." George E.P. Box
"Nature bats last." Doug "Hayduke" Peac-ck
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Genecag
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Nice job on the trip report, Don Jorge! Going to try the hot springs, one day.
Below are some of our favorites.
At LA Cetto, the Nebbiolo is excellent if you like a full bodied red (by far the best deal if you buy at restaurants in baja. Their Chenin Blanc is
excellent for about $6
Try Tres Mujeres, I think they have one of the best Merlots for about $25. Very small producer and the wine maker will sign and label your bottle 
Santo Tomas has a great outside sitting area with great views and can enjoy their Unico Red with some bread, cheese and oil
Las Nubes produces some good Reds and Cielo is nice to visit for their upscale layout and food is good.
In the VG, local quail, sardinas or borrego is outstanding from pretty much any restaurant.
Also, Ojo Negros has some good cheese and we go to this place owned and run by an Italian Family (can't remember the name) interesting history. They
have a cheese cellar where you can sample their aged cheese from fresh to 3 years and on weekends produces some great food. We usually go down to
Ensenada for fish tacos for breakfast then drive to Ojo Negros and spend the day at the cheese farm then drive through Laguna hansen and down to our
place in Santa Veronica.
Cheers!
Make it a Great Day!!
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bajaguy
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La Cava de Marcelo is the name of the cheese farm, originally established by the Ramonetti family. The restaurant there is outstanding. Open on
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Quote: Originally posted by Genecag  |
Also, Ojo Negros has some good cheese and we go to this place owned and run by an Italian Family (can't remember the name) interesting history. They
have a cheese cellar where you can sample their aged cheese from fresh to 3 years and on weekends produces some great food. We usually go down to
Ensenada for fish tacos for breakfast then drive to Ojo Negros and spend the day at the cheese farm then drive through Laguna hansen and down to our
place in Santa Veronica.
Cheers! |
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gsbotanico
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I also highly recommend the restaurant at Cava de Marcelo in Ojos Negros. I'm not a big cheese eater, but prefer the cheese at Rancho Cortés in west
Guadalupe Valley. They also have excellent olive oil branded Misiones. If you start La Ruta del Vino from the old highway near El Tigre, it's a left
turn onto a dirt road at the intersection with the only paved road coming from Highway 3 crossing the valley from south to north. The intersection is
about 8 miles off Highway 1. Follow the signs to the ranch.
Nice post, Don Jorge!
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MexicoTed
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Hi Don Jorge,
I'm interested in those hot springs. Are there directions to those? How long was the hike in? And is this connected to the hot water that supplied an
old hotel in that region that had hot springs? I remember reading about it.
Thanks,
Ted
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Howard
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Sorry for the slight Hi Jack
I know it will be hot, but what is the average day time and night time temps. in the valley in July?
We have a big birthday coming up then and would like to take a group down for some vino and festivities.
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: Originally posted by Howard | I know it will be hot, but what is the average day time and night time temps. in the valley in July?
We have a big birthday coming up then and would like to take a group down for some vino and festivities.
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Same as inland San Diego county or inland Orange County. If you want weather stn stats look for NWS stats for jamul, will be about same.
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MexicoTed
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Hey Howard, make sure it's not late July when the Fiestas de Vendimia are in place as it will be crowded. Unless that's what you are looking for.
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bajaguy
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Vendimia 2016 starts August 5th
http://www.provinoac.org/espanol/calendarioCompleto.php
| Quote: Originally posted by MexicoTed | | Hey Howard, make sure it's not late July when the Fiestas de Vendimia are in place as it will be crowded. Unless that's what you are looking for.
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Don Jorge
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| Quote: Originally posted by MexicoTed |
I'm interested in those hot springs. Are there directions to those? How long was the hike in? And is this connected to the hot water that supplied an
old hotel in that region that had hot springs? I remember reading about it.
Thanks,Ted |
Mexico Ted,
The hot springs are very easy to find. Take the road to LA Cetto's and proceed past it and past Doña Lupe's Winery staying on main dirt road. This
main road is the road to the hot springs parking. It is about 4 miles past Lupe's Winery.
This road ends at Federico's who is the gate keeper. You pay Federico, 30 pesos per person, and proceed from there. Cars and pickups can drive in
from his place to another parking area, cutting a mile off from the hike to the actual hot springs. From Federico's place the hike in is 2 miles.
Very easy and scenic terrain. We had a camper rig and hiked in from Federico's.
This map shows the road to Rancho Garcia but the road continues from there, is in good shape and in a few miles arrives at Federico's and the entrance
to the aguas termales or hot springs. We did the road in a F350 with a full size Lance camper and had no problems.
I do not know a thing about any previous hotel there but Federico might. He has limited English skills but in Spanish he will talk your ear off if
you let him. Hope you have a great visit.
�And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry
years. It was always that way.�― John Steinbeck
"All models are wrong, but some are useful." George E.P. Box
"Nature bats last." Doug "Hayduke" Peac-ck
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BornFisher
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Great trip, not so great border crossing. Thanks for posting and the beautiful pics! Really enjoyed reading your report.
"When you catch a fish, you open the door of happiness."
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MexicoTed
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Thanks Don Jorge for all the information and the great map.
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BajaGeoff
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Thanks for the report Don Jorge! Looks like a great time. I have been wanting to visit those hot springs for a while..
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