Valle de Guadalupe - Mexico's wine region
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/01/16/special_reports/t...
By MAGGIE ESPINOSA
January 15, 2005
Twenty-five miles east of Ensenada, Mexico, on the Baja peninsula, lies an oasis of splendor and calm ---- the Valle de Guadalupe. Situated on 3,000
sun-dappled acres, this valley produces 90 percent of Mexico's wine and is well worth a visit by sightseers in general and wine lovers in particular.
In 1907, Russian immigrants planted vines in the mineral-rich soil, rendering pure, sweet miracles. With time, an ethnic influx forayed onto the land,
creating a melting pot of vintners, each bringing his own wine-producing traditions.
Today, the Valle de Guadalupe produces zinfandel, merlot and sauvignon blanc wines that rival their contemporaries in America and Europe. Hills
swathed in vines rise like an amphitheater above the fields. Rose bushes stand guard at the end of each row, protecting vineyards against marauding
insects notorious for destroying complete harvests.
Each grape is valuable. One acre of land yields roughly five tons of fruit. Thirty pounds of grapes are needed to produce one 750ml bottle of wine.
Ideal conditions in the fog-cloaked valley allow the grapes to ripen more slowly, creating sweetness. Grapes are picked, crushed and stored all within
three months ---- August, September and October ---- eventually bearing a beguiling potpourri of vanilla, mushroom and fruit that a well-trained
palate can decipher.
At any given time, the number of wineries occupying the valley fluctuates. LA Cetto, Bodegas de Santo Tomas and Monte Xanic Winery are the three
constant producers.
Cetto is family-owned. In operation for almost 80 years, the third generation of management is producing more than 2 million cases of wine per year.
In 1926 Don Angelos Cetto brought his talents to the country from Italy. Through the years, vintners have relentlessly honed the primitive methods to
manufacture some of the finest wine in the valley. LA Cetto is renowned for its petite sirah, a superlative red varietal that's rich, dark,
full-bodied, and peppery with ripe fruit flavors. Most guests enjoy the tasting room, where they can swig or sip their way through several vintages.
If visiting in the month of August, aficionados can enjoy the Colores de Ventimia festival. Each year, the winery celebrates the fruit harvest with
live entertainment, food, grape-stomping contests, fireworks and, of course, wine tasting. It's a true Mexican fiesta. (Phone: 011-52- (646) 177-4450.
Call for tour hours and tasting costs.)
The Bodegas de Santo Tomas was established as a winery in 1888. Originally a mission in the 1700s, Santo Tomas is touted as Mexico's oldest winery.
Enophiles worldwide would enjoy this historical landmark. Although its grapes are grown in the valley, Santo Tomas' main winery and restaurant are in
downtown Ensenada. Its wine is superb, and the restaurant is unequivocally one of the finest on the Baja peninsula.
Pass through the doors of La Embotelladora Vieja restaurant, and you enter another era. The candlelight atmosphere adds to the stone interior, which
is sprinkled with antique wooden tables. Once a wine-aging room, the restaurant houses two huge oak barrels toward the back. A smaller cask sits near
the entry, with centuries' worth of candle drippings covering its splintered wood. The place epitomizes character. A glass of Santo Tomas' tempranillo
cabernet or vina San Emilio accompanying the menu selections completes the experience. (Phone: 011-52-(646) 174-0836 or 011-52-(646) 178-3333. Call
for tour and restaurant hours.)
Monte Xanic Winery is a smaller and younger winery founded in 1987 by five partners. Xanic is a Cora Indian word meaning "flower that blooms after the
first rain." Nestled among 200 acres in the valley, this neophyte is already producing medal-winning varietals. Accolades include a Gold Medal at the
Civart Prix d' Excellence competition for the cabernet sauvignon, and a bronze at the Challenge International de Vin for the chardonnay. It is quickly
gaining a reputation as one of Mexico's finest wineries.
A summer Sunset Concert adds to the quaintness of the experience. Classical music is played while guests sample hors d'oeuvres and house wines. It
won't be long until this rookie is viable competition for the big boys. (Phone: 011-52-(646) 174-7055. Call for tour hours and tasting costs.)
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If you go ...
Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico:
Directions: Take I-5 south to the U.S./Mexico border. Cross the border and follow signs for Ensenada Cuota. Highway 1 ---- a toll road ---- runs south
along the coast (tollbooths accept both U.S. and Mexican currency). At El Sauzai, a suburb of Ensenada, take Highway 3 east. This road will take you
to the Valle de Guadalupe.
LA Cetto Winery: Phone: 011-52- (646) 177-4450. Call for tour hours and tasting costs.
The Bodegas de Santo Tomas: Phone: 011-52-(646) 174-0836 or 011-52-(646) 178-3333. Call for tour and restaurant hours.
Monte Xanic Winery: Phone: 011-52-(646) 174-7055. Call for tour hours and tasting costs.
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