Cross the border from San Diego and you`re in Baja

BY
MICHAEL
SCHACHNER
Cross the border from San Diego and you’re
in Baja California, Mexico, home to a historic
wine region that’s reinventing itself via
attractive lodging options.
68 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | OCTOBER 2012
PHOTO CREDIT
boutique wines, top-flight restaurants and
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and custom crush facility in 2004 called La
­Escuelita, the “little school.” Since then, individuals who either trained at La Escuelita or
worked with D’Acosta at Santo Tomás have
started more than a dozen small wineries.
During my first visit to Baja wine country in
March 2012, I came away impressed with the
Guadalupe Valley’s look, vibe and spirit.
The valley, which starts about 12 miles
inland from the Pacific Ocean and runs in a
northeast direction toward Tecate, features
granite boulders covering much of the valley
floor, a reminder that this land was once covered by the sea.
Meanwhile, hills—green in the winter and
spring, but dry and brown during Baja’s scorching summers—form the valley’s boundaries.
In almost every way, it’s a textbook West
Coast wine valley, with coastal influences that
ensure cool nights even during the growing
season’s hottest months.
The grapes being grown by top Baja producers, including Casa de Piedra, Viñas de Garza,
Vinisterra, Rincón de Guadalupe, Hacienda
La Lomita, Monte Xanic and Viñas Pijoan, are
a mixed bag of varieties that can handle warm
conditions. The region produces mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Syrah,
Zinfandel, Grenache, Cabernet Franc and
Nebbiolo among reds; Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier among whites.
Alcohol levels can run high due to Baja’s
warm environment, and occasionally the wines
taste of saline because of the ocean-influenced
ground water used for irrigation. Overall, however, Baja is on the right track and ranks as a
North American wine region worthy of being
discovered.
GOING TO GUADALUPE
The Guadalupe Valley is the jewel of Baja wine
country and is easily accessed from Southern
California. In less than two hours by car from
LOWER RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY OF DOUG GOULD
ne hundred years ago,
­F rancisco Madero,
Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata led the
Mexican Revolution.
Today, Mexico is going
through a d
­ ifferent sort
of upheaval, a wine revolution in which small
producers largely concentrated in Baja ­
California’s
Guadalupe Valley are charging ahead with the
declaration, “Viva El Vino!”
The major force in this movement, the
most significant evolution in Mexican wine
since Spaniards first planted vineyards at the
Santo Tomás Mission in 1791, has been Hugo
D’Acosta. An internationally trained winemaker who came to Baja from mainland Mexico in
the late 1980s to work at the large Santo Tomás
winery, D’Acosta soon began to explore side
projects in the Guadalupe Valley, including his
family’s winery, Casa de Piedra.
Convinced that this rural valley was similar enough to California in terroir to produce
­excellent wines, D’Acosta started a wine school
HUSSONG’S PHOTO © BRENT WINEBRENNER / LONELY PLANET
Clockwise from
left: A
­ na and
Amado ­Garza,
Viñas de ­Garza;
­Hussong’s
­Cantina; Hugo
D’Acosta; La
­Villa ­del ­Valle;
Vinisterra; Hans
Backhoff, CEO
of Monte Xanic.
San Diego, you can stand in vineyards that
supply grapes to more than 50 mostly small
wineries.
These producers are intent on making ­authentic Mexican wines of quality, often in architecturally impressive wineries that blend seamlessly into Baja’s high-desert terrain.
Two decades ago, touring Baja’s wine route
would have entailed visiting a large-scale
winery like L.A. Cetto or Domecq, then driving
back to Ensenada to drink Tequila and beer at
Hussong’s Cantina, Baja’s oldest bar.
But today’s Baja wine route, which extends
to the more southerly Santo Tomás and San Vicente valleys while revolving around the Guadalupe Valley and Ensenada, offers an eclectic
mix of boutique wineries, respectable restau-
rants and upscale lodging. A recently opened
modern wine museum, El Museo de la Vid
y el Vino, educates visitors about Baja’s wine
history.
Visitors will also find numerous hiking trails
through boulder fields, deep-sea fishing out of
Ensenada and even the valley’s own miniscule
cheese factory, Rancho Cortés, which makes
delicious queso fresco from cow’s milk.
The following are recommendations for
where to stay, eat and taste in Baja wine country. Keep in mind that winery visits are generally by appointment.
LODGING
La Villa del Valle is Eileen and Phil Gregory’s pristine six-room hilltop bed-and-break-
fast in the dead center of the Guadalupe Valley.
Beautifully appointed, it has excellent breakfasts and boasts gorgeous grounds with a pool.
­lavilladelvalle.com
Hacienda Guadalupe features panoramic
views of the valley, 12 modern rooms each with
its own balcony or terrace and a pool for taking
in the sun. haciendaguadalupehotel.com
Adobe Guadalupe is a working vineyard with 60 acres of vines. It’s the pioneer
among upscale accommodations in the valley.
adobeguadalupe.com
DINING AND DRINKING
Laja is the local name for the granite bedrock
found throughout the Guadalupe Valley; it’s
also one of the best restaurants in the valley,
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Clockwise
from top: Julio
Felix, Rincón
de Guadalupe;
Corazón
de Tierra;
Viñas Pijoan;
Fernando Pérez
Castro (left)
and Reynaldo
Rodríguez
of Hacienda
La Lomita;
Guadalupe
Valley
vineyards; Vena
Cava.
10 TOP BAJA WINES
Viñas de Garza 2007 Amado IV (Valle de Guadalupe). Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Tempranillo and Zinfandel blended to
­excellence. Baja’s top red wine. Editors’ Choice.
abv: 13.5%
Price: $54
91
Vinisterra 2007 Pedregal SyrahMourvedre (San Antonio de las
Minas Valley). A Syrah and Mourvèdre blend
with deep, dark flavors, strong character and structure. Editors’ Choice.
abv: 13.8%
Price: $45
88
Viñas Pijoan 2009 Doménica (Valle
de Guadalupe). A blend of Grenache,
Syrah and Carignan with a pleasant cherry character and mild Grenache-related heat.
abv: 13.7%
Price: $22
88
Hacienda La Lomita 2009 Singular
(Valle de Guadalupe). Cabernet Franc
is blended with 10% each Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot. Jammy, thick, meaty and densely flavored.
abv: 13%
Price: $40
90
WHITES
87
90
87
Paralelo 2009 Hotel 5 Estrellas (Valle de Guadalupe). Cabernet Sauvignon,
Tempranillo, Merlot, Grenache and Cinsault are
the five stars of this full-bodied blend.
abv: 14.7%
Price: $40
Tres Valles 2010 Jalá (Valle de
Guadalupe). Cabernet Sauvignon and
­Grenache, not a match you often see, show power, warmth and clean fruit flavors. A value by Baja
standards. Editors’ Choice.
abv: 13.5%
Price: $17
89
Rincón de Guadalupe 2008 Tempranillo (San Vicente). The head of
the class among Baja’s varietal Tempranillos and a
prime example of the region’s ability to do well with
this Spanish grape.
abv: 13.3%
Price: $36
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Monte Xanic 2011 Chenin Colombard (Valle de Guadalupe). An un­
oaked, clean white for salads and seafood. A good
wine to go with the classic Baja fish taco. Best Buy.
abv: 13.5%
Price: $12
Möebius 2011 Endémico (Valle de
Guadalupe). Dry, unoaked Moscatel with
aromas of lychee and melon, and similar flavors.
abv: 12.8%
Price: $19
87
Casa de Piedra 2011 Piedra de Sol
(Valle de Guadalupe). Unoaked Chardonnay that’s nervy and fresh, with citrus flavors.
Starts with an oily popcorn scent that stirs intrigue.
abv: 13.8%
Price: $23
For complete reviews of these and other
wines from Baja California, turn to the Buying
Guide on page 91.
headed by Executive Chef Jair Téllez, also of
MeroToro in Mexico City. lajamexico.com
Corazón de Tierra is situated adjacent to
La Villa del Valle and is co-owned by the hotel
and Chef Diego Hernández. Modern Baja
­cuisine incorporating local ingredients is the fare.
lavilladelvalle.com
Barra Azul and Ultramarino chef/owner
Alain Genchi ensures that his Ensenada sister
spots serve the freshest seafood, which is accompanied by the best local beers and top Baja wines.
barrazul.com
Hussong’s Cantina in Ensenada has
been pouring drinks since 1892, making
it the oldest continuously operating cantina in Mexico. Crowded, rowdy and a must for
anyone seeking an authentic Baja experience.
cantinahussongs.com
Misión 19 in Tijuana is the most progressive
restaurant in Baja. Chef Javier Plascencia
CORAZÓN DE TIERRA, VENA CAVA PHOTOS ©PETER STRANGER
REDS
92
specializes in modern cuisine based on
traditional Mexican products and preparations.
mision19.com
Villa Ortega’s in the fishing village of
Puerto Nuevo sits at the end of the town’s main
road, with a view of the raging Pacific and a
kitchen that turns out incredible pan-fried lobsters. puertonuevolobster.com/villa-ortega.htm
GUADALUPE VALLEY
WINERIES
Monte Xanic, founded in 1987 by CEO Hans
Backhoff and others, is the largest of the new
crop of Baja wineries. It’s one of the few bodegas to have a public tasting room with regular
hours. montexanic.com.mx
Casa de Piedra was built in the late 1990s
using reclaimed woods, rustic metals and plenty
of stone, hence the name. It’s the o­ riginal side
project of Hugo D’Acosta, the leader of Baja’s
boutique wine movement. paralelomexico.com
Tres Valles boasts a treehouse-like tasting room where owner/winemaker Joaquín
Prieto pours powerful reds from the Guadalupe, Santo Tomás and San Vicente valleys.
­vinostresvalles.com
Viñas de Garza was built from the ground
up by Amado Garza, a tradesman and Ensenada hardware dealer turned winemaker, and his
wife, Ana. vinosdegarza.com
Hacienda La Lomita is one of the valley’s prettiest properties, with wines made by
Reynaldo Rodríguez, who trained at Artadi in
Rioja, Spain. haciendalalomita.com.mx
Vinisterra is where you can try Swiss-born
winemaker Christoph Gaertner’s excellent Pedregal blend. vinisterra.com
Viñas Pijoan is a small step up in size from
a garage winery, with a tiny tasting room. But
owner Pau Pijoan makes good wine and good
conversation. vinospijoan.com
Vena Cava is run by Phil Gregory, a refugee from the Los Angeles music industry and
the owner of the adjacent Villa del Valle hotel.
The winery’s roof is constructed from two reclaimed fishing boats. venacavawine.com
WINERIES OUTSIDE
OF GUADALUPE VALLEY
Bodegas de Santo Tómas is Mexico’s oldest
winery and a must-visit spot for learning the region’s history and seeing a large operation in
action. santo-tomas.com
Rincón de Guadalupe is located 90 minutes south of Ensenada, but the serenity and
seclusion of the Felix family’s property make it
worth the trek. It boasts the oldest Tempranillo vines in Mexico. rincondeguadalupe.com
For tips on purchasing Baja wines in the U.S., visit winemag.com/bajawine
WineMag.com | 73
The editors at Wine Enthusiast have recently rated and reviewed your following wines. All
wines will appear on-line in our searchable wine database www.winemag.com on October 1st,
only a selection of these ratings and reviews will appear in print in the buying guide of the
magazine in the October Issue
87
91
82
80
87
81
88
La Lomita
2009
Singular 86
85
82
87
86
La Lomita
Lafarga
Lafarga
Moebius
Mogor Badan
2009
2008
2010
2011
2009
Pagano Equinoccio Equinoccio Endemico 87
Monte Xanic
2008
Gran Ricardo Monte Xanic
Monte Xanic
Monte Xanic
Paralelo
Paralelo
Rincón de Guadalupe
Rincón de Guadalupe
Editors Choice Tres Valles
Tres Valles
2011
2011
2009
2009
2011
Chenin Colombard Viña Kristel Hotel 5 Estrellas Emblema Chardonnay
Red Blend
Shiraz
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Blend
Carignan
Bordeaux-­‐style Red Blend
Grenache
Nebbiolo
Chardonnay
Muscatel
Red Blend
Bordeaux-­‐style Red Blend
White Blend
Sauvignon Blanc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Red Blend
Sauvignon Blanc
2008
Tempranillo
San Vicen
2008
Brisas del Sur Red Blend
San Vicen
2010
2009
Jalá
Elegancia
Red Blend
Shiraz
Valle de G
Valle de G
87
86
84
90
84
89
88
90
86
Casa de Piedra
Editors Choice El Sombrero
Emevé
Emevé
HQSA
La Escuelita
Best Buy
2011
2009
2009
2009
2009
2008
Piedra de Sol Xikbal Baja Txtura 3 Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
83
92
89
Tres Valles
Editors Choice Viñas de Garza
Viñas de Garza
2009
2007
2007
Grenache
Red Blend
Red Blend
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
White Blend
Valle de G
2009
2010
2011
Maat
Amado IV
Colina Norte
Blanco del Rancho Mogorcito Doménica Convertible Rojo
Silvana 81
Viñas de Garza
2011
88
87
86
Viñas Pijoan
Viñas Pijoan
Viñas Pijoan
Red Blend
Red Blend
White Blend
Valle de G
Valle de G
Valle de G
San Anto
Valley Valle de G
Tomás
Valle de G
Tomás
San Anto
Valley 91
Editors Choice Vinisterra
2007
Pedregal
Syrah-­‐Mourvèdre
88
Vinisterra
2007
Macouzet Syrah
83
Vinisterra
2008
Dominó
Red Blend
80
Vinisterra
2011
Dominó
Cinsault