Wine, gastronomy, boutique accommodations and a low-key vibe. Valle de Guadalupe offers this and much more making it an ideal travel destination for foodies and wine aficionados.

Located in Baja California, Mexico, this underrated area of the country is a great place for a fun weekend with friends, a romantic getaway, or for those who are simply wanting to eat good food and drink excellent wine.

The accommodations and restaurants blend almost seamlessly into the desert landscape, and you’ll almost always have dogs, cats and livestock nearby.

While it has quite a rustic, farm feel to it, visitors here seem to dress to impress.

You’ll spot tourists, photographers and “Instagrammers” dressed for the destination — wearing a desert-inspired colour palette that suits the scene.

We recently ate and drank our way through the Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley) on a week-long trip and are already missing the region!

Cheers to the Valle de Guadalupe!

In this post, I’ll list the best things to do in Valle de Guadalupe, the top wineries, where to eat, where to stay, and my top tips for a great trip to Baja California.

جدول المحتويات
About Valle de Guadalupe
5 best Wineries in the Valley
Where to eat in Valle de Guadalupe
Things To do in Valle de Guadalupe
How To get to Valle de Guadalupe
Top tips For visiting Valle de Guadalupe
Where to stay in the Valley
أسئلة مكررة
Have fun in the Valle!

About Valle de Guadalupe

Most travellers to Mexico have heard about Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Mexico City, and Oaxaca, but surprisingly, Valle de Guadalupe remains somewhat hidden. For oenophiles, this is one of the best places to visit in Mexico.

Of the 14 wine regions in the country, this is Mexico’s best. The quality of wine in the Valle completely surprised us!

If you’re into big, bold, juicy, oaked reds, you will not be disappointed. but don’t worry if you’re not, there are some excellent white and rose wines as well.

The Valle de Guadalupe (Valle) has been producing wine for around 200 years, with this region contributing to 90% of the wine produced in the country. and while wine consumption may not be as popular in Mexico as beer and tequila, it’s getting there.

Vines and more vines
The area is also known for its stylish accommodations, sophisticated atmosphere, and awarded gastronomy — most of which are reached by driving down dusty, dirt roads.

With the Pacific ocean nearby, the area creates a microclimate of its own, which is similar to the Mediterranean. Grapes and other fruits and vegetables are easily grown here, while the seafood is pulled fresh from the ocean just 30 minutes away.

5 best Wineries in the Valley

Unlike other places in the world where we’ve travelled for wine, all of the wineries in the Valle de Guadalupe charge for tastings — anywhere from $10 – $50, usually for 4 small glasses.

It’s recommended to make a reservation for tastings, not only to ensure you get a spot, but to make sure they are open. weekends are busy, as are the summer months and holidays.

There are numerous wineries to explore and wines to sample, here’s a quick list of our favourites.

1. Baron Balch’e

If you’re into aged red wines, Baron Balch’e is your place. This well-known winery offers 18 different labels — 14 reds, 3 whites and 1 Clarette.

Wine tasting at Baron Balch’e was great

Included in the tasting is a tour of the cellar, which is a nice addition. There’s also a restaurant on-site. Baron Balch’e offers 5 different packages at different prices and levels of wine quality: A – E.

If you’re a red wine drinker, I recommend the premium tour “D” for 600 pesos ($30), or at the very least, tasting “C” for 330 pesos ($16.50). We lucked out and were given the tour by Norman who is an expert Sommelier. ask for him if you can!

Reservations aren’t necessary, as you will just join the tour to the cellar as one becomes available in your language (Spanish & English). Click here to find Baron Balch’e on the map, or call them here: +526466881032

2. Retorno

This super small, unassuming place is where to go for a chilled-out setting (ie: non-Instagram), but with a cool winemaker and fantastic reds. This is a great family-owned place.

Drinking wine straight out of the barrel at Retorno!

The winemaker gave us barrel tastings, we sampled some newer wine out of the metal vat and enjoyed the conversation. Plus, Carlota the labrador dog was so sweet!

Tastings here are cost effective at 140 pesos ($7) for the basic or$200 ($12) for the complete. For whites, the Teo is oaky on the nose and slightly fruity to taste.

For reds, don’t miss sampling the Palabra, Retorno, and the Década (which celebrated the winery’s tenth anniversary) — all are oaked, dry, bold, and complex.

Reservations are necessary, call them here: +526461519247 or send an email to info@vinicolaretorno.com. find Retorno on the map, here.

3. Relieve

Relieve is completely different from the two wineries above. This stylish, modern winery and vineyard is surrounded by rows of vines and has a nice patio available for a drink.

The very chic relieve winery
We had been enjoying wines by relieve while living in Playa del Carmen, so it was nice to be at the source!

The tastings here are 650 pesos and again, I recommend doing the premium tasting. The Tempranillo and Merlot are fantastic with lots of oak, deep red fruits, and a long finish. The Nebbiolo isn’t on the tasting menu but is a great bottle as well.

Reservations are recommended. call relieve here: +526462475285 and find them on the map here.

4. Don Tomás

The setting here is stunning. You can drink wine and have lunch at the tables that are completely surrounded by vines, or on one of the other decks.

The setting and the premium red wines were all great at Don Tomas

We weren’t impressed with the lack of information provided with the tastings here, but the quality of wine made up for that. Also, a small cheese and bread board is included with the tastings — which is the only place in the Valley we found that.

The premium tasting is 400 pesos ($20) and included all red wines, while the basic is 250 pesos ($12.50).

5. Vena Cava

The hillside here was dug out to create a natural cooling system for the barrels. The tastings are held here as well.

A really cool feature of Vena Cava is the fishing boat which has been flipped upside down and acts as the roof. Vena Cava is all about recycling and reusing.

Vena Cava’s upside down boat for a roof was pretty awesome
Sadly, when we visited they weren’t offering the premium tasting. We did enjoy the regular tasting and learned a lot about the winery from the guide.

After you’re done with the tastings, make sure to eat at the onsite food truck, Troika. order the oysters, cabbage, and mushroom risotto — you can thank me later.

The basic tasting is $18, two natural wines and two regular wines is $20, four natural wines is $35. If you want to do a premium tasting, you have to reserve in advance.

Call them here to reserve: +52 (646) 156 8053 or make a reservation through their website here. find Vena Cava on the map here.

Other Must-Visit Wineries:

Montefiori (Vinos Paolini) – Mexican wines with an Italian heart is the slogan here. Italian winemaker who has been in Mexico since 1985. This is a classy setting with a nice view. 450 pesos ($22) for a premium tasting. find it on the map, here.

Emevé – modern winery, nice vineyard views. The explanation of the wines was informative and the wines are good as well. 250 pesos ($12) for 3 tastings, or 400 pesos ($19) for 4 tastings with a souvenir glass. Click here to see it on the map.

Cava Maciel – A small, more off-track winery that is definitely worth the visit. The explanation of the wines here is top-notch. The winemakers here are passionate, fun, and informative. We really enjoyed the wines. It’s 350 pesos ($17) for a basic tasting and 500 pesos ($24) for a premium one. find it here.

Viña de Frannes – one of the most gorgeous lunch and tasting settings! Viña de Frannes is one of the only places doing a Cabernet Franc with 12 months in French oak — it was fantastic. try the rib eye pizza and ceviche, all was so good. find it here.

Casta – another place that includes a cellar tour in the tasting. In fact, we actually did the tasting down in the cellar! لطيف جدا. The staff here were great and many details and information were given about the wines we were sampling. The wines here were quite nice as well. Tastings are between 200 – 400 pesos ($10 – $20). find it on the map here.

Magoni – lovely area under a huge oak tree. The Nebbiolos are good and they also offer a balsamic vinegar tasting. regular four tasting costs 220 pesos ($11), six tastings cost 280 ($14) and the reserva tasting with 4 wines and snacks costs 650 ($33).

Vinos Dubacano – our driver and his family actually own this tasting room, which is surrounded by vines. inside has sort of a bar feel to it, and while we sat at the counter, our driver explained their wine and we sampled many! They offer 5 differالأنواع من الأذواق ، مع تذوق الممتاز في 350 بيزو (17.50 دولار) – ل 5 أكواب. ابحث عنها هنا.

Vinicola Kruger – هذا مكان غير تقليدي مع عدد قليل من الطاولات والكراسي وحاوية شحن مرتفعة ومتحولة لمنطقة جلوس على السطح. كان هذا المكان جزءًا من الجولة التي حجزناها مع سائقنا. لم يكن لدينا فرصة لتذوق النبيذ المتميز ، لكن الأساسيات كانت جيدة. هناك أربعة كلاب رائعة هنا أيضًا! تجدها على الخريطة.

Xecué – هذا مكان مريح مع منظر رائع عبر الوادي. عندما زرنا ، كانوا مشغولين حقًا ولم يقدموا لنا الكثير من التفسيرات على الخمور ، وكانت الصب صغيرة جدًا. الأذواق هي 300 بيزو (15 دولارًا) ، وتذوق الممتاز 400 بيزو (20 دولارًا) ويتم تقديمها من الجمعة إلى الأحد. تجدها هنا.

emevé winery في Valle de Guadalupe
لم نقم بزيارة المزيد من مصانع النبيذ التجارية: El Cielo و Monte X’Anic و La Cetto ، على الرغم من أنها تحظى بشعبية.

مصنع نبيذ واحد قمنا بزيارته ولا نوصي به هو Lechuza. كان كل كوب تذوق هو نفس سعر كوب من النبيذ العادي بالحجم الكامل. كان تفكيرهم في ذلك هو أننا دفعنا المزيد بسبب المعلومات التي تلقيناها أثناء التذوق.

لم يتم تقديم أي معلومات عن الخمور التي لم نتمكن من العثور عليها على ظهر الزجاجة ، وتم تجاهلنا معظم الوقت. بالإضافة إلى ذلك ، الإعداد هنا هو قبالة الطريق السريع. شخصيا ، لم يكن مكاننا المفضل.

أين تأكل في فالي دي غوادالوبي

يفرح عشاق الطعام! تقدم هذه الوجهة قوائم لذيذة وإعدادات طعام لا تصدق.

سواء كنت ترغب في القيام بقائمة تذوق مع إقران النبيذ ، أو تناول الطعام على المطبخ المطبوخ بواسطة طاهي نجمي ميشلان ، أو تناول المزيد من الأطعمة المكسيكية التقليدية ، ستجدها في Valle de Guadalupe.

تتوفر العديد من المطاعم للحجوزات على تطبيق Opentable. إذا لم يكن الأمر كذلك ، فستحتاج إلى الاتصال بهم مباشرة. شيء يجب ملاحظته هو أن أوقات العشاء لم يتم تأخيرها في الوديان مع إغلاق العديد من المطاعم في حوالي الساعة 8:30 مساءً.

هناك العديد من المطاعم التي يجب تناولها ، ولكن هذه هي البقع الموصى بها.

1. ديكمان

رئيس الطهاة النجمة ميشلان درو ديكمان يرأس المطبخ في الهواء الطلق هنا. إذا كنت تأكل فقط في مطعم واحد ، اجعله هذا الأمر ، وتأكد من أنك هناك للاستمتاع بالغروب!

كان الطعام والإعداد في Deckman لا يصدق

المفهوم هنا هو الطعام المحلي ، من المزرعة إلى الطاولة ، بطيئة. إنه غير رسمي ، لكنه أنيق.

شاهدنا غروب الشمس فوق الكرم والجبال في المسافة أثناء جلوسه تحت شجرة الصنوبر الشاهقة. عندما سقطت الشمس ، تتلألأ الأضواء الجنية فوق العشاء والمطبخ – مما يخلق مشهدًا سحريًا.

أوصي باس البحر ، والضلع القصير للأنابيب ، والبنجر لبداية. الطعام والموقع من الدرجة الأولى.

لقد أنقذنا ديكمان لوجبةنا الأخيرة في الوديان ولم يخيب أملك. تعرف على المزيد هنا وابحث عن المطعم على الخريطة هنا.

2. Finca Altozano

مكان شائع آخر لتناول طعام الغداء أو العشاء. الإعداد هنا لا يصدق وهو مكان رائع لالتقاط الصور والاستمتاع بالغروب فوق الوادي.

مطعم Finca Altozano الممتلكات الرائعة

كان لدينا وجبة خفيفة فقط هنا من Risotto و Burrata Salad للمشاركة ، ولكن الطعام كان جيدًا ، وكان المطعم مشغولاً حقًا وكان المطبخ في الهواء الطلق رائعًا.

اتصل على +52 646 156 8045 للحجز وابحث عن Finca Altozano على الخريطة هنا.

3. الحيوانات

هذا جزء من Bruma الذي يوفر إعدادًا فريدًا من نوعه لتناول الطعام. اختر بين الأمامي تحت المظلات أو في الداخل أو في الخلف تحت “سقف” من العصي المتشابكة.

الجميله