Valle de Guadalupe

The Valle de Guadalupe, about 30 kilometres northeast of Ensenada along Highway 3, is Mexico's premier wine-growing region and one of the most interesting food destinations on the Pacific coast of North America. The valley floor, with its Mediterranean climate and sandy granite soils, supports over 100 small wineries, many with tasting rooms open to visitors.

The best way to experience the valley is to drive the main road, stop at a few wineries, and eat at one of the outdoor restaurants that have made the region famous. Places like Corazón de Tierra and Malva serve food that pairs Baja ingredients — local seafood, Ensenada olive oil, valley vegetables — with the wines grown within view of the table. Book ahead for weekend lunch in summer; it fills up. The harvest season from August to October is particularly lively, with festivals and special events at many producers.

things to do sight
A story
The valley's wine industry is barely 40 years old in any serious sense — it was Dominican missionaries who planted the first vines here in the 18th century, but the modern wine culture dates to the 1980s and 1990s when a handful of producers, many of them Russian-immigrant families, began making wine in earnest. Today there are over 100 producers in the valley and the Baja Med cuisine that grew up around them has drawn international attention.