Baja, Mexico

Does anyone know anything about the wine being developed in Baja? Is it worth drinking? What grapes are they using?

[David M. Bueker]

I have had a Barbera from Baja. It was drinkable.

[Jenise]

I know Professor Dietz has tried a few--even been wine tasting down there--if he sees your thread I hope he'll respond.

I've had three wines from Baja. I recall a very delicious Sauvignon Blanc and some reds that were surprisingly smart in the "This is from Baja? REALLY? You gotta be kidding, this is GOOD!" kind of way. The reds were wines I picked up after reading an article in the Spectator about how good some of the wines from there were and managing to stumble over some of the more highly thought of ones shortly thereafter. I believe I had a cabernet and a petite syrah, but I don't recall any details beyond this.

[Jenise]

Oh, and please excuse our manners: welcome to WLDG!

I've been to the Guadelupe Valley, where most of the wines are being produced. Some are good, some not so good. L. A. Cetto is a big time operation.. think Mondavi, with all the modern equipment you can imagine. The wines are just fine for what they are, and every now and then, they can be impressive (I'm thinking of a Petite Sirah they made, for example).

If you continue past L.A. Cetto on the little dirt road, there is a little mom and pop operation, which is now just a mom operation, called Doña Lupe's that is worth a visit (here's her website http://www.bajawine.info/wineries/la-casa-de-dona-lupe.htm and http://casadonalupe.com/Homemade_Wine.html ). I've spent hours there with Doña Lupe, who also sells nuts, honey, another goodies. She has gotten a wee bit commercial over the years, but, hey, she's still a hoot.

Monte Xanic is, I think, a very high quality producer, especially of the Cab and Cab blend. Definitely worth seeking out and visiting.

There are lots of other small places to try.. and all have tasting rooms of sorts (with L.A. Cetto's being Napa-boutique in style).

There are some very good, top shelf restaurants in the valley too.

The only problem is getting wine out of Mexico back into the US. You can only cross the border with, I think, about 3 liters per vehicle.. which is a bit of a joke. However, it does seem that some of the wineries do ship (see links below). Here are a couple of websites to check out.

http://www.discoverbajacalifornia.com/wine_country/wineries.htm
http://www.mexicomatters.net/travelinginmexico/07_valledeguadalupe_ensenadamexicowinecountry.php

Does anyone know anything about the wine being developed in Baja? Is it worth drinking? What grapes are they using?

Charles, I have had exactly ZERO wines from Baja, however that doesn't stop me from offering advise. I would stay away from anything I couldn't find a tasting note on. Or At least only buy a bottle to try before buying a multiple of bottles. Oh! Yes, as Jenise said, welcome to the forum.

There are close to 20 wineries in the Guadalupe Valley/Ensenada Wine Country, call it what you will. I’ve visited quite a few - Domecq, L.A. Cetto, La Casa de Dona Lupe, Monte Xanic, Mogor Badan, Casa de Piedra, Vina de Liceaga, and Bodegas de Santo Thomas). The quality of the wines has increased in leaps and bounds over the last decade, but that does mean that the wines are truly worth seeking out.

The best wines I have had have come from Mogor Badan (a red blend and a white from Chasselas - both worth the price of less than $20) and Casa de Piedra (an expensive red from Cabernet Franc and Tampranillo and a very good, reasonably priced Chardonnay). If you are planning a visit I would contact both of these even if just to taste the wines. Links to site on the wineries - Mexican Wines and Wineries in Baja.

In terms of how much wine you can bring back into the US, I’ve heard all sorts of numbers. The folks at Casa de Piedra told us a bottle per person, so we bought more than that and had few bottles with lobster before we crossed back into the US.

A restaurant in the valley that many rave about is called Laja – I have not visited it.

Mike