You wouldn’t have thought it, but Mexico is getting a reputation for wine. Really? Wineries in Mexico? Valle de Guadalupe, which is located in Northern Baja and very close to Ensenada has turned out to be a great climate for growing grapes, and wineries are popping up all over the valley. While it’s no Napa Valley, there are some great wines coming out of the area as well as some amazing restaurants that could compete at a global level. The Ruta del Vino is definitely worth a visit if you are a wine lover.
Getting There
Getting to the Valle is pretty easy. It’s about an hour and 45 minutes from San Diego. You can take the 5 freeway to the border at San Ysidro and then take the toll road (Carretera Escenica) South towards Ensenada. Continue on the toll road and, just before Ensenada, you will see a sign for Ruta del Vino – Route 3. (Wine Route) This is the main road where the wineries and restaurants are located off of.
What to Expect
Before you go, you should know what to expect when you get to the Valle because it’s a bit different than most wine tasting locations.
- The roads can be very bumpy – while the main road into and out of the Valle is paved, some wineries are reached by dirt roads. Depending on the time of year, these roads can be muddy or incredibly bumpy. In the dry months, they feel like you are driving across a washboard, so be prepared to bump around a lot. Before you take your car down one, check what your policy says: Baja Bound's FAQ lists vehicles not on conventional roads, and off-roading, among the things its policies do not cover (Baja Bound FAQ). Drive in an SUV or try one of the tour vans.
- The food will blow your mind – the restaurants popping up over the Valle are amazing, to say the least. The area is attracting high end chefs who will delight your senses with their specialties.
- The winery architecture is spectacular – you wouldn’t expect it while driving down these bumpy roads in Mexico, when you get to the wineries, you will discover amazing architecture in how they were built.
- The prices are not what you’d expect – being in Mexico, you’d think the wines were inexpensive, but don’t count on it. There are some bargains out there, but don’t expect to wine taste for free or get ridiculous deals on wine.
- The trip back home can be long – depending on the time of day, it could be a long wait at the San Ysidro border crossing (check live times at bwt.cbp.gov) getting across the border. Also, before you buy more wine than you can carry back, check the current US Customs duty-free allowance for alcohol; anything over it may be subject to duty.
Remember if you are crossing the border to visit the Valley de Guadalupe, your U.S. auto insurance is not recognized in Mexico and federal law requires third-party liability insurance on federal roads (Ley de Caminos, Puentes y Autotransporte Federal, art. 63 Bis), so purchase a short-term Mexican auto insurance policy.
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