From Vineyards to Spicy Bites: A Day Trip Guide to Valle de Guadalupe

Just two hours south of San Diego, the Valle de Guadalupe boasts beautiful views and amazing wine. Though you won't see Mexican wine in your local store, it rivals those from California, Argentina and Chile. 

In the 1990s, winemakers in the region began formally marketing the Valle de Guadalupe as a destination. This is when they banded together to organize the annual Grape Harvest Fiestas in the town of Ensenada every August.

This festive event draws wine-loving tourists who enjoy wine tastings, concerts, fireworks, celebrations of local wine culture, and more.
The region’s popularity has grown significantly since then. It’s really come into its own as a wine tourism hotspot in the last 10 years.

And now boasts more than 200 wineries! 

From San Diego, I recommend a day tour with Mario and Rene at Baja California Wine Tours.  Be sure to tell them that Stephanie from AlmostFREEfamilytravel.com sent you so you get the VIP treatment. 

Mario or Rene will meet you at the Old Town Trolley stop in a big white van. There is plenty of parking to leave your car and then within two hours, you are at the first winery enjoying a tasting of reds and whites. The wineries vary, but for our tour, our first stop was at Villa Montefiori. Mario chose this winery because it is the only one that uses Italian grapes from the owner's family vineyard in Italy. 

Second stop was the Decantos Winery, a much larger operation with an expansive outdoor seating area. We enjoyed a tasting here as well plus cheese and crackers. 

There are more than 200 wineries in the Valle so Mario and Rene visit different ones each tour. You can even make requests on private tours. 

From here, we visited Finca Altozano for lunch. Three tastings and lunch are included in the $199 per person public tour price. Alcoholic drinks and tip at lunch are NOT included. 

Lunch was a delicious sit down appetizer to dessert set menu. It was family style and started with a variety of appetizers including salad, brussel sprouts and freshly baked bread. Mario was able to accommodate various dietary concerns. 

The finca also features a farm, garden, bakery, coffee shop and several Instagram favorite sites. 

Last stop was the Hacienda Guadalupe where the owner talked about the winery's unique rose colored wine. We also watched  the sunset from the balcony. Beautiful. 

There are also plenty of hotels and homestays in Valle de Guadalupe if you want to stay overnight. You can drive across the border as well, but be prepared for a long wait on the return. If you have a Sentri pass, that can be helpful. Remember to bring your Global Entry card and your passport. 

I have just been certified as a travel advisor so if you want to book a trip to Valle de Guadalupe, talk to me and I'll help you.