Located just a two-hour drive from San Diego, Calif., the Valle de Guadalupe — also known as the Guadalupe Valley — is a sprawling oasis in the Baja California Peninsula for food and wine enthusiasts. Although wine production in the area began in the 1800s, the Guadalupe Valley has garnered an influx in attention and praise in the last couple decades. The region now boasts an exponentially growing list of wineries, as well as an assortment of high-end chefs at restaurants and hotels.
The following five tours impart an insider’s experience at some of the top wineries and restaurants in the valley.
Baja Test Kitchen
A fun wine tour with Baja Test Kitchen is sure to leave clients excited about their experience in the Guadalupe Valley. With a pay-as-you-go option for both single-day and multiday tasting tours, Baja Test Kitchen allows for customization. Though provided transportation and a bilingual tour guide are components of every tour, clients can decide what food items, beverages, tastings and accommodations they wish to include and pay for on their custom-designed itinerary.
Baja Test Kitchen also offers a selection of all-inclusive tour experiences, which might feature tastings at three wineries, a cheese stop and a sumptuous lunch outdoors.
Owners Chris Mejia and Jen Kramer have been operating tours in the region for more than five years and are happy to share their wealth of knowledge about the Guadalupe Valley. From the modern wine and food movement in Mexico to the history of winemaking in the valley, they can tackle a range of topics and offer a deeper understanding of the region.
www.bajatestkitchen.com
Baja Wine Country Tour
This educational tour will please curious clients who are interested in learning about the wine produced
in the Guadalupe Valley. Offered every Saturday, Five Star Tours’ Baja Wine Country Tour will provide roundtrip transportation from San Diego to the Guadalupe Valley. It begins with tastings at three different wineries, including L.A. Cetto — one of the oldest and most renowned wineries in Mexico.
During a visit to L.A. Cetto, clients will listen to a discussion on the art of wine and take a behind-the-scenes tour of the winery, all while munching on cheese and jam pairings. This all-day tour will continue with a visit to a famous pastry shop before its final stop at Santo Tomas winery to view the sunset.
www.sdsuntours.com
Grand Baja Wine Tour
For an affordable two-day weekend getaway, clients should consider Aha Baja Wine Tours’ comprehensive itinerary that includes an overnight stay in the Guadalupe Valley. The tour begins with shopping and eating in Puerto Nuevo or Rosarito; a tasting and behind-the-scenes tour at the oldest winery in the valley; and a visit to the Museum of Wine and Vine. The following day is all about wine tasting, with trips to three to five different wineries before the group heads back to the U.S. border.
The tour typically runs the third weekend of every month, and pricing includes two complimentary breakfasts, one lunch and all transportation. Aha Baja Wine Tours also offers a one-day weekend wine tour.
www.ahabajawinetours.com
Over-The-Top Wine Lovers’ Getaway
Clients interested in an ultra-luxurious wine tour will not be disappointed by the opulence that Grand Velas Los Cabos’ Over-The-Top Wine Lovers’ Getaway has to offer. Exclusive to resort guests, the experience features Michelin-star dining in a vineyard as well as wine spa treatments, including a red wine bath and a grape mud massage.
While the hotel is located in Cabo San Lucas, the tour supplies private jet transportation to Ensenada, where a skilled vintner will lead a tour to three of the top wineries in the Guadalupe Valley. He will then take guests to the D’Poncelis vineyard to teach them how to make their own wine, which they can take home as a souvenir.
Other features, such as personal catering or an upgrade to a Presidential or Imperial Suite, can be booked, as well.
www.loscabos.grandvelas.com
Valle de Guadalupe Wine Country Tour
If clients are staying at a hotel or onboard a cruise in Ensenada, Mexico, and want a shorter, more personal experience, suggest Tours by Locals for intimate tours with knowledgeable guides. Mariana, an Ensenada local, allows up to 10 clients per group to participate in her four-hour Valle de Guadalupe Wine Country Tour.
The excursion features three different wineries, where clients can ask the owners about their wines and the region. Tours can be extended with a stop at a restaurant, which the guide can recommend based on clients’ preferences. There’s also the option of skipping one of the wineries and visiting the Museum of Wine and Vine instead.
www.toursbylocals.com
