NAPA OF MEXICO
Steered by the passion of young, forward-thinking winemakers and chefs, Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe is a surprising contender for the hottest new wine region in the Americas.
Valle de Guadalupe just might be the hottest new wine region of the Americas.
The scenery is straight out of a Hollywood western – sunbaked hillsides scattered with granite boulders, sagebrush and prickly pear plants. But softening this stark, wild landscape in northern Mexico are unexpected swathes of green – row after row of grape vines, clinging tenaciously to the porous soil.
Wine in Mexico, a country famed for its tequila, margaritas and Corona beer? Yes indeed – and with Valle de Guadalupe just a short 90-minute drive from San Diego, this so-called “Napa of Mexico” has suddenly become the hottest emerging wine region in the Americas, luring Californians across the border for weekends of indulgence.
With an elevation of 350 metres, and a Mediterranean microclimate created by its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, this fertile valley 15 minutes inland from the Baja Norte city of Ensenada has been recognised as an ideal grape-growing region since the 1800s, when the very first vines were planted by Dominican priests.
Today, the valley boasts over 160 wineries – ranging from sustainable, family-run operations to much larger commercial enterprises such as Bodegas de Santo Tomás (founded in 1888), the highly-awarded Monte Xanic, and L.A. Cetto (which produces a staggering 800,000 cases annually).
Add to that an exciting, chefdriven gourmet scene and a profusion of architect-designed tasting rooms and boutique hotels, and it’s little wonder that tourist numbers are booming.
TRUE MEXICAN CHARM
Despite its trendiness, however, Valle de Guadalupe still retains its Mexican charm – many of its roads are dusty and potholed, vaqueros (cowboys) in wide-brimmed sombreros ride through its three gritty villages, and unassuming family-run cocinas (eateries) such as the famed Doña Esthela’s lure just as many locals as visitors for a hearty farm-totable weekend brunch.
The cellar door experience in the region is equally unpretentious. At Mina Penélope, for instance – a boutique winery that produces fewer than 500 cases a year – wine tastings are conducted under the shade of a beautiful 100-year-old oak tree, and are accompanied by enthusiastic licks from a resident Australian cattle dog.
Pouring a selection of her organic, experimental creations is winemaker Verónica Santiago – an Ensenada local who, working alongside her husband, viticulturist Nathan Malagón, has cemented her reputation as one of the most promising female winemakers in the region, challenging the ‘machismo’ traditions of the industry.
After gaining her Masters in Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Adelaide – the first Mexican woman to achieve such an honour – Santiago went on to intern at St Hallett Wines in the Barossa Valley, where she was encouraged to extend her abilities and learn every aspect of the winemaking process.
“They let me do everything there – I wasn’t let off the heavy work because I was a girl!” she laughs. “The same principles applied to both male and female interns – I hadn’t come across that before. It was much better than my next job in Napa, where many of the winery managers were Mexican – I didn’t have the same respect.”
Now able to call her own shots on her family-owned farm, Santiago’s aim is to create wines that truly reflect the climate and terroir of Baja Norte – with the natural notes enhanced through biodynamic, sustainable farming techniques. “We don’t use any pesticides or fertilisers, except for manure from our livestock as they graze between the vines,” she explains. “The reason we strive for organic is because we live it. We don’t need it for the label, I just don’t want to use chemicals around my child. Plus it makes the wine taste better.”
With yields from varietals such as cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot and montepulciano all dependent on the “curve balls of Mother Nature”, Santiago creates different wines each year, with only her signature Julio 14 blend bearing an annual label.
“What nature gives you every year, you want to keep that. You want to taste the soil, the temperature, the history. Every year we have different conditions, so I produce a different wine – I embrace the challenges.” While Julio 14 (a syrah/grenache/ mourvèdre blend that is named after
Verónica and Nathan’s shared birthday) recently made its way onto the menu at Mexico City’s much-lauded Pujol restaurant – a “real game-changer”, according to Santiago – it’s the less traditional varieties, including whites and rosés, that pique her interest.
“Mexican wine is traditionally about robust, full-bodied reds – it’s always been a bit of a boys’ club,” she says. “But with the growing presence of female winemakers, we are seeing a different dynamic and a change in the palette. There’s a more feminine energy; with lighter, less acidic, lower alcohol wines – it’s definitely a change for the better.”
GIRL POWER
Leading that female charge is another locally-bred, internationally-trained winemaker: Lourdes (Lulu) Martinez Ojeda. Spoken about in revered tones throughout Valle de Guadalupe, she studied oenology in Bordeaux before landing a job at the illustrious Château Brane-Cantenac – one of the French region’s oldest estates.
But when the winery’s owner (and fifth-generation vintner) Henri Lurton decided to expand into the Mexican market, it provided Martinez with an opportunity to return to home soil.
“I couldn’t believe it when Henri asked me to set up a business in Mexico,” Martinez says. “But that night I could not sleep. I was really scared because I knew both worlds were perfect opposites. We were leaving one of the world’s most famous, most strict appellations to go to the bubbling ‘Wild Wild West’ of wine regions. The biggest gap would be cultural. It was both exciting and mortifying!”
Now chief winemaker for the exclusive Bodegas Henri Lurton label, Martinez works alongside Lurton’s two sons – Vincent and Nicolas – to create some of the most sought-after wines in Mexico. Their whites in particular are starting to attract attention. “I’m lucky enough to be part of the new
generation of winemakers in the region,” says Martinez. “A lot of us are from Ensenada, studied abroad and came back home. We all genuinely love our region, and I think the fact that we all know each other makes us a very tight community, and it provokes a technical exchange that helps us improve quality in giant steps.
“[There] are also a lot of women in the industry, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. This brings diversity and a different approach to a typically maledominated industry, and that opens up other roads towards greater quality.”
Meanwhile, Valle de Guadalupe’s burgeoning dining scene is also being driven by home-grown talent – people who are returning to their roots after refining their culinary skills overseas.
After studying in Los Angeles, chef Giannina Gavaldón brought her passion for home-style Mexican cuisine back to Baja Norte, starting a catering business and working as an event chef at Vitis Bistro in Monte Xanic. She now runs her own kitchen at Olivia el Asador del Porvenir in Valle de Guadalupe, presenting a delectable menu utilising fresh ingredients from the farm and the sea, all paired with local wines and served in a cosy dining space.
WINE & DINE
Communal dining is also right at the heart of the famed Fauna Restaurante, tucked into a trellised courtyard in the Bruma winery. Rustic tables made from recycled wood, an open kitchen and an outdoor barbecue all set the scene for a truly intimate yet casual dining experience; but it’s chef David Castro Hussong’s experimental menu – with fresh ingredients sourced from the garden, farm and local markets and presented with artistic simplicity – that elevate Fauna to the next level.
Aged just 29, Hussong grew up in Ensenada, learning the trade in family restaurants – including the legendary
Hussong’s Cantina, the oldest bar in Baja California – before honing his skills at NOMA in Copenhagen, Blue Hill at Stone Barns in upstate New York and Eleven Madison Park in NYC.
Meanwhile, David’s wife – pastry chef Maribel Aldaco Silva holds an equally impressive pedigree, having also worked at Blue Hill, as well as at the elite Quince in San Francisco. But despite their collective experience, the lure of family, traditional cuisine and the simple delights of Mexico’s wine country have led to a stunning homecoming.
“I couldn’t imagine opening my first restaurant anywhere else,” says Hussong, pouring a glass of his cousin’s homemade wild organic mezcal, after an inspired five-course tasting menu paired with local wines.
“Here in Baja, gastronomic traditions are very young and there isn’t really an authentic way of doing things. We are creating this tradition, there are no rules – no wrong or right way of doing Baja cuisine.
“Every little thing that happens in Valle [de Guadalupe] is very important since we are such a young destination … Every winemaker that is doing a good job, every chef that puts his soul into this land to create beautiful flavours – it’s all what determines the future of the region.”