Wine country in Guadalupe? Growing the grape is a burgeoning business in Mexico valley

Let’s narrow it down and ask someone for a nearby wine center. California wineries in Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez would be included, and maybe a half-hearted salute to Primm on our border, with Temecula getting honorable mention.

Nowhere, though, do you hear about Mexico’s Guadalupe Valley. Where, you ask? Ninety minutes south of San Diego before Ensenada, there’s a burgeoning business in growing the grape in a 14-mile valley surrounded by mountains and sea.

I took a day trip to Guadalupe Valley while visiting La Jolla in August and discovered some 100 thriving vineyards, craft breweries, boutique hotels and gourmet restaurants making waves in the rustic area.

Tourists are making day trips there by busload, as it has become a new attraction. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported: “This little pocket in Baja California is blossoming into ‘one of the most spectacular epicurean spots in the world.’ ”

The wine writer reported that one online reviewer blogged, ‘Blindfolded, I would not know this is not from Champagne, let alone guess it to be a Mexican sparkler. Bravo!’ ”

From Las Vegas, it’s a 5-hour drive across I-15 to San Diego, then an easy trip once you’ve zig-zagged through the San Ysidro U.S. border crossing with Mexico. The coastal scenic route south down Baja California beside the Pacific Ocean is on an expressway, and there’s only one hair-raising section that bends alongside the steep, drop-off cliff into the water.

My guides took our little group to three great vineyards and two fabulous restaurants with menus that could easily compete against the best here on the Strip. The signposts spell La Ruta del Vino on Highway 3. It’s dusty, but inside the accommodations and furnishings are first-class luxury.

Our first tasting was at Vitivinicola Tres Valles, where I bought a case of my favorite Sauvignon Blanc, but this time a Mexican version with the Jala Label (VinotresValles.com). A second wine tasting was in the beautiful gardens at Vinisterra (Vinisterra.com).

Lunch was at Laja (LajaMexico.com), one of the best restaurants in the valley. A great and simple farm-fresh menu with most of the meal from the garden outside or ocean just a few miles away an hour earlier.

We relaxed at Baron Balche Vineyard for most of the afternoon sampling cheeses and red wines and buying gifts and homemade soaps (BaronBalche.com).

The best was saved for last with dinner outdoor at Deckman’s with chef owner Drew Deckman behind the wood-burning grills in his open-air kitchen. Drew, who is getting ready to open his next restaurant in San Diego, has three restaurants in Guadalupe, but people say that Deckman’s is the one to definitely visit (Deckmans.com).

It was perfection from start to finish sitting in the vineyard amid Drew’s farmyard herbs, fruit, vegetables and chickens as the sun set in the horizon. Truly farm to table. He told me that the valley is exploding with interest from wine lovers, and Baja cuisine is so good that he’d pit it against California and French cuisine any day and win.

Our day started at 8 a.m. in La Jolla, and we crossed back into the U.S. border at 10 p.m. watching drama as Border Patrol agents arrested an individual, and their dogs surrounded his vehicle 50 feet in front of us. Even with the delay, we were home by midnight.

For the perfect day excursion with designated driver, I wholeheartedly recommend Matt and Izzy at TerranautWineTours.com. They know the valley like the backs of their hands, and with all the traveling and tasting, it’s good to know one can leave the driving to them.

One tip for Nevada residents: We are permitted to bring back seven cases of wine duty free providing we aren’t leaving any in California. California residents are permitted to bring in only two bottles, and they have to pay taxes on them.

I’m betting that Las Vegas chef friends will take the drive and bring back taste treats to add to their menus here. For a map and rundown of Guadalupe Valley, go to LaRutaVCC.com.