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This family-run vineyard is one of the larger artesanal wineries, producing over 9,000 cases of wine per year. The property is immaculately landscaped with the tasting area atop a hill with soft breezes blowing through the spacious outdoor tasting pavilion. There is no restaurant on site, putting the focus squarely on the wine itself. Three different tasting packages are offered, differing by the quantity and quality of wines you want to sample. Chances are good that your tasting will be guided by one of the owners, who love to share their passion for wine and Baja with visitors. Wines may include a Chardonnay aged 10 months in French oak, a blend of Grenache and Tempranillo, or perhaps the Especial Edition blend of Grenache Syrah and Mourvédre.
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The Rocha family had owned the land for more than three decades before deciding to start a vineyard in 2014. It's a charming small winery that produces 1,500 cases per year. Their Mezcla de la Erre is a complex blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, tempranillo and zinfandel---it earned the winery a silver medal in San Francisco. It is a wine that draws well outside the lines of traditional French (or even U.S.) conventions. So does their wine Selección de Tintos Reserve, a blend of cabernet franc, petit verdot, merlot and cabernet sauvignon aged 28 months in French oak.
Bodegas Cieli is a delightful property that recalls the dusty backcountry of Baja, and its rustic tasting room only adds to the charm. The Italian-inspired winery produces a number of reds, whites, and blends of different varietals while the kitchen serves Italian cuisine that matches the wines perfectly. For those more interested in beer than wine, Cieli also operates a small craft brewery producing some interesting ales and a creamy rich stout.
The winery, started in 2014, has been growing into a cluster of buildings that includes the adobe-style tasting room, a restaurant that makes its own ice cream, and a cluster of casitas, cabins that can be rented for overnight (or longer) stays. The winery produces eight standard offerings, each bearing a "Reales" label. Reales #4 is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Reales #5, is a 100% Grenache. Reales #2 is a blend of seven grape varietals, aged 15 months in French and American oak.
Bright, airy, modern winery just off the busy MEX 3 highway. Surprisingly family friendly with a kids play area and several dishes on a kids menu in the restaurant (most wineries seem to assume that wine drinkers never travel with kids). The winery produces an outstanding Chardonnay and several red wines, including Merlot, Malbec, and Tempranillo.
Owners Jose Luis and his wife Alberta split the workload 50-50, he grows the grapes, she makes the wine. Together, they welcome visitors to their modernistic young winery. Opened in 2004, they produce about 4,000 cases of wine per year. The winery includes an elegant restaurant serving regional Baja cuisine and rooms are available for overnight stays. A variety of wines can be sampled including Kumeey, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 25% Cab Frac. Kekoo, is a 100% Grenache varietal, Relato is a blend of Cab, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Nebbiolo
Hilltop winery with outstanding vistas from the outdoor tasting patio. The small scale winery is operated by Jorge Maciel, who opened it in 2009. He produces a number of varietals from known quantities like the ubiquitous Chardonnay to lesser known varietals like Mourvédre, a light easy drinking wine.