Wake Up Call from Via Guadalupe Wines

by Frank Mangio
Is there bias in the wine business?  You bet there is!  Taste  and companionship are two big reasons why we have favorites in life.  With wines as in our other close-to-the-heart precious subjects, you fall in love and you tend not to change your choices. I believe that  the wine experience should also include discovery.

I have written more than a few times about budgeting some of your wine dollars for new selections, and that brings us to  the vineyards and surprisingly great wines coming from our friends to the south of San Diego , in the Guadalupe Valley , near Ensenada . Back in the 90’s, word was spreading about a pristine but primitive valley about 2 hours drive from San Diego that made some nice Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay, maybe a dozen or so vineyards, and if you were vacationing in Ensenada or Cabo San Lucas, or maybe on a cruise ship around Baja, you might see a few of the Baja wines.  Fast forward to 2007 and the dozen or so wineries were now up to a few dozen and producing about 85% of the wines in all of Mexico .

Fernando Gaxiola is the major spokesman for the wines of the Guadalupe Valley in Baja,
seen at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival.

The valley caught the attention of TASTE OF WINE and a visit  to see for myself.  The beauty of the valley was unmistakable with the perfect weather patterns and coastal breezes for plump, dynamic grapes. What I found was a setting perfectly aligned for Italian grapes such as Sangiovese from Tuscany and Nebbiolo from Piemonte.  A master from the old country, Camillo Magoni, was chief winemaker for LA Cetto, at that time the largest winery in Mexico. His Nebbiolo was 3 years in a barrel and sold for just $15.

Today, there are over 80 vineyards in Via Guadalupe with 20 thousand plus acres under vine, and 12 luxury boutique hotels. It’s estimated that over 600 thousand visitors come to the valley to taste and purchase the wines.

Fernando Gaxiola knows as much about the wines of the Gudalalupe as anyone.  He is a tireless promoter of the wines and has connections with tour companies, restaurants and events in San Diego that allow him to present his Guadalupe Valley wine clients.  On a recent day, we met and spoke over a lovely wine dinner at the popular rustic-style Bracero in San Diego’s Little Italy district.

This restaurant, and Coasterra, a “Modern Mexican” food format on Harbor Island , have many great Baja wines on their wine menu.  I asked him what  he does to promote the Guadalupe wines. “I am working hard to produce tours of the valley to show first hand where and how these wines are made and the quality of the producers.

Bracero in San Diego ’s Little Italy is a hot spot for rustic country style Mexican cuisine, and a showcase for Via Guadalupe wines.  A favorite on the menu is “Nana’s Lentil Soup”

We also present wine tasting at the biggest events in Southern California .  A name to know is Monte Xanic ( shah-neek), with 50,000 cases of wine  a year. They do a blend, the Don Ricardo, with only the best grapes from Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot. ($50.)  I also recommend the Rafael from Adobe Guadalupe Vineyards and Inn , a blended wine of great elegance and intensity with Cabernet and Nebbiolo. ($40.),” Fernando concluded.  Rafael was so flavorful, it landed in the TASTE OF WINE Top Ten Tastes for 2016.

 For more visit adobeguadalupe.com.

On The Road Again to Find the Great Eight Wines

The road map to find my great eight wines for the first three months of the year took me to many road shows, wine bars, resorts and restaurants.

Wineries are teaming together to tell their story along with a taste of the latest releases. Impulse wine buying is still alive and well. When I find a candidate, no impulses for me.  I give the wine a test drive with foods, cheeses and breads of many flavors, then compare to others from a similar varietal and year. Only then did it make the great eight for this year. Prices are the best I could find, on line and in retail stores.

So let’s shop on board, fill the cart and pop the corks.

First stop:  Washington – Columbia Crest Merlot, 2011, Columbia Valley. $7. What, you say, $7!  This is a rich, smooth, complex beauty that must be tasted to be believed.  The key to a great Merlot like this…a velvety smooth texture.   columbiacrest.com.

Temecula – Falkner Winery Amante Blend 2010.  $39.95. A Super Tuscan style with Sangiovese, Cabernet, Cab Franc and Merlot.  Bring in the pizza and pasta for this soulmate matchup.  falknerwinery.com

Ray Falkner, newly minted winemaker Duncan Williams and columnist Frank Mangio.

Carmel Valley Monterey – Holman Ranch Heather’s Hill Pinot Noir 2010.  $37. High on a hill with this one has vines that get all day sun and good protection from breeze, fog in the morning.  It’s a great prescription for healthy, vigorous Pinot Noir.  Small production with high quality.  holmanranch.com.

Russian River Valley Sonoma – J Vineyards Pinot Gris.  2013.  $12.  Lots of melon and ripe peach.  Yes, it’s a white wine, but at times it’s good to have a fruit salad instead of a steak.  Jwine.com.

Guadalupe Mexico – Monte Xanic Gran Ricardo 2011.  $49.99.  Big Bordeaux style blend Deep , dark and intensive with an old-style handsome wax seal.  It’s time for Mexican wines to make their move.  montexanic.com.mx.

Paso Robles - Opolo Vineyards Mountain Zinfandel 2012.  $16.  An alcohol level to match the price in this stud wine.  This big bang wine has plenty of cherry, plum and spice, but balanced acidity to keep it drinkable. opolo.com.

Temecula - Robert Renzoni Old Vine Zinfandel.  2009.  $34. Classy and brilliantly crafted from vines that are many decades old.  I take my zin from old vines for a taste of blueberry, coffee and caramel with a rich finish.  A leader on the De Portola Trail of wineries. robertrenzonivineyards.com.

Tuscany Italy – Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Reserva. 2010.  $27.  Twenty six generations of winemaking in this family. Through Wine Spectator I personally studied under Piero Antinori, who provided me with inspiration and thirst for the wines of Tuscany , where the roots go deeper than any other in Italy. antinori.it.

Follow Up:  Vin Diego Wine & Food Festival
 Vin Diego, in its 2nd year as a major San Diego wine festival, took off and was a huge success at its new location, Liberty Station in the Pt. Loma area of San Diego . Encinitas Producer David Fraschetti doubled the number of wineries in attendance at the early April event,
from local San Diego wineries to top tier Napa Valley names.

David Fraschetti  turned in a successful job in producing the 2nd annual Vin Diego.

Wine Bytes
The Junior League of San Diego has a food and wine festival Sat. May 3 at La Jolla Cove on Coast Blvd. in La Jolla from 1 to 5pm. Enjoy wines, craft beers, spirits and food pairings.  $85. pp.  Details at 858-869-5771.

Great Wines from Baja is the theme at Wine Connection at Flower Hill Del Mar,  Sat. May 3 from 12 Noon to 3pm.  Cost is $5.00.  Meet the owner and winemaker of Adobe Guadalupe.  More at 858-350-9292.

Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula has a wine class Sun. May 4 from 1 to 3pm entitled Capturing Sunlight in a Bottle.  $25. charge, Wine Club members $10.  RSVP at 951-699-9463.

Europa Village Winery in Temecula has its Film Festival de Cannes Thurs. May 8 at 6:30pm.  Explore the cuisine, music and films of the south of France .  Gourmet 4 course dinner with Europa Village C’est la Vie French wines.  Tickets $85., $75. for wine club members.  Call 951-216-3380.

Viticulture & Vinification are the themes of a winemaker’s panel and Tasting at 333 Pacific Restaurant in Oceanside Thurs. May 8 from 5:30 to 7:30pm.  Sommelier Maurice DiMarino will lead the discussion.  $35. pp.  Call 760-433-3333.