I am embarrassed! Nearly a month after our best wine-tasting experience, I am just getting to the review.
On December 27th, we went in search of a wine tasting experience in the Valle de Guadalupe. We didn't have reservations. We didn't think about the connection between Covid and wine tasting that would necessitate reservations. We went to a large winery that we had been to once before. They were PACKED and not taking any walk-ins. We got in our car and left for a winery that I had read about that we had never been to, Shedeh Winery. We weren't too hopeful because we feared without reservations we would be out of luck.
We drove through the center of town and as we were leaving we looked to our left and saw a 100 year old restored restored building surrounded by trees. We walked up to a cute tasting room and were greeted warmly and asked whether we would like our tasting inside our outside on the patio. We chose the latter. We ordered a reasonably priced cheese platter and I, my wife and two adult daughters began our experience.
While we were eating the delicious cheese assortments (all made in the immediate area) and enjoying outstanding wines made in the traditional manner and without chemical or artificial additive, we watched a woman playing with her small dog. Soon she pulled up a chair and began telling us the amazing history of the winery. She introduced herself as Yvonne (my spelling may not be correct) and it was clear she was not just another customer. We asked if she was the owner and she was! Soon we met her mother who oversees the kitchen and had made a outstanding homemade marmalade included on the cheese platter. We couldn't quite identify the taste, but she told us it was pumpkin. Unbelievable and unbelievably good!!
Well, from there things just got better. Yvonne immersed us in the history of the winery (fascinating for all of us!!) and Shedeh's philosophy of wine making and then asked us if we would like to have a tour of the facility. She took us to a restored storage room with a number of vats and barrels and began to give us an introduction into wine making in general and their wines in particular. Fascinating! Then, it got better. Yvonne invited us to try some wines directly from the vats/barrels. The rose (which I am generally not a fan of) was delicious. The barreled red wines were so good. To illustrate the concept of blending to neophytes like ourselves, Yvonne invited us to blend some of the single varietals together in our glasses. Yvonne brought her brother, the lead vintner, to meet us. She was patient with our lack of sophistication and treated us like family...no pretensions, no condescension, just immersed in the joy of wine.
We weren't done. By this time, dinner time was approaching. We had plans to eat in Ensenada, but the smells and looks of what was coming out of the kitchen necessitated an immediate change of plans. It didn't hurt that Yvonne asked her sister-in-law to bring out a wonderful dessert she was experimenting with, oozing with cheese and fruit compote in a beautiful lite puff pastry.
Although there were a steady stream of people coming into the wine tasting room, the place soon became crowded with diners. Yvonne sat down for a bit longer to chat, recommend items from the menu and brought us a pitcher of the rose directly from the vat. She put together our order and brought her father out to meet us. He was a friendly man who was full of life and seemed to enjoy visiting the tables.
Four hours after we arrived, we had tasted delightful wines, learned about wine-making in a way that was accessible and personable, met a family so dedicated to their craft (wine and food) and with such a joy for life and enjoyed a remarkable meal.
Let me make it clear. We aren't anyone special, just a middle class family of teachers and college students who wanted a nice getaway. Yet, we were made to feel special, brought into a family and provided a truly once in a lifetime experience.
Shedeh Winery will be our go-to winery every trip we make to Ensenada. It would be a shame if you didn't carve out time to enjoy the atmosphere of this very special place! read more