Xecue Winery This…read morewas our first stop of the day, and honestly... it was just meh. ‍ We did the classic 5-wine tasting because we were on a mission to hit at least one more spot before dinner - priorities, you know. The wines were good. My friend fell in love with the first one, a white whose name apparently meant LOVE in the local dialect. Very on brand for her. ‍ We also tried their cheese breads - they had savoury and sweet options. I was team savoury while my friend was all about the sweet because balance, right? Overall, nice little stop to warm up our taste buds, but nothing that blew our minds. Just a casual "hey, we're in Valle" vibe before continuing our wine-fueled adventures.

I can't wait to go back to Xecue! I absolutely loved this place. The service was great. The view…read morewas beautiful. And the wine was amazing! My favorite one was KONNAY which is an orange wine. The food was very delicious and the dessert too was amazing! I really do wish to go back very soon! It will be my first stop!

I'm writing this review as the tour organizer to provide additional context regarding our recent…read moregroup visit. The setting is beautiful; however, our group experience was extremely disappointing. We waited over two hours for a three-course meal, and several dishes arrived lukewarm and dry. Service throughout the experience was poor, and when we spoke with the manager, no effort was made to address or fix the issues. This was especially frustrating given it was a prepaid group reservation and a birthday celebration. While concerns were not raised further on-site to avoid disrupting the group, the experience accurately reflects what occurred. We hope this feedback is taken seriously and leads to meaningful improvements. Edit to add: As the tour operator, we ultimately issued a refund to our clients after the venue declined to do so, in order to uphold the level of service our guests expect.

Absolutely loved this place! They have a play area for kids, bikes you can ride, a soccer section,…read moreand plenty of space for kids to run and play. The best part is that they have seating next to the play area where you can supervise and enjoy doing inks and food at the same time. The food... amazing! No complaints. We loved everything we ordered!! Highly recommend this place, specially if you have kids.

We found Don Tomás from our ATV guide Sergio from Off Road Tours and we really loved the property…read more The next time we came to the Valle we booked here and stayed in the cabin with the glass roof. It's a very romantic cabin, too bad the weather didn't help us as it was cloudy at night, but we enjoyed it regardless. We enjoyed the wines here as well as the food. The restaurant Surgencia is delicious. If you like pork the tamarind ribs are delicious, but honestly you won't go wrong with any of the dishes. Chef Eduardo is simply amazing and he takes care of the diners making sure everything is perfect for you. The staff are all that way as well, you can tell they care about the customers and take great pride in their work. We will be back!!!

Our tour company, Baja Wine & Dine, set up our wine tasting in the cava with a winery tour. Our…read morehostess was Elly and she was awesome. So sweet and her English was great too. We started in their cozy tasting room with a nice pour of Sauvignon Blanc. We then made our way through down to the beautiful cellar and private tasting room. This is a beautiful vineyard. We only had 2 hours here. I wish we had more time to enjoy walking around their grounds. We requested a Nebiolo and she was able to make it happen. I really like their grenache rosé and their Nebiolo blend.

The house was beautiful, the sewage smell was unbearable. We had a fire pit without fire wood…read more I book this house under the impression that it had 21/2 bathrooms it did not, also I made reservations for their lounge for 2 different days and the reservations Were cancel without prior notice, I also did not feel safe, this house is very exposed and no real security or safety protocols. I wouldn't recommend nor would I stay here again

Visited Casa Frida and tequila tasted at 10:15 in the morning. We know how to have fun. This was a…read moregreat experience that paired 4 tequilas with flavored enhanced citrus that took each tequila to another level. Our server Angel was a wealth of knowledge and provided good pours along with bottled water accompanied with a glass with ice. We pretty much had the place to ourselves and the sofa area was indeed comfortable. We are not that knowledgeable when it comes to tequila but left with a better understanding of the spirit. The location is gorgeous and has a world class restaurant on the premises. Tequila tasting runs $32 per person and worth every penny. We had so much fun and will for sure return for another visit.

Best stay ever. We love their wine, food and company. We always stay at their Airbnb's…read more We just celebrated my dad's 70 birthday. Lety and Rafa are the best host.

If you want to unplug from the hustle and bustle of the city then definitely come to Rancho Santa…read moreMaria for some rest and relaxation. Book their cute cottage and schedule some wine tasting in the evening while the sun is going down and you'll be in heaven. Letty is the hostess with the mostest! Letty and daughter Rosalen rolled out the red carpet for us. They gave top rated suggestions for breakfast, wine tasting, tapas and dinner. I hated to leave and can't wait to go back.

This was such an incredible winery. Went with a group of 11 girls for a friend's birthday and it…read morewas such a great experience. We had a tasting in their air conditioned wine cellar and the service did a fantastic job of explaining all the wines to us. I was a big fan of their mixed tasting which included natural wines and was about $30. It is so beautiful here, the ambiance is super unique and unmatched and tons of photo ops.

I love eating lunch outside near the vineyards and this was one of the most beautiful and delicious…read morelunches I've had. It was about 28 of us for our annual firm holiday party, and everything was over-the-top incredible. We had a four-course family style meal of: (1) Hiramasa Tiradito - yellow hiramasa sashimi w/ avocado and citrus vinaigrette - amazing; 2) Arroz Melo so w/ roasted Brussel sprouts, mushrooms and ramineti cheese - so tasty; 3) Roasted baby vegetables w/ green harissa sauce - words cannot even begin to describe how delectable the veggies AND sauce were; we have to try to re-create this at home; 4) pork belly with miso glaze, tzatziki, served with flour tortillas. I'm not usually a pork belly fan, but this was out-of-this-world in meatiness and flavor, not your standard pork fat. Wines were amazing; service and setting was the best. An overall heavenly lunch.

This place is located in the Valle de Guadalupe, Baja Mexico. I wasn't always a fan of the wine…read morefrom this area. But over the last two decades they have made large strides in quality with new modernization techniques. Besides all of the wine makers that have been here for generations, others (Spain, France, and Italy) from around the world have joined in wine making in the area. The area has all of the basic ingredients (proper climate and soil) needed to make great wine. The area sits in the same latitude as the great wine making areas of the Mediterranean. As a result, now I am a big fan of the area's wine. Now many compare the area to Tuscany Italia before the big tourist rush occurred. The greater area is also home to many Michelin rated restaurants with a great ocean/farm to table menu (carta). Organic and sustainability are fully represented in restaurants as well. If you love seafood, then this place is heaven because of the abundance of fresh seafood from both the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific. I predict that once the new airport in Ensenada is built then this place is going to explode with tourism. Currently, having to fly into Tijuana then take a bus or private transport has been the only way to reach this area from most places in the US with the exception of southern California. People in southern California are lucky enough to drive down for a weekend because it's just that close to them. It's the equivalent of people from Chicago spending a weekend in wine country in Michigan, Indiana, or Wisconsin. In all honesty there is no comparison because most wine in the Midwest is mediocre at best. The problem in the Midwest is the climate extremes which are not suitable to most popular wine varietals. Even when I do find wine from the Midwest that I like, it usually has at least $50-$60 price tag. At a typical grocery store in Spain or Portugal very good bottle of wine is sometimes cheaper than a bottle of water! Under $10 a bottle pricing gets you very good wine, above that you can have even better quality. The winery is beautiful even in the winter. I like to visit in the winter because although it's not super warm here, I go from wearing a winter jacket to wearing a light jacket or sweater. The nights can drop into the 40s which is still much better than a winter polar vortex back home. There is a lot less people, therefore, I can also get into the best restaurants in the area. My rental flat had absolutely no neighbors until the last day when it was time to leave. The isolation was very nice because the grounds are beautiful and very full of life. A huge assortment of birds make this their winter getaway from the harsh winters up north. Citrus fruit was in season down here and the neighboring property had an orchard of trees filled with oranges. The property has a few nice pathways to walk after mealtimes. I also enjoyed the outdoor wine tour which explores the different varietals fields with an enthusiastic guide that was quick witted with jokes. The wine pourings that accommodate the tour were delicious and wisely chosen. I also opted to take the wine cave tour right after the outside tour. How was the cave tour? It was disappointing and frustrating. First of all, as I patiently waited to be taken down to the cave from their gift shop area they forgot about me. They have a list of who is supposed to go down and yet they still went down without everyone?!? Finally a cashier notices that I'm just walking around not shopping and asked me if I was waiting for someone. I told him that I was waiting for the cave tour to begin. He got a hold of the tour guide who had already gone down with some of the group and he came up to retrieve us. Those that were already in the cave, already had been served food that was optional to order with the tasting. After several pourings in the previous tour, yes, I was ready to have some food to lessen the impact of more pourings. Also, they had a nice selection of items that would complement the pourings. Somehow, they forgot about me again, and I noticed others were getting a different presentation than I was on the same tour. Okay, now a sense of frustration is overcoming me and I mention the oversights to the guide. He lied to me and told me that the others had a different level of wine tasting. This disorganized tour was also set up backwards because there should have been a walking tour of the fermentation area first then tastings afterwards. Besides the bad cave tour that I definitely don't recommend. Everything else was great with the exception of the cold washroom on cold nights. They have very nice employees, beautiful grounds, very good breakfast, and a great dinner restaurant called Latitude on the property. Would I come back? Yes, because besides a few frustrating moments the rest was great.

Remote resort and winery hosting about 30 individually standing buildings made up of three separate…read moresuites all encircling the grapevines tended by the staff. About an hour and a half drive from the US/Mexico border stands El Cielo ready to welcome you into their quiet neighborhood surrounded by lush lands and hills often grazed by their many cattle and other livestock. Within the vicinity, you'll find little, but a few high end eateries exist. The dirt paths are roads less travelled, however, you're not too far from the port city of Ensenada. As you drive into the long entrance to the main lobby, you'll notice the openness of it all. The horizon is just barely obstructed and the land is extremely flat with the exception of the hills nearby. The property has a lake and serves as a beautiful and serene place to take a walk. In the evenings, the stars are extremely clear and bright against the pitch dark sky. Bask in the tranquility as the only sounds you'll hear are the occasional croaks from the native frogs or chirps of crickets and whistling night breeze. If you came during the day, however, and haven't melted already, the first step out will be a shocker due to the immense heat you'll feel being just a smidge closer to the equator. The staff greeted us with some cold glasses of refreshing white wines as we checked in. Upon getting our suite and room keys, they offered to shuttle us to our rooms but if you drove in yourself, feel free to drive on over and park in the driveway. For those with electric vehicles, they do have charging available right outside each suite. The rooms are spacious, well ventilated and adequately illuminated. The beds are soft and the mattress and pillows are super comfortable. The bathrooms are clean and modern; water pressure is good. Amenities were appreciated - bottles of drinking water (was told to refrain from consuming water from tap in Mexico so this was a big plus), clean towels, hygiene and supplemental kits were available, and mirrors were abundant (long, standard, and close up). Each room also comes with a TV and localized air conditioning and fan unit, giving full control over room climate. There's also a balcony but it was much too hot to be out during the day. The evenings were cool and provided a nice place to sit back and enjoy the stars. There's a shared outdoor pool, a gymnasium and a chapel house. I only got to use the pool and it was relatively clean aside from the occasional bug that might have fallen in. There were towels and chairs for patrons to use. The lake was a nice stroll but it's not too big and much of the path is fully exposed to the sun. Breakfast occurs between 8-9:30 am at the main building on the second floor. They'll check you in at the front desk for your name and room number and you'll have the option to sit indoors in the dark but elegant dining room or outdoors on the patio. The food is self service and included a variety of options including eggs, beans, meats, dairy, nuts and fruits. They also have a dessert section where I got to try a chia seed parfait with fresh berries. Orange juice and coffee are also served with your meal. The service is phenomenal here. The staff are friendly and very welcoming. For non-Spanish speakers, it wasn't too difficult to communicate our needs. Overall, El Cielo is a great vacation spot to disconnect from all your worries and engage in the present. There's not a whole lot to do here specifically, but the downtime offers room to connect with your loved ones. With its proximity to other hot spots and eateries, El Cielo proved to be a humble and comfortable rest spot in between the tourist attractions, explorations, and wine and dining. If you're looking for a place that has nearly everything taken care of for you to enjoy a stress free vacation, El Cielo has you covered. You just need to make your way down here!

Four Tasting Categories: Classica/Classic: $350 Pesos ($20 USD); Reserva/Reserve: $470 Pesos…read more($27.50 USD); Inéditos/Unique: $530 Pesos ($30 USD); and Premium: $630 Pesos ($36 USD), as of our 8/8/24 visit. Each tasting included four pours, including single varietal whites, reds, and blends. We've been coming to Valle de Guadalupe ("VdG") for about 15 years now, however this was only our second visit to Las Nubes Bodegas y Viñedos. Oscar poured for us this time and we had another wonderful experience. The winery itself sits high up on the hillside on the north side of the valley and affords patrons with amazing views across the vineyards, valley floor, and surrounding mountains. You can sit inside or on their expansive deck with many umbrellas and trellis covered seating areas. Their wines are among our favorites in VdG and the service is excellent. They offer charcuterie boards, sandwiches, oysters, truffled popcorn, cookies, and fruit tarts to pair with your wine selections. Las Nubes is truly a must experience winery when visiting VdG.

Las Nubes was recommended to us and I'm so glad I tried it. We were sat right where we could…read moreoverlook the vineyard. The view is spectacular. The service was good and the wines were decent. We took a couple bottles home with us. What I really loved was all the dogs walking around greeting people. They're all so calm and friendly. The tastings were a little high cost-wise but I think you pay more because of the incredible views.

After being here twice I have to say it's all about the ambiance. The wine is ok, could be better,…read morebut the service is pretty good. Truly what makes this place special is sitting under that 250 year old tree. I got their Tempranillo that I still haven't opened yet. I probably should and report back. This is a more commercialized experience so be prepared to wait to sit, and get served.

We just got back home from our girls trip to the Valle. Casa Magoni was by far my favorite winery!…read moreThe ambiance and service are excellent, and I really enjoyed my reserva tasting!

This vineyard was really nice and cozy. It is smaller the others but in my opinion it has better…read morewine then all the big names out there. I tried their platinum Syrah and it was delicious. They had great live music a nice playground for kids and lots of open seating. I ended up taking extra bottles home. Great place I can't wait to plan another trip.

We had to ask for service to do a tasting. Then we had the ask for the next glass each time. The…read morewines were ok. Nothing we need to purchase. We wanted to try the olive oils and vinegars but couldn't wait for the service. The grounds are beautiful. Lovely to lounge around. The restaurant was really good! (4stars) Great service, great food and best piña colada's I've ever had. Flamed pineapple and caramelized sugar on top. SO GOOD! The lunch made our day.