The Best Kinds of Wine to Try in Valle de Guadalupe

· Our suggestions on wine varieties you need to try in Valle de Guadalupe ·

Date
Apr, 16, 2021

If you’re heading to Valle de Guadalupe any time soon, odds are you probably love good wine. Valle de Guadalupe is really starting to explode, and I think it will shortly be considered one of the top wine regions in the world. It’s already been given the nickname “The Napa Valley of Mexico,” after all! Something that sets this region apart from many of the other top wine growing regions in the world is its unique climate and soil. In this short post I will break down the best varietals of wine to try in Valle de Guadalupe and explain why they are worth your time. If you’re looking for vineyard recommendations, you should check out our Valle de Guadalupe vineyard recommendations, and if you’re looking for some tips for planning your Valle de Guadalupe trip, check out our Valle de Guadalupe Travel Guide.


Why Are Valle de Guadalupe Wines Special?

When you look at most of the top wine-producing regions in the world, they tend to have one thing in common – generally cooler climates. Northern California, France, and Argentina are commonly considered some of the premier wine producers in the world, and they all have a comparable climate. While you can point out some regions of the world that grow great wines and have warmer climates – like Italy and Spain – you’d be hard-pressed to identify a top tier wine growing region that is in a hot desert 20 miles off of the beach other than Valle de Guadalupe.

In Valle de Guadalupe, you’ll taste more plum and cherry notes in your wine.

The unique blend of soils and weather make the grapes grown in Baja California taste completely different than they do in their native regions. As one sommelier at Vinos Dubacano explained it to me, when you grow the French grapes in Mexico you get notes of mature, dark fruits and earthy notes rather than ripe, crisp fruits. Essentially, you’ll taste more plum and black cherry notes versus red cherry and pear.

green vineyard on mountain under cloudy sky during daytime

While a lot of people love these different flavors from their traditional grapes, the vineyards in Baja California had an even better idea: growing grapes that are natively from warmer climates in an even warmer Mexican climate. For this reason, you’ll see some grapes that many casual wine drinkers have never even heard of, like the Italian Sangiovese and Nebbiolo and the Spanish Tempranillo. These grapes, when grown in the warm Mexican climate, lose a bit of their native tartness and produce very fine flavor profiles. In our opinion, pure Tempranillo bottles are among the best red wines in all of Baja California.

Wine Varietals to Try in Valle de Guadalupe

On your next trip to Valle de Guadalupe, I want you to check out and compare three different types of wine, and comment here what you think.

Tempranillo

The first type of wine you should try is a pure Tempranillo. Many vineyards produce a pure Tempranillo, and for good reason; it’s excellent. Typically you’ll get some peppery notes mixed with a mellow red cherry. Trust me – it’s amazing.

NEBBIOLO

The second type of wine you should try is a pure Nebbiolo. Similar to the Tempranillo, this grape loses some of its native tartness when it’s grown in Mexico, which makes way for a very unique flavor profile. While I preferred Tempranillo bottles over Nebbiolo bottles each time I drank them side by side, your palate might feel differently!

A BLEND

The third type of wine you should try is a red blend that mixes Merlot with Nebbiolo or Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc with Tempranillo. As I mentioned earlier, the French grapes provide a more matured fruit profile when grown in Mexico. When you combine them with the Spanish and Italian grapes, the outcome is absolutely fantastic!


That’s all I have for you. I really hope you enjoyed our Valle de Guadalupe Wine Variety Guide. We loved most of the wines that we tried in this Baja California gem, and we hope that you love them too. If you try any of these varieties, please leave a comment below and let us know what you think!


If you’re looking for more information to help plan your trip and decide which vineyards to visit, check out our blog posts below:


Greg

Hi! I’m Greg, a Pittsburgh-based dad who juggles a 9-5 with a passion for traveling the world. I've spent time living in Mexico, Italy, and China, have traveled to nearly 50 countries, and make a habit of scratching epic experiences off of my bucket list.

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Meet The Family!

We're a family who seeks adventure both in our backyard and also around the world. We've spent time living in Mexico, Italy, and China, have traveled to nearly 50 countries. Life is short! All we have is this present moment to fulfill the dreams God has given us.