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.
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.
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:
