Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe
The rutted dirt roads of Baja’s Ruta del Vino can be savage and dusty, but traveling along them is well worth the effort. Today they lead to some of the West’s most vibrant farm-to-table restaurants, stylish hotels, and an astonishing array of sophisticated, thirst-quenching wineries.
Jesuit missionaries introduced Mexico’s Baja California to wine production in the 17th century with the cultivation of Mission grapes (Listan Prieto) for sacramental wine. Later, in the 1900’s, Russian immigrants fleeing the Revolution brought contemporary European winemaking techniques to the area. Since then, Baja’s wine scene has blossomed, earning widespread acclaim for its renegade blend of innovation, tradition, and unique terroir—a combination that creates exciting, deliciously complex wines.