VALLE DE VINO

Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe is a wine-and-foodie wonderland.

/ by BENJAMIN EPSTEIN /

Consider it Baja California’s answer to Northern California’s Napa. A mere 90 minutes south of San Diego, Valle de Guadalupe is home to more than 150 wineries from micro to mega, dozens of top-notch restaurants in often magical settings and an abundance of architecturally noteworthy accommodations.

The rural paradise is up a hill from the coast but still within the greater Ensenada municipality. Amid skyrocketing visitor interest, efforts are afoot to maintain the region’s distinctive character, but one thing won’t change: The focus remains almost entirely on eating and drinking.

Eating > Arriving by day? Consider lunch on the half shell. Chef Drew Deckman may be best known for his eponymous Deckman’s en el Mogor, an open-air venue where he mans the grill. But the don’t-miss day spot is his more intimate Conchas de Piedra, where he offers elevated “regional-responsible” Baja shellfish—e.g., abalone aguachile, oysters with fermented habaneros and harissa citrus—and sparkling wines.

As for magical, Fauna, the finedining destination at the Bruma ecoluxury resort and winery, is just that.

Its ceiling of intertwined twigs casts mesmerizing shadows; changing dishes by chef David Castro Hussong—yes, his family owns Ensenada’s famed cantina—are just as provocative; the venue is also ideal for a sunset with cocktails and “snacks.” Nearby is a 300-year-old oak tree, extraordinary centerpiece below ground for the Bruma Vinicola tasting room and above ground for a dramatic reflecting pool.

Weekends at Wa Kumiai Tabita, chef Tabita Dominguez offers an indigenous brunch featuring dishes of the Kumiai people, who also staff the rustic restaurant. Start with acorn coffee and white menudo; whole lamb turns on a spit for the starring barbacoa. Find it beyond massive producer L.A. Cetto winery in the village of San Antonio Necua. The very modest Siñaw Kuatay museum nearby focuses on the Kumiai, too.

At Bruma: 300-year-old oak tree and reflecting pool at the tasting room and, below, the bar at Fauna. Opposite from top: scenic vineyards in the Valle de Guadalupe; the architecturally striking Museo de La Vid y El Vino.

At the valley’s other end, expect huge portions of delicious Baja fare, and lines, at famed breakfast destination La Cocina de Doña Esthela

For more casual culinary experiences at any time of day, both in the town of Francisco Zarco, consider a mulita or vampiro at Tacos del Valle and sample superior salsas and marmalades at Alvéolo bakery-café.

Drinking > Valle de Guadalupe and its neighboring valleys produce 90 percent of Mexico’s wine. Tasting is in order!

Finca la Carrodilla, Mexico’s first certified organic and biodynamic vineyard, offers pours on a beautiful view deck near El Porvenir. Finca la Carrodilla wines are also featured at Lunario Restaurante, set on a pond and known for chef Sheyla Alvarado’s innovative monthly menus.

El Cielo Winery offers elegant terrace and subterranean tastings and a wine-blending experience; as well as golf-cart vineyard tours and an upscale gift shop.

For a deeper dive into the glass, the Museo de La Vid y El Vino—Museum of the Vine and the Wine— is in a striking modern building along Highway 3, aka La Ruta del Vino.

The entrance is below ground; above are an event space and a deck with spectacular panoramas. Exhibits throughout include one that traces the history of wine from Russia’s Georgia to Mexico; others that look at wine production and appreciation; and a gallery of wine-inspired art.

Outside > For a break from culinary pursuits, local ecotour leader

Alejandro Solís Morán suggests Aguas Termales Valle de Guadalupe, a hike on a private ranch: about 4 miles round-trip, with ponds and hot springs, and ruins at the end. It's near San Antonio Necua and Wa Kumiai Tabita.

Accommodations > Look up from the highway along Francisco Zarco and you’ll spot a series of freestanding cubes dotting the hillside—the distinctive accommodations of Encuentro Guadalupe. Guests are shuttled from the striking reception area up a narrow drive or can access their eco-pod via a recently unveiled nature trail; new Baja-Med restaurant and bar JAK is open to the public.

Stay in larger cubes at half the price at tuckedaway Chateaux del Valle

El Cielo, cited above for its tasting opportunities, is also a resort offering nearly 100 luxurious CalTuscan suites, many of them lakeside, and dining at Polaris restaurant.

Know before you go > production company, The Barn Stage, together. “We were always a package deal,” Beck says. “We had been producing revuetype shows at the time— Motown, jukebox shows. But it was always our goal to produce Broadway and develop new work.”

The Valle consists of two highways crisscrossed by dirt roads along which many of the best restaurants are located. Navigating can be an adventure; map routes carefully before setting out and avoid driving after dark. Make dinner reservations weeks in advance.

Know before you leave > Re-entering the U.S. in Tijuana generally means a long wait; consider instead continuing north on Highway 3 to the Tecate Port of Entry.

CONT’D. FROM PAGE 11 hits that culminated in the Witnesses world premiere. Audiences noticed, tickets sold—and then came the awards.

In the middle of the pandemic lockdown, the pair started producing for CCAE almost immediately, with outdoor shows at Westfield Mall and a drive-in series at CSU San Marcos. They were finally able to move into CCAE’s theater and produce indoors starting in fall 2021, with a season of

“It was so encouraging,” says Beck, CCAE’s Managing Producer of Theatrical Productions, of the Craig Noel Awards. “It was very challenging coming out of the pandemic as an unknown entity, and a bit of an uphill battle to rebrand CCAE as a producing venue. There were lots of questions, and people didn’t know what to expect. The reviews helped us turn a corner, and to later have the validation of winning those awards was a great boost. It showed us that our willingness to take risks and produce the shows people really want to see would pay off.”

“Being part of the San Diego community after the years in Temecula has been a real difference maker for us,” adds Lapp, CCAE’s Artistic Director of Theatrical Productions. “There are so many wonderful theater companies in San Diego. We knew we had to focus on niche shows that aren’t done as often, that are character- and actor-driven. I love world premieres and had always wanted to do them at the center. After all, why not? As we’ve seen, there is definitely an interest.”

That’s exactly what the team has decided to do in its second full season. The world premiere of Bottle Shock! The Musical opens on July 7—with book, music and lyrics by James D. Sasser and Charles Vincent Burwell; musical direction by Vadim Feichtner; and stage direction by Lapp.

Based on the 2008 movie Bottle Shock which starred Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman and Chris Pine—the musical tells the true story of the “Judgment of Paris,” a 1976 blind wine-tasting competition at which an unknown Napa wine maker unexpectedly beat the French wines. It put California vineyards on the map and changed the world of wine forever. Bottle Shock a popular wine-themed film being streamed.

“This show just seemed like such a great fit for us, with such a strong wine community in Southern California, right outside our back door,” says Lapp. “With 80 different wineries in Temecula and the region, it’s exciting to explore this world and hopefully attract wine collectors and lovers to the show, as

THE TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL MASTERPIECE ABOUT EVA PERÓN, FIRST LADY OF ARGENTINA.

First Lady. Actress. Icon.

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics by Tim Rice

EXTENDED! Aug. 9 - Sep. 24, 2023