WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2013

photos courtesy of LAJA
Fresh local fish with local produce and olive oil is one of the dishes served at the LAJA, known for light and simple cuisine. (Below) Hugo D’Acosta,
sometimes called the Mexican Mondavi.
The wine trail, La Ruta del Vino, is a 14-mile strip that follows
the valley floor between Ensenada and Tecate along
Highway 3. The valley, about two-thirds the size of the Napa
Valley, is surrounded by mountains on three sides and opens
up to the coastal plain to the west, allowing access to cooling
ocean breezes. This marine influence is critical in a place
where the average rainfall is only 7-9 inches a year. Some
50 wineries share the landscape with rolling vineyards and
groves of olive trees. Magnificent oaks and wild mustard
carpet the surrounding hillsides. Most of the roads remain
unpaved, necessitating a slower pace.
This seems to fit the nature of the area
perfectly.
When Don Miller and his Dutch wife
Tru first came to the Valle de Guadalupe
in 1996, it was a very different
place. Pioneer winemaker Hans Backhoff
had established his landmark Monte
Xanic winery in late 1980, not long
after Mexico had joined the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which
opened Mexico to foreign competitors.
This put pressure on wineries to produce
quality wines that could compete
on an internationally. In 1998, the Millers
established the Adobe Guadalupe, a
working winery married to a six-room
bed and breakfast along with substantial horse stables. The
striking structure was designed by Persian architect Nassir
Haghighat to reflect the natural beauty of the surroundings.
“Monte Xanic made Mexicans into wine drinkers,” Don says.
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“Now, Mexicans visit the Guadalupe Valley the way Americans
visit the Napa Valley.”
The Millers have more than 50 acres of vineyard planted
with11 different grape varieties and produce about 6,000
cases a year. Their wines are named after archangels (Gabriel,
Serafiel, Kerubiel, Miguel and Uriel). They are intriguing
blends made from combinations of classic Bordeaux
and Rhone varietals along with Tempranillo. The
results are wines of outstanding depth, variety and complexity.
It is difficult to have any kind of discussion
about wine in Mexico without quickly
encountering the name, Hugo D’Acosta.
His iconic Casa de Piedra winery, established
in 1997, has a cult following south
of the border. There, D’Acosta produces
small quantities of Piedra de Sol, a vibrant
white wine made from 100 percent
Chardonnay with no oak and no malolactic
fermentation, as well as Vino de Piedra, a
monumental red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon
and Tempranillo.
“We are trying to keep the characteristics
of the land and of the vintage,” says
D’Acosta. “Casa de Piedra has shown that
you can produce high quality wine with a
Baja personality,” he adds. “It’s a matter of understanding
the vineyard.”
D’Acosta and his business partners purchased 450 acres in
the north end of the valley and established a winery there