Baja California's Wine and Food Festival Season is Here
'Vino-Tourism' by Steve Dryden
The time is here, once again, to start making plans to attend this year's many wine and food events in Baja California, Mexico, especially in and around Ensenada. Over 60 wine and food extravaganzas will take place from April through October. Tickets sell out fast, so reserve your tickets for events and book your lodging well in advance.
More than 50,000 wine and food lovers attended the annual wine and cuisine festivals held in this region last year. Those who planned in advance with the purchase of event tickets and accommodations were able to enjoy many exciting events.
The majority of the 2010 festivities are being presented by Fiestas de la Vendimia (Pro Vino) and the CANIRAC restaurant association. Fiestas de la Vendimia features over 45 events in and around the wine country of Valle de Guadalupe or in the neighboring seaport of Ensenada. This diverse collection of festivities holds something for everyone, including wine seminars, award presentations, golf tournaments, vineyard concerts, bullfights, tango dancing, food and wine pairings, country picnics, fiestas, a winery inauguration, wine and lobster festival, paella competition, and more. The 19th annual Concurso de Paellas festival in the last week of August will celebrate the end of Fiestas de la Vendimia for 2010.
Plus there are added attractions, as three new wineries made their debuts last year: Hacienda La Lomita, La Escuelita (Escuela de Oficios de El Porvenir), and Villa Montefiori.
The final schedule for 2010 is not yet complete, but it will soon be posted at www.fiestasdelavendimia.com.
Members of the Asociación de Vinicultores de Baja California are the main organizers of Fiestas de la Vendimia, spending much time and labor to create a successful series of wine and food events each August. Last year ticket sales went smoothly with the early production of the event schedule, giving eager guests plenty of advance opportunity to purchase tickets and plan for the events.
Even lodging sites in Valle de Guadalupe and Ensenada were able to meet the demand for overnight and multi-day quarters. Many hotels were entirely booked for the month of August, thus boasting the local economy and bringing back smiles of local proprietors who had endured a slow 2009 season in tourism.
One of my favorite events is the La Cofradia food and wine event (Noche de Cofradia en Ensenada), featuring about 30 of the top wineries and restaurants in the region. During a random drawing held before the event, wineries and restaurants are matched to compete in the contest. The winemakers and chefs meet, select the best wine to match with a gourmet delight, and thus the challenge begins. This is a great opportunity for local, regional, national and international wine and food lovers to investigate the "bottled gems" from local wineries and sample culinary delights from the top food establishments in the region. These masters of food and wine have become so good in pairing fine food with excellent wine that it has become extremely difficult to pick a winner.
CANIRAC and Proturismo de Ensenada will sponsor and present several food events during the next several months, to include the Mushroom Festival, Mussel Festival, Asian Cuisine Festival, Food and Wine Festival at Capricho's, and a Best Chef Competition. For details, dates and ticket information visit: www.caniracensenada.com and www.proturismoensenada.org.mx.
L.A. Cetto Winery is featuring several events during the coming months: May 30th: Festival of Paella and Wine at the Tijuana winery. Details: (664) 685 3030. June 26th: Mariachi Vargas y Guadalupe Pineda Concert at L.A. Cetto in Guadalupe Valley (646) 155-2264. July 17th: Valley Sunset Concert at L.A. Cetto in Guadalupe Valley. July 28th: Contemporary Wine Art Show at Cetto's Winery in Tijuana (664) 685-3030. August 14th: Cetto's Annual Fiesta de la Vendimia in Guadalupe Valley. (646) 155-2264. October 2nd: Concert Cierre de Fiestas with Raul Di Blasio in Guadalupe Valley
Events like these make a point that Ensenada has become the food and wine capital of Mexico. Our close proximity to the wine country, an abundance of fresh seafood, gourmet cheese production, premium olive oils, superior baked goods, and organic fruits and vegetables — all blended and prepared by passionate culinary wizards (from many ethnic backgrounds) — are fueling the emerging food and wine culture.
Ensenada and the wine country of Baja California are shining brightly this year, with a newly expanded La Ruta del Vino highway, and with the addition of new wineries and culinary establishments.
The XIX Fiestas de La Vendimia was very successful last year, capturing the attention and enthusiasm of national residents and welcome guests as they discovered and explored wines from Mexico. It's an exciting time to enjoy the lifestyle of the Mexican wine and food culture, so please celebrate with us in 2010 — but remember to plan ahead and make your reservations early.
Steve Dryden is a wine, food and travel writer living in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's premier wine country in northwestern Baja California, where he guides individual and small group wine tours. He can be reached at sbdryden@hotmail.com. Visit his new blog at www.winefoodguide.com.