The courtyard archway at Quinta Monasterio, a winery in Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe

Traveling the winding desert highways and bumpy, dusty backroads of the Valle de Guadalupe, you might think you’ve wandered onto the backlot of a classic Western movie. Instead of gunslingers, though, you’ll find acres of gnarled olive trees, Cab-Merlot blends, open-air dining at farm/sea-to-table restaurants, and architecture that ranges from the early 1800s to sometime in the distant future – because this here valley is the ruggedly elegant wine country of Baja, Mexico. [Read more…]

Baja Med cuisine at Tijuana's Mision 19

In Tijuana, Mexico, the largest city in the Baja state, there’s certainly a lingering fear of drug violence and a strange tendency to paint donkeys like zebras. But amongst a vibrant backdrop of street art and mariachi music there’s also a growing focus on creative, elegant and locavore-friendly cuisine.

Tijuana’s emerging foodie scene offers both a cultural connection and, glass by bottle, a gateway to Baja’s thriving Guadalupe Valley wine country. So have a seat and tuck in, con gusto.

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