In April we made the journey to Hotel Coral, just north of Ensenada for the Festival de las Conchas y el Vino Nuevo. Apparently it’s been held annually, but this was the first time we heard about it. Ticket were available online, and once I was able to convince Wells Fargo that the charge to a Tijuana-based promotion agency was not fradulent, we scored. With the currency conversion fee, worked out to about $35 per person. What a great event! Probably 40 Baja restaurants offering oyster, clam, mussel and abalone tastes; at least as many wineries pouring delicious vino. Chef Javier Plascencia was on hand representing my fave, Finca Altozano; reconnected with Javier Martinez of Ensenada’s Boules; was stoked to meet Drew Deckman and Natalia Badan. Lots of open space and tables; not too crowded when searching out samples. Cooking demos, too! A good value, lovely venue down by the Coral’s marina and a great way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. TIP: BYO wine glass or you’ll need to buy one; it’s not included in the ticket price.