Tag Archives: comite pro vino

Two Festivals (& A Fun New Restaurant)

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This Saturday, October 21 is the second annual Vino Sin Fronteras Festival in Tijuana. The afternoon-into-evening event will be held in the parking lot of Caliente Hipódromo from 3 to 10 pm. Boasting the participation of 50 wineries and 30 restaurants, the fest is put on by the wonderful Comite Provino, so it’s very likely to be well-organized (and well-attended). Tickets are $1500 pesos, or about $82-$85, depending on the ever-fluctuating exchange rate.

Chef Diego Hernández, a Baja native who helmed the acclaimed Corazón del Valle restaurant in 2011 until it was shuttered during the pandemic, has launched a new eatery, Parador Mercedes, named in honor of his late grandma. Taking over the former Mesón de Mustafá space in San Antonio de las Minas, Hernández and chef-partner Ana Juncal are focusing on home-style cooking geared toward Valle de Guadalupe-area residents. It’s a welcome departure from the delicious-but-expensive tasting menus at so many Valle eateries; can’t wait to check it out. Parador Mercedes is open from 8am to 4pm daily (closed Thursday) on Highway 3 at Km 93. Read more about Parador Mercedes on Eater San Diego.

If you are heading a bit further south – to Baja California Sur – later this year, try to time your visit with the GastroVino Baja Food & Wine Festival in the lovely town of Todos Santos. This three-day celebration of Baja’s finest eating and drinking looks like fun! And, love the graphics. Although Todos is just an hour north of Cabo San Lucas (on the Pacific side), this “Pueblo Mágico” is a world apart. Save the dates: December 8-10.

Look for a report on our recent foray to three Valle de Guadalupe wineries we had not yet visited, coming soon!

Sweltering Summer Afternoon at Concurso de Paellas

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(If you experience difficulty viewing the images on your device, please click on https://www.eatdrinkbaja.com/?p=2349)

The annual Paella Contest at Viña de Liceaga in Valle de Guadalupe was scheduled for Sunday, August 20 – until the threat of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hilary pushed it back a week. Which was a good thing, as it would have been a veritable mud and wind fest, and not very enjoyable for attendees, paelleros, or winery representatives! Although it was very hot last Sunday, the event took place without a hitch.

The contest brings together about 80 teams, who take their paella very seriously. The event also showcases Baja wineries, with around 150 varietals available for tasting! Paella (as we lovingly refer to it) is the closing event of the multi-week Fiestas de la Vendimia, the grape harvest fest, and has been held for more than 25 years.

As you can see, there are many different versions of paella cooked up over wood fire at the event (no propane allowed!) but most are comprised of various seafood, bits of sausage, mystery meat (chicken? pork?) peas, spices, and of course, the ubiquitous  rice.

This team spotlighted octopus, or pulpo, as the star of their paella!

Jumping on the Barbie bandwagon, Team Barbie’s booth was festooned in pink, and the servers sported pink aprons and chef’s hats.

Opening times for booths are staggered. Before each one opens for attendees, event staff on quads pick up samples of each team’s paella for the judging. And then the feeding frenzy begins!

A close-up of a serving of one of the several paellas we enjoyed.

Always good to see Armando staffing the booth for Lechuza, one of our favorite Valle wineries . . . 

. . . a representative from MD Vinos of Valle de la Grulla, the original wine route of Baja, south of Ensenada . . .

. . . as well as the Madera 5 team.

Live music, too! In both English and Español.

Team EDB at the event. Over the years, we’ve learned to bring a tablecloth to mark our spot, and wine glasses, since sometimes (including this year) glasses are not provided to attendees. Hats also recommended!

The Concurso de Paellas may be the last big Baja food & wine festival of this year; we’ve not heard yet if or when the Valle Food and Wine Fest, usually staged in October, will take place. Stay tuned for updates!

Of course, if no events are on the horizon, we encourage “independent study” of the various Baja wineries.

Como siempre, gracias por los fotos de Bob Gove.

Visiting Viñedos en Flor

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Last month we made a viaje to Valle de Guadalupe to attend the Fiesta de los Viñedos en Flor. The family-friendly event was held for the first time (we believe) at Decantos Vinicola.

Viñedos differs from many other Baja food and wine festivals: although wine tasting is included in the price (about $40 US), food is not. However, food options were plentiful and prices very reasonable. And kids under 18 were admitted FREE!

There were also activities for the kids and this year, live music! For those of us 18+ there were 80 (count ’em!) Baja wineries pouring tastes. Viñedos also attracts a lot of very fun people. Come along on a visual tour of Viñedos 2023!

A very nattily dressed attendee.

Separated at birth?

Check out this very cute young Spiderwoman.

In case you are wondering, biznaga is a species of barrel cactus. I admit – I did not know myself! Posted prices are in pesos: about 17:$1 at the time of event.

Since Viñedos has a country feel, the food offerings are more rustic than some Baja festivals.

Always good to run into Natalia Badan of Vinicola Mogor Badan; great lady, wonderful wine. Natalia has chaired Viñedos in the past.

What a treat to spend time visiting with Tru Miller, owner of Adobe Guadalupe, a fantastic winery and one of the Valle’s first (perhaps the very first?) B&Bs. Tru is a classy lady, another of the Valle’s matriarchs.

We hope to see you at next year’s Viñedos en Flor!

Gracias por fotos by Bob Gove.

Baja Food & Wine Festivals on the Horizon

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Hola amigos/as! It’s the time of year we’ve been waiting for: the Baja Festival Season! Here is a list of upcoming events on our radar screen, with links. We’ll write more about them individually in the near future.

Saturday, April 15, 4pm – Crossing South Food & Wine Festival, Rosarito Beach Hotel This first-time event is tied to the popular PBS TV show, Crossing South. Meet show host Jorge Meraz, enjoy food & wine samples, and salsa dance lessons! Tix: $70, $140 for VIP. Check out this video.

Sunday, April 23, noon – Festival de las Conchas y el Nuevo Vino, Hotel Coral & Marina, Ensenada One of our very favorite fests! With 50+ restaurants serving gourmet samples made with oysters, clams and scallops, and 80 wineries pouring tastes of 150 different wines . . . how can you go wrong? Tix: $1200 pesos (about $67 at the current exchange rate).



Saturday & Sunday, May 27-28, 10am – Art Walk Rosarito, CEART, Rosarito Beach Not a true food and wine fest, but in the past this event HAS included booths for both wine and food. Touring the art and talking with the artists is very fun! Admission in the past has been free. 

Saturday, June 10, noon – Fiesta de los Vinedos en Flor, Jardin Decantos, Valle de Guadalupe  A family-oriented event in a new location this year. Wine and beer tastings are offered, but you gotta pay for food (although prices are very reasonable). Tix: $700 pesos (about $37). And, kids under 18 are admitted free! Tix are on not sale yet. Read more at https://provinobc.mx/eventos/


Friday, August 4, 7pm – Muestra del Vino, Centro Cultural Riviera, Ensenada We’ve not been to this event, but it looks like a great time. It’s the opening event for Fiestas de la Vendimia, the Baja wine harvest celebration. And I love the venue, Cento Cultural Riviera! Again, tix are not on sale yet, but read more at https://provinobc.mx/eventos/

Sunday, August 20, noon – Concurso del Paellas, Vinedos Liceaga, Valle de Guadalupe My very favorite event of the year, with 80 wineries and 80+ teams of “paelleros.” Grab a table under the giant oak trees and enjoy wine, music, and of course, paella all afternoon. Such a festive but relaxing atmosphere. Bring friends, or make new ones! This is the closing event of the Fiestas de la Vendimia. Tix this year will be around $75, worth every penny, but are not yet on sale. Learn more at https://provinobc.mx/eventos/  



Three other past events: Cocina la Baja, typically held in early July at Estero Beach Hotel,Sabor de Baja, generally held in late August at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, and the Valle Food & Wine Fest, usually an October event, have not announced 2023 dates yet. We hope all shows will go on, and we will keep you posted.

Salud!

Como siempre, muchisimas gracias por fotos by Bob Gove.



Adios 2022; Hola 2023!

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Hola! Muy Feliz Año Nuevo! 2022 is now in our rear-view mirror. However, we certainly had some great experiences last year eating and drinking in Baja.

2022 brought the post-pandemic return of some of our favorite food and wine festivals. Excited by the revival of the Festival de Las Conchas y el Vino Nuevo along the marina at Hotel Coral in May, we arrived super early and secured a fabulous table as our hub for the afternoon. That was key, since Team EatDrinkBaja later swelled to 13 strong! (Thanks, all.) Conchas features many of Baja’s best wineries and restaurants. Although celebrity chefs Javier Plascencia and Drew Deckman did not appear to be in attendance as in the past, we mowed our way through dozens of booths with oysters, clams, abalone and more . . . and, of course, multiple wine tastings! It was wonderful to spot other Team EDB members in the crowd and exchange “reviews” of recently-visited booths. Our MO: eat, drink, compare notes, get back in line, repeat. An incredibly fun afternoon.

Team EDB!!

On June 11 we traveled down to Valle de Guadalupe for the Viñedos en Flor festival, held on the grounds of the Monte Xanic winery. While not as impressive as Conchas, Viñedos has a cool, rural, family-oriented vibe, with kids’ activities and a petting zoo. And it was fantastic to reunite with Natalia Badan, an early founder of wine making in the Valle who chaired this fest five or so years ago when it took place at Finca La Carrodilla.

I consider Natalia as the Katherine Hepburn of the Valle.

Very special: the patriarch of F. Rubio pouring their vinos.

In July, the Cocina La Baja festival returned to the Estero Beach Hotel south of Ensenada. Bob attended solo, but reported that it was among his favorite Baja food fests due to the variety of dishes available to attendees, the chef cooking demonstrations, the abundance of offerings by Baja craft breweries . . . and, of course, the spectacular seaside venue!

Ah, August . . . the Concurso de Paellas at Viñas Liceaga in Valle de Guadalupe! Truly my favorite way to spend a sweltering summer afternoon. This event is so special – you can bring in food and non-alcoholic beverages. Attending over the years has taught us to not only pack hats and sunscreen . . . but also a tablecloth, veggie and hummus tray, and a small rolling cooler. Gotta get there early and stake out a great table in the shade of the big oak trees, strategically positioned between the wine tasting and paella-serving booths. Some folks do it up really fancy, with china, silverware and cloth napkins! But the paella –  cooked over wood fires by 90 teams competing for honors – is the star of the show. Plus, there’s live music and/or a DJ on two stages. A Baja tradition – in reality, a Baja happening.

We were glad to see the Valle Food and Wine Fest return in October, albeit with some changes. Due to limitations on really large events in Valle de Guadalupe in recent years, this fest downsized . . . and increased significantly in price. Relocating from Finca Altozano to Bruma (on the eastern end of the Valle), the 3-day fest included chef’s dinners on Friday evening, a main event on Saturday night, and a “Valle Fest Brunch” on Sunday, which we attended . . . since we were just coming back from taking Bob’s boat to Avalon for the Catalina Jazz Festival! (Yes . . . living la vida loca.) To their credit, the Valle Fest brings in major, internationally-known chefs. It was wonderful to see and chat with Rick Bayless and other chefs at the brunch. And attendees appeared to be having a good time. However, this event is definitely at the high end of the $$ spectrum compared to other Baja food and wine fests, with the Saturday night event at $250 and the Sunday brunch at $190 (once they finally lowered the price, thank you). As Bob opined, it was a nice event, but should have been half the price. I agree whole heartedly.

Rick Bayless, an impressive chef and an early advocate of Mexican cuisine.

That’s our wrap-up of the 2022 Baja food fests we enjoyed! Promise: we’ll soon give you a quick recap of Baja restaurants visited in the past year or so, as well as a preview of 2023 Baja food fests. We’re back on the post-pandemic track now!

As Daisy Fuentes famously said at the end of her MTV Latino shows years ago, “Ciao-cito, babies!”

Como siempre, muchisimas gracias por photos by Bob Gove.

Coronavirus Casualties

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Sad but true: all our beloved Baja food and wine festivals have been canceled this year. The list stretches from the Festival de las Conchas y el Vino Nuevo (originally scheduled for early May) all the way to the big Valle Food and Wine Festival (planned for early October). In addition, the many 30th annual Vendimia events, including our favorite Concurso de Paella, did not take place, nor will the lovely Sabor de Baja, which was slated for next Wednesday. 

A bright spot is this Sunday’s wine and artisanal cheese pairing at Valle Girl Vino’s El Corcho Rosa. According to CEO/winemaker Sitara Monica Perez, there will be seven different pairings, all with handcrafted cheeses from Perma Farm near Tecate. The event is a reasonable $30 per person, and I have been warned there will be so much cheese served, I should bring a doggy bag! Click here for more information. To make a reservation for this event, which kicks off at 2pm this Sunday, email sitara.perez@gmail.com.


Baja in a Time of Coronavirus

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It’s been a tough three months, hasn’t it? Trying to stay safe and healthy, and dealing with racial injustice and resulting fallout. Let’s pray that the second half of 2020 will be much better!

Some random insights on what’s going on south of the border:

Border Closure. In theory, the US/Mexico border is closed to all but essential travel. But I have several friends (who shall remain nameless) who have been down multiple times in the past three months since the purported “closure,” with no questions or problems. However, they all drive across, and all have SENTRI passes. U.S. and Mexico officials have just extended the closure until July 21.

Approaching Tijuana via San Ysidro.

Ensenada Closure. According to Baja Bound’s recent Border Crossing Update, visits to Ensenada are banned for non-essential reasons, with checkpoints at El Sauzal and other entry points. But if you are going to Valle de Guadalupe, friends’ experiences have proven that there is access via the free road via La Mision; however, apparently, the highway from Ensenada to the Valle is blocked. One friend got a screamin’ deal at one of my fave Valle B&Bs in May, and reported that most tasting rooms and restaurants were closed, but products were available for takeout.

Valle Update. Kristin Magnussen Shute of Vinos Lechuza reports that they have just been given the green light to reopen, although with “limited capacity.” An encouraging sign! Be sure and make reservations if you plan to visit Lechuza.

Coastal Area Restaurants. I’m sure this is woefully incomplete, but here’s a smattering of news: twenty-eight of Puerto Nuevo’s 30 restaurants have now reopened, so you can get your lobster fix! Splash (Km52), Poco Cielo (Km59) and La Fonda (Km59.5) have reopened and are doing brisk business. Colectivo Surf Tasting Room (Km41) is currently training staff in anticipation of reopening soon. Happy Hour Restaurante (Km43) and Kraken (Km52) are also serving. In downtown Rosarito, Susanna’s, El Nido and Bistro Le Cousteau are open. YAAY!

A recent beautiful day (with music!) at Poco Cielo

Farmers Market. Bart Berry reports that the Puerta al Valle Farmers Market is back in operation every Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. in La Mision (Km62). If you go, check out Bart’s smoked yellowtail; it looks delicious!

Get Bart Berry’s smoked yellowtail at the Puerta al Valle Farmers Market.

Food and Wine Festivals. Sadly, Comite Provino’s wonderful Festival de Las Conchas y El Vino Nuevo (first planned for May 3, then delayed until June 7) has been postponed until further notice, as has their many Fiestas de La Vendima events (planned for late July through mid-August). This includes the 30th Annual Paella Fest, scheduled for August 16! Bo Bendana is taking a “wait and see” posture on Sabor de Baja, originally scheduled for August 26. Carolina Carreno of the big Valle Food and Wine Fest planned for October 3 reports they are working with the government to see if events of their size and scope will be permitted at that time. In the meantime, ticket sales have been paused. Fingers crossed that the 2020 Baja food and wine festival shows WILL go on! 

Memories of the 2019 Paella Fest.

At least Baja eating and drinking opportunities are opening up. Please contact me with any other insights. And please, stay tuned! 

Discount Alert: Valle Food & Wine Festival!

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Our fine friends at the Valle Wine & Food Festival, coming up Oct. 5 through 7 in Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe, have graciously provided a discount code for our friends & followers. If you’re planning on going, purchase NOW, because prices go up at midnight Friday, Sept. 14! Click here and use promo code EATDRINKBAJA. There’s a star-studded lineup of chefs from both sides of the border, and a variety of experiences over three days; the main festival takes place Saturday, Oct. 6 from 4pm to midnight at Javier Plascencia’s Finca Altozano. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Corazon de Vida Foundation. So, GET ON IT; we hope to see you there!

 

Summertime – and the food fests are plenty

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There’s never a BAD time to visit Baja, as our past adventures have demonstrated. However, summertime is food fest time, and some of our very favorites are on the horizon:

Verbena Campestre – Saturday, July 28 – San Cosme Vinedos
LOVE this first-class festival, as well as the family that runs San Cosme. It’s a refreshing bit off the beaten track, located south of Ensenada and Maneadero, where the “old wine route” begins. We’ve found this fest to be more authentic Mexicano than most others; we’ve spotted very few other gringos, and everyone is always ultra-friendly and welcoming. With free wine tastings for the first 1,000 guests, craft beer, artisan products, live music and tons of grilled food options, it’s a real winner. Book a cabin or tepee at Las Canadas across the highway, dance the night away, and join the conga line without having to drive back. Tickets are (YAY!) now available online. If you’re still on the fence, watch this cool video recap from last year.

Fiestas de la Vendimia Paella Contest – Sunday, August 19 – Vina de Liceaga
Every year, there are more and more events during Fiestas de la Vendimia, the grape harvest festival, in and around Valle de Guadalupe. You can’t go wrong with any of them. However, our fave is the closing event, the venerable Ramon Garcia Ocajo Concurso de Paellas. I first attended this event more than 20 years ago and, although it’s grown considerably, it continues to be well-organized, a ton of fun, and a classic Baja Norte afternoon. With 90+ paella-producing teams present, (cooking only over wood fire, thank you!)  and 50+ wineries pouring, you won’t go hungry or thirsty. Arrive early, stake out a table under the trees, and enjoy live music on two stages and the fantastic ambiance all afternoon. As of this writing, tickets are still available!

Sabor de Baja – Wednesday, August 29 – Rosarito Beach Hotel
Sabor is the classy way to wrap up the summer Baja food fest season. A true labor of love, this event pairs many of Baja’s top chefs with its best wines and craft beers. It’s a friendly competition, but legitimate – the judges really DO blind tastings, plus attendees vote for the People’s Choice award. There’s live music, and it all takes place in the lovely beach front gardens of the classic Rosarito Beach Hotel. It’s worth a jaunt to Rosarito on a Wednesday evening . . . it’s summertime, so no one will notice if you get to work a bit late Thursday . . . right? Don’t forget your mandatory all-white attire and your dancing shoes. For tickets, email sabordebaja@gmail.com, and check out the very reasonable ticket/stay packages at the RB Hotel.

Save the Date: Valle Food & Wine Festival – October 5-7 – Valle de Guadalupe
Really excited about this autumn event! More info to come soon; in the meantime, check out this link.

Kick off the Baja Food Fest season with Conchas!

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You know Spring is here when the Festival de las Conchas y el Vino Nuevo comes around! This fest has expanded into a week-long series of educational and culinary opportunities including A Day of Oysters, An Afternoon of Mussels, special Chefs’ Dinners, and more. Saturday’s Parrillada at Quintas Papagayo just north of Ensenada sounds fabulous (read my colleague W. Scott Koenig’s write up on his blog, A Gringo in Mexico), but we’re gearing up for this Sunday’s main event at Hotel Coral. A lovely setting, an abundance of fabulous shellfish and vino, and exceptional access to many of Baja’s best chefs and winemakers. Hope to see you there; as of this writing, it looks like tix are still available!