My good friend Patti and I have been talking about a girls’ trip to Valle de Guadalupe for ages. She hadn’t been in more than a decade, and after hearing my tales of fabulous new places in which to eat, drink and stay, she wanted to experience it for herself. Once Patti got her GOES card and could cross in my SENTRI-fied vehicle . . . game ON! Speaking of game, we chose Super Bowl weekend for our Friday-to-Sunday adventure, figuring the football-frenzied fans would be glued to their big-screen TVs and out of our way. And, although weather can be a crap shoot in February – especially during a much-ballyhooed El Niño year – we lucked out, with beautiful, summery, sun-splashed days and clear, star-studded nights.

We moseyed down the coast, turning inland at La Misión in order to approach the Valle via the El Tigre/El Porvenir/Francisco Zarco road – my favorite way to arrive. The hillsides were beautiful and green – not something you see during the summer! Our inaugural tasting was at Lomita, a favorite Valle first stop. The only customers, we enjoyed having our run of the tasting room. Our host suggested Finca La Carrodilla as our next stop – turns out they are sister wineries.

Again, the only customers at La Carodilla, we enjoyed chatting with our hostess, Jasmine (with the sparkly sneakers and Jude the cat) and checking out the lovely garden patio. The ambiance was great and the wines, very tasty!

Stop number three was Adobe Guadalupe; since I last visited, AG has added a new chapel-like tasting room in front of the B&B. AG’s red blends, named for archangels, were as delicious as ever; I was tempted, but had to stop myself, from tasting Lucifer, their mezcal. We enjoyed their shopping opportunities and bought a bottle of Miguel – a wonderful blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache & Merlot – for our casita. TIP: if you can get reservations for the VIP tasting at AG, DO IT: the special experience is well worth it.

Time to travel to Viníphera for our spa appointment! This tiny refuge, located in modified shipping containers perched against a Valle hillside behind Quinta Monasterio, is a true gem. At first I thought their package prices were a bit high by Mexico standards, but now I understand – each is intended to be a true experience – Viníphera is not a massage-by-the-minute machine.

In the past, I had purchased their wine-infused bath & body products (including my favorite exfoliating scrub with grape seeds & peels) at the Rosarito Art Fair, and when I learned they opened a spa, I HAD to visit! Patti and I were the only customers in the facility, which has a changing area, bath with indoor/outdoor showers, sauna, two massage tables and a lovely terraza. We enjoyed our hands-and-feet ritual (soak, scrub, massage, moisturize) while watching the sun slip behind the hills. This was followed by a special request “fango” (mud) treatment, and a neck/shoulder massage to conclude. Feeling ultra-relaxed, we pulled on our clothes and headed to the cozy tasting room for the delicious glass of wine and salad included in our spa package.

One disadvantage of staying in the Valle in wintertime: the days are short. And, it REALLY gets dark in the Valle once that sun goes down! Plus, even if it doesn’t rain while you’re visiting, mud abounds, since nothing is paved once you get off the three main roads.

We left the spa in pitch darkness. I had planned to cut across the Valle to stop at Finca Altozano  – but we were faced with a HUGE mud bog, stretching from edge to edge of the dirt road to La Finca. Begrudgingly, we turned around and stayed on pavement through Francisco Zarco to Highway 3, hell-bent on finding Casa Mayoral, our lodging.

This was not easy. It was super dark, no moonlight and traffic on the highway does not tolerate those who don’t know where the heck they’re going! I pulled off on the shoulder, realizing we were close . . . and lo and behold, the access road to Casa was right across the highway. Now, Casa Mayoral is not big; it consists of four modern & comfortable cabins/casitas approximately one mile off the highway toward the hills, hidden behind a cluster of trees. We followed the low-key signage and, gracias a dios, safely arrived at Casa! We were warmly welcomed by Eduardo Mayoral, the wonderful host who speaks excellent English. Gratefully, we checked in, made ourselves at home in our cabin/casita, and uncorked a bottle of wine. We’d already had a grand adventure, and this was just Day One!

NEXT UP: More on Casa Mayoral; Mercado Orgánico; El Mogor & Natalia Badan; Tres Mujeres; Viñas de Garza; Finca Altozano; Deckman’s; Clos de Tres Cantos; Vinícola Retorno; Malva. Stay tuned!

Photos by Patti Anderson & Carole Ravago