Baja Wine Guide – Baja California Wine Country – Mexico – Vineyards

Ensenada Se Viste De Vino

by John Vogel

We decided to head to the Ensenada Se Viste De Vino on Sunday August 8^th 2010.  The majority of events during the Wine Harvesting Festival cost money to attend, and so it was nice to have something that we could enjoy without paying the usual fees.  

This is a festival which lasted from 1 PM to 11 PM featuring a wide array of food, wine and music.  It is sponsored by “Canirac” which is the National Chamber of the Restaurant Industry and Gastronomy.  The event took place on Calle Ruiz between 1^st and 2^nd streets.

The day was beautiful with the temperature hovering around room temperature.  A nice refreshing day considering we are in the middle of summer at the moment.  The feel of the festival reminded me a bit of my time back in New York City where we would attend the annual San Gennaro festival in Little Italy.  I understand that San Gennaro is supposed to be a religious festival, but over the years it has become more of a festival geared towards fun, games, food and drinks.  There was something about this festival which made me feel like I was back home enjoying something very familiar to me.

As you enter through the “taquillas” or ticket area, you are given the option to purchase tickets which come in 20 peso stamps.  The general entrance is free, but the tickets are nice if you would like to sample the wines and food as you walk through the stands.  The wineries that were available that day were L.A. Cetto, Valmar, Sto. Tomas, and Tanama.  There were also a couple of smaller wineries that graced the festival with their presence.  We also had the joy of speaking to Cava Aragon who produces a wonderful red wine called Madera 5.  This is a Tempranillo Cabernet from 2008.

It was nice to meet Yoli from Valmar and get the chance to really speak to her on a personal level.  Their family is a very nice one who welcomed us from the time we entered the festival.  I was able to try there Chenin Blanc which was wonderful and refreshing on a sunny day.

 After moving on to the next booth we were welcomed by Ricardo of Tanama.  This is someone we have been in contact with for a couple of weeks now, and so it was nice to finally put a face behind the name.  He as well was very welcoming to my wife and I.  He asked us to sit with him at his table and enjoy some Sangria.  Once again a great drink to share on a beautiful sunny day.  We got the joy of listening to him speak about the great strides that the wine culture has taken in recent years.  We also were allowed to hear his views of where he sees the wine country going in the near future.  There was a lot of information covered in our discussions and that is something I will have to post under his winery on another occasion.

I think this was something that makes this wine festival so appealing.  I kept thinking if I went to Napa Valley would I be able to sit with some of the heads and owners of the wineries there?  I am sure the answer would be no unless I had a prior invitation for a special event.  I think this is something that makes the wine country so special here in Mexico.  It’s a place where you can tour the wine route and stop at each winery getting to know the people who run them on a personal level.  This festival proved that to me once again.

Aside from the wine there were a lot of food vendors as well.  It was nice to be able to sample the foods from various local restaurants all in one place.  There was everything from paella, pizza, fresh homemade pastas with seafood, sushi, ice cream, and even various pastries.

All in all I would say that this festival really made me understand why I have been so fascinated with not just the wineries, but the people behind the scenes at the wineries.  I love to hear their stories of why they are doing what it is that they do.  It’s nice to hear about the direction in which the future years will carry us.  I am really happy to be here in Ensenada in a time where it is still possible to do all of the things I have spoken about here.  

This place really is special and not just because of some of the award winning wines which are coming out of here, but for the personal touches you can taste in each glass.  It was a great day at a great festival shared by people from all levels of the industry.  The public seemed as pleased as my wife and I which could be seen from there smiles while sitting at the tables which were set up, and enjoying the wine and food this festival brought to us.  

Thanks so much to all who were involved in this wonderful day, and to all of those who made us feel so welcome.