Hacienda La Lomita is a new boutique wine producer based in the wine country of Baja California. Featured in the Telenovela “Cuando me Enamora”, Hacienda La Lomita or as it’s known in the 2010 TV Show “La Bonita” is an lovely new winery in the Valle de Guadalalupe, Baja, Mexico

Just past San Antonio de las Minas, in the rolling hills of the community of San Marcos, rocks were dispersed to give Hacienda la Lomita (“Hacienda of the Little Hill”) the space to spring to life. The Hacienda celebrated its inaugural production during the harvest celebration of 2009. La Lomita embodies family, dreams, and humble beginnings.

La Lomita posseses a magical alchemy that blends diverse cultural and architectural elements. The exterior façade recalls the old haciendas of the south. All the classical elements are present: quarry stone framing, clay plastering, grand wooden doors, ironwork porticos, and slab stone veneers.

Through the main entrance, we cross the threshold into the contemporary, a portal that brings us into the present: oversize cement tiles sustaining cutting-edge machinery, exposed walls, repurposed materials, atmospheric lighting, and modern art. We honor “Mexicaness,” invoking its common customs while simulteneously circumventing them. 

• Official Hacienda La Lomita web site
• Official Hacienda La Lomita blog (spanish only)
• Official Facebook page for Hacienda La Lomita

by Johnny Punish

Folks, we have a brand new family restaurant in the Valle de Guadalupe.   It’s called La Potrancas.  It’s an large open typical Mexican family restaurant with all the goodness you’d get at Tia Juanita’s house.  Brand new, we thought we’d give it a try.  With my mother-in-law in tow, it was a perfect time to eat local. 

We ordered their huge “combo” plate which was kind of like a big fajitas plate with lots of different meats and vegtables to make really good tacos.  Considering the tortillas were made right there on the spot, it was a great way to enjoy the meal.

For the kids they have a “backyard” that is wide open with grass.   So it’s a great place to bring the family.  Prices were good.  Average and typical.  Ambiance was comfortable.  Food was good.  This is a family place to hang out and enjoy.

It’s right on the main highway.  To get there, you just drive into the Valle de Guadalupe from the Pacific Coast and when you pass the first light, you drive another mile or so and look on the right side.  It’s basically in the outskirts of San Antonio de las Minas (small town there at the light)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Johnny Punish is a musician, artist, entertainer, businessman, investor, life coach, and syndicated columnist. Educated at University of Nevada Las Vegas, his articles appear in Veterans Today, MunKNEE and his Johnny Punish blog. His art music is promoted by Peapolz Media Records and played on net radio at Last.fm , EarBits and more.

Resources: Store – Music – Videos – Amazon – YouTube – Twitter – Facebook

2011 copyright – Johnny Punish

GAZUZA on the Rocks

Nouveau Baja Cusine Hits Ensenada 

by Johnny Punish 

On very strong advice from an expat local friend named Rebecca living in Ensenada, we visited an “out of the way”  restaurant called Gazuza.   Rebecca said, “you gotta go to this place, the food is outstanding made by what I believe is the best chef in Baja”.    

Now, Rebecca is NO slouch when it comes to culinary knowledge.   A world traveler who’s been to over 70 countries and a leading San Miguel de Allende socialite, Rebecca knows her stuff.  So when she says GO, well, we go!

So the wife and I made our way to El Sauzal, which is the working class hamlet just north of downtown Ensenada.  This obscure restaurant is hiding away tucked behind some strange wooded art fencing nestled on the rocks of the Ensenada Bay.   

It was a bit hard to find like a jewel tucked in the middle of a coal mine.  But the adventure of exploring and trying to find it only added to the mystique of this place. 

Okay, so we get to this strange wooded fencing on the coast highway and both my wife and I have this look like “Are you sure it’s here” and we proceed to drive towards rocks and ocean.   Then we see these strange bungalow type trailer buildings and again say “Huh?”….but we keep going. 

It happened to be a very cold early weekday evening;  misty in the high 50s, not the type of evening that one would consider a perfect night to go out.  But we were hungry and just not in the mood for typical weekday dinner fare.  So we took a chance.

We walked on these wooden planks and around the “trailer” and finally found the door to this restaurant.  There were some diners but we had our pick of the place and sat down.

One look at the menu and it was clear, this was NOT going to be something typical.

Chef Fabricio Palomino Benitez came out to greet us and help us learn about his style.   He’s a 3^rd generation chef .  He studied at the Centro Culinario Ambrosia.  Originally he’s from Mexico City and now lives in Baja

Fabricio is characteristic of a  new breed of daring young chefs who are defining what is Noveau Baja Cuisine and introducing some of it’s most exciting eateries.

We ordered a clam soup.   We thought it would be your typical white creamy soup with potato.  Turns out it was made with a unique special cactus from the Sonora desert called Quiote”  Well, that was a telling sign right?  Simply superb!

Then we the OPA, a local sunfish, prepared in a unique way that gave it a taste like no other.  And my wife ordered the Duck with a Mexican type of chili sauce that was pungent that married perfectly with the fatty Duck.   We don’t even know what to call it but it was amazing!

This was a dinner that was a complete surprise.  Superb!  Suprising!  Interesting!  Tasty!  A  10!  What the heck is this place doing here!  It belongs on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.    OMG!   How cool that we get to experience the highest quality cusine and might I add, for a very fair local price.

Well, to honor Rebecca, we sent her a note and said “right again”.   Good job Rebecca!   She really knows her jewels!

CONTACT & DIRECTIONS   

• Email: gazuza.restaurant@gmail.com
• From downtown Ensenada, go north on the coast road.  Pass the Marina Coral Hotel….keep going, right before you get to El Sauzal look on the left side for the funky wood fencing.  Go down the driveway and you’ll see the restaurant.   
• From the north coming south into Ensenada, pass the toll booth, then drive about 1 mile into El Sauzal area….look on right side for funky wood fencing.  Go down the driveway and you’ll see the restaurant.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Johnny Punish is a musician, artist, entertainer, businessman, investor, life coach, and syndicated columnist. Educated at University of Nevada Las Vegas, his articles appear in Veterans Today, MunKNEE and his Johnny Punish blog. His art music is promoted by Peapolz Media Records and played on net radio at Last.fm , EarBits and more.

Resources: Store – Music – Videos – Amazon – YouTube – Twitter – Facebook

2011 copyright – Johnny Punish

The Mexico International Film Festival has become an important destination event within the film industry and a centerpiece for the thriving arts and culture community in Mexico. Founded on the premise that the language of film is universal and a dynamic force in bridging cultural understanding, the Festival continues to showcase the best of world film to Mexico through its rich film programming, events and activities.

Held annually each Spring, the Mexico International Film Festival is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in the one of the country’s most beautiful cities, featuring some 50 films and live events with filmmakers and artists in attendance and nearly two dozen awards presented for cinematic excellence. The Festival attracts a dedicated audience of film lovers and enthusiasts of all ages.

The festival is held in the serene and beautiful town of Rosarito, situated on the Baja coast, where the sun shines all year with cooling sea breezes, glorious clear skies, and the crystal azure Pacific as a backdrop.  The Mexico International Film Festival features premiere screenings, award ceremonies, seminars, a screenplay competition and, of course, gorgeous beaches, delicious food, incredible nightlife, and all that make Baja, Mexico one of the most unique and exotic vacation destinations in the world.

In addition to screening compelling and diverse contemporary independent cinema, the 2011 Mexico International Film Festival will attract international filmmakers, producers, and artists from around the world.

The festival features nightly live events and parties including our unique beach party and closing night awards ceremony.

Awards are given in several categories including Feature, Documentary, Short, Foreign, Animation, Music Video, Student, Direction, Acting, Screenwriting, Television Pilot, and Best of Mexico. The Grand Jury Prize will be presented to the best film in competition as selected by a jury of industry professionals.

Filmmaker panels provide audience members and film-lovers the opportunity to learn from and directly engage some of the brightest independent filmmakers, writers and actors from around the world.

Interactive question and answer sessions, round-table discussions, and seminars explore the craft and creative process of cinema, as well as the business of making, financing, and distributing a film.

• For More Details on Movies and Schedule, visit the official web site at MexicoFilmFestival.com

by Johnny Punish

There is no better restaurant in Ensenada, probably in Baja, to spend your Valentines Day weekend with that special someone.  

At the 5 star Belio Restaurant, I did just that.   It was a typical mid-February evening, about 55 degrees, clear moon light shining on the oceans pond-like wave, and a honey dressed to the hilt just waiting to be wined and dined.  So there I was, looking to impress and Belio really needed to help me out here.   And boy, did they. 

First, the entrance to the restaurant is a long walkway from the parking lot that takes you through a courtyard of palms and grass.  Upon arrival, the hostess greeted us with a big smile and asked us if we had reservations.  “Of course” we replied.   Upon driving past Belio several times before we could see the parking lot always full at peak times so we knew it was a “reservation” type of place.   Immediately, we were seated along with my lady’s sister and her husband; the gang of four!  

The waiter immediately came to our table with no wait, asked us if we would like a cocktail or glass of wine.  We ordered the LA Cetto Nebbiola, an award winning red costing about 300 pesos, about $ 25 USD.   The waiter placed the lovely knitted napkins in all of our laps and suggested appetizer of fresh Blue Fin Tuna Carpaccio.    Well, that was all it took.  My wife loves Blue Fin!  Done!  Bring it….and so we were off to a good start. 

The Blue Fin appetizer was outstanding……capers, lemon juice, and the fresh tasty fish with that glass of Red Wine was perrrrrrrrrr-fect! 

After a slow enjoy and neat conversation, we moved on the main dishes.    Rack of Lamb for Betty, Fresh Swordfish for Dolores, Duck for Frank, and the Ling Cod Filet for me.   

Each dish was symphony conducted by Chef Miguel Angel Nava.   A native of Chihuahua, Chef Nava studied in Mexico City at the Instituto Gastronomico de Mexico and specializes in the Mediterranean style of cooking.   He moved to Ensenada for family health reasons to be close to the ocean.  Before becoming a head chef, Nave previously worked Punto Morro and Marina Corral restaurants.    How did those places let him get away? 

The food was absolutely to die for…..the best in Ensenada all the way.  And the coup de gras was the plating; each dish an art piece which makes it even more inviting.  Absolute food passion at the highest 5 star level is what you will find at Belio.  

If you are looking for the best dining experience, look no further because there is nothing better in Baja.  This is it. 

Chef Nava at Belio Restaurant in Ensenada Mexico

To make your experience more comfortable and enjoyable, Belio has a small bar and a large patio with a huge bonfire stone fire place where you can drink a cocktail over looking the water while the waves crash under just a few yards away.    At sunset as the night gets cool, this is a great place to share moments with friends, family and loved ones. 

Prices are what one would expect at a 5 star restaurant in Mexico.  Dinner plates from 120 to 450 pesos ( $ 10 to $ 40 USD).   Award winning local wines will cost you from 150 pesos to about 600 pesos ($ 10 to $ 55 USD).   Belio Restaurant is located just south of El Sauzal and the first toll booth you enter to get into Ensenada and just north of downtown Ensenada. 

• Telephone:   +52 (646) 175-8810
• Email:  info@beliorestaurant.com
• Location:  Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana Km 104, El Sauzal
• Facebook:  Belio Page 

by Baja Daily News

Tijuana – A shorter trip could be just steps away if a group of Mexican and American investors, including real estate mogul Sam Zell, is able to build a pedestrian bridge connecting ground transportation on the American side of the border to the Tijuana airport.

Supporters of the plan believe it will help relieve traffic at two nearby border crossings, maximize use of the Tijuana airport, and steer Southern Californians away from other international airports in the region.

The $78 million project calls for a two-story building and parking lot in Otay Mesa, an industrial district on the southernmost end of San Diego,
where passengers can park their cars or get dropped off, pick up their
boarding passes inside a lobby before going through U.S. Customs and Border
Protection checkpoints. From there, they can pay a fee to walk across the
525-foot bridge and reach the Tijuana airport where they can show their
passports to Mexican immigration officers before proceeding to security
check-ins and boarding.

“The main reason this makes sense is that it’s a quick, convenient and
secure way to cross the border,” said Greg Rose, who is overseeing the
project for Otay-Tijuana Venture LLC.

The investors conducted a market study that projects that by 2012, when they
hope to complete construction of the facility, about 2 million passengers -
half of the total who’ll use the airport – would be crossing the border.

That’s a drop in the bucket compared to the 65 million crossings from Mexico
to California in 2009, the latest government statistics available.
Nonetheless, backers of the cross-border project said the numbers illustrate
a booming economic zone where people cross the border daily to do business.

View Original Article

Great Economic News for Mexico

by Doug Jones 

Since the lifeblood of the real estate industry in Mexico is tourism, an article titled “Is it Safe to Travel to Mexico?  Judging from the Numbers, Many Yes” published in USA Today last week is fantastic news.  

Tourism to Mexico in 2010 is nearly equal to the record number of tourists in record-breaking 2008 and up almost 19% over 2009.  This bodes very well for the real estate industry in Mexico for 2011.  Take a few minutes to read this article and forward it on to potential clients and other agents.  Spread the good word.  It has been my experience that people who have been coming to Mexico for many years are still coming down because they know Mexico is a safe place to visit.  

People who may be considering coming down to Mexico for the first time may be fearful of coming to Mexico because they only know what they are reading about – the drug violence.  Based on this article, I would say that in addition to the long-time Mexico visitors, there must also be a fair number of new visitors coming to Mexico as well.  

The long-time visitors to Mexico are strong candidates for purchasing real estate in Mexico because out of curiosity, most of them have looked at prices of properties during their previous trips and they can see clearly that prices are the lowest right now that they have been for many years. We all know that the market will be coming back, so now is a great time to buy – low prices and the lowest interest rates ever in Mexico.  

People also know that interest rates are going to be going up in the future, so now is the time to take advantage of the lowest interest rates ever in Mexico.  I tell my prospective borrowers that in a year or two, they are going to be VERY happy they decided to buy right now rather than wait.  

On another topic, I also know that agents and developers in Mexico are becoming more aware of the benefits of Social Media through sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and others.  I can tell you that I have engaged the services of my son, Andrew at the beginning of 2010, and this has contributed to our record-breaking year as well.  Other lenders have been busy this year, but most have not had a record-breaking year such as Mortgages In Mexico has.  

Andrew graduated with a degree in Advertising from the University of Oklahoma in 2009 and interned with one of the largest advertising and marketing companies in the US – the Richards Group in Dallas, TX.  He worked on the Home Depot account – their largest account, and Andrew became very aware of the importance that Social Media plays in today’s marketing plan for companies large and small.  

During his last semester of school, he established his own social media company called New Media Fluent – designed to help businesses use Social Media as a profitable endeavor, and his business has exploded this year.  The very nature of social networking is that today’s consumers are talking about and recommending specific companies because of personal recommendations from their social network – rather than finding companies online through traditional search engines.  Let’s face it, websites are our own self-promotion – everyone’s company looks good on their website.  

The way consumers today are sorting through all the internet clutter is by getting personal recommendations through their social network.  Your company likely being talked about, and it may not be in a positive manner.  It is up to you to monitor what is being said and to respond to and shape the information that is being shared in these social networks.  There are two drawbacks to this – the time and knowledge it takes to get this set up in the first place, and then the time to monitor and post Tweets, blogs, etc.  Andrew has developed an e-Book, which for only $15, will save you thousands of dollars and hundreds of man-hours to establishing you and your company on the social networking scene.  

I know many agents and developers use the end of the year to establish their goals for the upcoming year, and it is also a good time to implement new marketing ideas.  This little e-Book called “The Working Man’s Guide to Social Media Success” will get you well on your way to integrating Social Media with your current marketing efforts.  I highly recommend this eBook and can personally vouch for the increased profitability this important form of marketing will add to your bottom line.  You can go to Andrew’s New Media Fluent website to purchase your own eBook and get started immediately.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Doug Jones Loves Mexico, Lends in Mexico, Has a Home in Mexico and will help you get one too.  Doug Jones is a mortgage professional who has been involved in many aspects of the mortgage industry for 30 years. Doug began his mortgage career as a loan processor, become a loan officer and branch manager.  He has started three different mortgage broker companies in three different states and, now, two countries.  He has been the top producer in every office he hwas worked in.  Along with his wife and business partner, Debra Jones, their company, Hark & Associates has trained thousands of loan officers in the last 20 years.

Doug was one of the first to open a mortgage brokering company in the US (1983), which was unknown at a time when only mortgage bankers and savings & loans made mortgage loans. He saw a distinct advantage for the borrower to be able to go to a loan officer that could offer loan programs from many different companies, rather than just one. This is how most people obtain a mortgage loan today.

Just as Doug was a pioneer in the mortgage broker concept, he is once again pioneering a new era by bringing mortgage loans to Mexico. He has long been looking for the right team of professionals to make mortgages available south of the border. After 3 years of perfecting the process of loaning money in Mexico and using the Mexico real estate as the collateral, many more people will be able to purchase their dream home in Mexico. Just as important, the rate and terms of these loans are excellent. All loan processing is done in the United States to insure a smooth transaction. New money is coming into Mexico. Call or email for the latest updates. 

Doug and his wife have recently completed building their own oceanfront home on the North Shore of Puerto Vallarta. It took them 10 years to bring this dream to fruition because of the lack of home financing in Mexico.  Fortunately you don’t have to wait 10 years to purchase or build your own home or condo. You can take advantage of current bargain prices in Mexico and not have to come up with your own cash to own your own home. By purchasing today, you will benefit rather than be penalized by increasing real estate prices if you wait.  Give Doug Jones a call, or email him to find out more at 918-398-9588 (USA) or email him at doug@MortgagesInMexico.com

Resources

• New Media Fluent
• Mortgages In Mexico
• USA Today Article: “Is it Safe to Travel to Mexico?  Judging from the Numbers, Many Yes
• The Working Man’s Guide to Social Media Success“

Having breakfast at one of Ensenada’s premier family restaurants “Cafeteria Mi Kaza”, the owner, Lesley Starnes, came up to me to ask if our breakfast was good and if we were happy.  “Of course, I replied love the homey atmosphere here” and boom, we were talking.

After several minutes, the subject turned to our wine industry and that’s when Lesley pulled out a non-descript yet unlabeled  bottle of wine and asked me to take it home and give it a taste.

So the NFL Eagles were playing the Giants and I figured a good red meat fillet mignon would be perfect.  And then I remememberd that bottle of red sitting on the counter, staring at me with that “who are you look”.    So I opened it up and let it sit for 10 minutes just to let the air work it’s magic.

With the wine glass ready to go, I poured the red goodness and took a bit of my fillet mignon with mushroom gravy and took a sip.  Niceeeeeeeee!   Smoooooothhhhh!  Good stuff was my first reaction.

The 2007 Nativo had a very warm fuzzy cognac type of feel to it.  Even the color was slightly off red with a bit of orange and that aroma, nice and strong, just the way I like it.  Perfecto with a red meat dinner and a competitive spirit.

Lesley Starnes and his partner Arq Benjamin Pena became friends  at the Mi Kaza restaurant.  Benjamin was the architect at Lesley ranch in the Valle de Guadalupe.

Together they entered the wine school La Escuelita de Vino en el Valle de Guadalupe in 2007.   At the school they made one barrel of zinfandel wine and, at the same time, three more at Lesley’s ranch.

The 2007 won a gold meddle in the national contest sponsored in 2008 by UABC, the local university in Ensenada.  Then this year the wine won third place at a Mexico City show with 42 other wines.

For 2008, they made Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Petit Sirah.  In 2007 and 2008 they bought all of their  grapes from other vineyards.

In 2009, Arq. Pena went to Spain and recieved a masters degree in wine making so that he could be even an better wine maker, thus for that year, no wine was made.

In 2010, the production was cabernet sauvignon and came from the vineyards of Benjamin.  It was produced in a small production seller on his ranch.  Lesley’s ranch is now being planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Petit Syrah and they are expecting their first harvest next year which will be fairly limited.

They expect that 2012 will be the first major harvest and will be Cabernet Sauvinon and Tempranillo.  Their first Petit Syrah harvest will be in 2014.

The wine can be purchased at Cafeteria Mi Kaza on Av. Riveroll # 87-3, Zona Centro, Ensenada.  They do not have a tasting room as such nor any tours of the winery, yet.  That will start in another 3 years or so.  For now the restaurant is easily accessable.

Contact Information

You can reach Lesley Starnes by phone in the USA at (619) 395-3506 or he can be contacted at the restaurant at (646) 178-82 11.  Via email, contact him at mikazamx@msn.com