A friend and I ventured to the Valle from San Diego. What would typically be a 1.5 hour drive turned into a longer trip as we missed a turn getting there! On our way down the Ruta del Vino we decided it was time for refreshment and stopped off at Bruma.
Bruma is owned by 8 partners, and the design of the winery and label is reflected by ‘Ocho’. The tasting 
area and cellar area has a lovely 300 year old oak tree surrounded by a beautiful glass octogonal shape. This is an environmentally conscious winery, as they have taken care to use reclaimed wood, steel, rock and soil, and moved the natural vegetation. There are 8 luxury suites if you’d like to stay the night.
The winemaker “Lulu” Lourdes Martínez Ojeda is from one of the 13 founding families of Ensenada, and she mastered her craft at Grand Cru cellars in Bordeaux. This French influence is reflected in the taste and the quality of the wine.
We had a lovely dinner at Hacienda Guadalupe with fresh seafood, attentive service, and nice view of the sun setting in the vineyard. It was all very relaxing!
Next morning we got ready for a day of wine tasting and planned our route. I had remembered Solybarro from a previous visit, so we headed there for our first tasting at 11 a.m when most of the wineries are open.
The tasting room at Solybarro is in this distinctive cool cave, so if it’s a hot day, I’d suggest heading there, and there is a sheltered area where crépes are made fresh for you. Daniel was our friendly host, and we really enjoyed his company, and of course – the wine!
I came home with a bottle of the Grenache/Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Cabernet. This was a fruit forward wine, light body, with a lingering finish that would pair nicely with a steak, and my friends and I enjoyed drinking it by itself.
We headed to Decantos, and really enjoyed spending the afternoon with Alex Ford, meeting the winemaker Alonso Granados, making new wine friends who run a wine radio show in Mexico City, a tour, and of course tasting lots of delicious wine!
I’ll be writing a separate post on this winery as they are known for using gravity instead of the typical mechanical process.
The next day we had a fantastic meal at the outdoor restaurant, TrasLomita that is on the grounds of the La Lomita, winery. Such a nice relaxed setting and very attentive service. They are also affiliated with Finca La Carodilla, another great winery! My friend said that this was one of the freshest, best meals she’s ever had and I would agree.
She enjoyed a glass of wine with her meal, and as I was driving us home, I decided to stick with this delicious flavoured water – very refreshing!
What I enjoy most about the Valle is experiencing the friendly people who work in the industry, meeting other wine lovers, and the vibe!
