ANNUAL GUADALUPE VALLEY WINE TOUR 2018
This year’s trip proved to be another stellar wine tasting experience! We had lots of new friends on the trip who we are hopeful will become yearly trip partners in the years to come.
The morning was clear and somewhat cool and that is why Leah tells you all to bring layers. By the time we reached our first stop at Montefiori the weather was up to around 90 degrees and a warm breeze settled across the stellar deck of this brand new tasting room. Villa Montefiori, per report was the first vineyard to produce wine in the valley. The owner and chief winemaker is Carlo Paoloni who works directly with the team running his thriving vineyard. The stone floor and open air design has windows that act as walls and can be opened up onto the patio deck. From all the seats in the tasting room you could see the valley below. The wines were very tasty and many of the crew went up onto the roof-top deck to see the valley or take pictures in what looked like a ski lift chair that sat out on the back patio. https://www.villamontefiori.mx
We loaded up the bus at 12:30 per our schedule and headed to our next stop at Finca la Carrodilla.
The winery was modern and the restaurant and tasting room were up a double flight of steel stairs. The long farm tables sat under slanted shade roofs that were equipped with solar panels. The centers of the tables were home to a wonderful array of succulent plants. For those that wanted more shade you could move to a covered canvas patio and get a peak of the production area. There was a beautiful statue of a saint who is said to have provided spiritual inspiration to the vineyard owners. There was even a 12 week-old puppy that provided dog lovers a quick fix!
We were lucky to have a tour set up and we all ushered back by our tour guide into the room where they do the grape de-stemming via a conveyor belt. Separating grapes from stems is an important part of the wine making process. We followed our guide down a flight of stairs into the room with large steel fermenting tanks. From there we entered the equivalent of a cave where the oak barrels were stored at precisely 18 degrees Celsius. We walked down a long hall and opened a large wood door and were ushered into an amazing dining room with chairs for 12, signature art and a crystal chandelier lit the room nicely.
Upon completing our tour of the winery we were able to buy wonderful gifts in the winery store such as jewelry, olive oil, wine, and sweet treats. We almost left Danny behind, but Leah retrieved him from what we can only guess was the tasting room. http://www.fincalacarrodilla.mx
We arrived at our next wonderful winery, Clos De Tres Cantos after we completed a small hike up a dirt hill. This winery was inspired by a design goal to mimic the feel of a monastery, honoring the monks who were the original makers of wine! The owners were on-site and the architecture was amazing. The use of stone and old bottles was a great combination with the light shining through the bottles into the wine storage areas below the upper deck. I especially loved the painted whale that was painted on one of the buildings.
The winery was small producing 1700 bottles a year. We got a very nice tasting and had the good fortune of a wonderful host and got to meet one of the owners who was very hospitable.
On our tour we were taken below the upper deck and were told that the property had a large amount of stone and rock. They used this and built the structure keeping the rock intact and it became part of the cave for storing the barrels they produce.
The winery has been producing for some years and they only recently opened the tasting room. What I loved about this venue was the open patio and views of the hills behind and the vineyards that stretched out back of the open-air patio.
Despite Leah always having amazing snacks to include fresh meats, cheeses, pita chips, drinks, beer, and wine, it was time for us to hit our eating location. This year we were taken to Mixtura. A wonderful farm to fresh open-air restaurant nestled in an old vineyard. http://mixtura.com.mx.
Viviana Martinez is the chef that inspired the restaurant which did not disappoint the foodies on the trip. We started our meal with their signature oysters that were slightly marinated in a wonderful sauce.
This was followed up with salad with arugula and grilled beats and then we got the pleasure of munching on grilled vegetables. We all were further delighted with the duck taco and a final feast of fresh grilled bass. As usual Leah kept the wine flowing and could be seen running around filling up everyone’s glass so no one was left out. It was beautiful as the sun was setting across valley floor and the night turned cooler. Many were dancing and laughing out on a stone patio and everyone had a smile on their face. The staff was pleasant and accommodating.
Being on schedule is important and we loaded our bus and made our way back to the border. We were so fortunate to have Jesus as our driver who was wonderful. Sitting up front gives you a great appreciation for what a good driver he was as cars were all over the place as we headed toward the border. The best thing about this trip is crossing the border with such ease. We all unloaded the bus on the Mexican side, crossed through customs easily and waited on the other side to reload and head back to the Sweetwater park and ride. Most of us were home and in bed at a reasonable hour, remembering yet another year and another wonderful trip. Thanks to Leah and Kelly for being so gracious and accommodating.
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