Celebrating the grape harvest is not a new concept – even
ancient Greece celebrated bringing in the harvest. Although Valle de
Guadalupe’s Grape Harvest (
Vendimia)
is nowhere near as old, Mexico’s wine region captures all the essentials of the
harvest festival that has been celebrated for centuries.
2016 marks the 26th annual
Vendimia in Baja’s wine region, which supplies more than 90 percent
of Mexico’s wine. The Guadalupe Valley’s climate and
terroir make the region one of the world’s best areas to grow
premium wine grapes. The valley has been home to vineyards on and off since the
early 1800’s, although wine grapes were first planted in the region in the
1700’s. Wine production has been constant since 1888, when the Mexican
government sold the lands of the Santo Tomás Mission to a private group, which
established Bodegas Santo Tomás.
Valle de Guadalupe’s
Vendimia
began as a celebration amongst friends – vineyard owners in the area gathered
to celebrate the harvest. Today, the celebration includes dinners, concerts,
guided tours and art installations throughout most of the month of August.
Throughout the month of the
Vendimia, Valle de Guadalupe vineyards and hotels offer
wine-related events to celebrate their harvest. Events also take place in
nearby Tijuana and Ensenada. Entertainment ranges from live bands to break
dancing to street performances. Area chefs pair area wines with fresh local
produce and seafood, plus high-quality imported cheeses, olives and meats.
The celebration ends with the “Ramón García Ocejo” Paella
contest. Eighty participating teams create gastronomic wonders using fresh Baja
seafood to produce variations of the traditional Spanish dish. More than 50
area wines are available for pairing at the event.
A
Taste of Valle de Guadalupe Vendimia 2016
Events:
Thursday, August 11
Local Food and Wine –
Hacienda Guadalupe
6 p.m.
Hacienda Guadalupe, Tecate-Cove Rd., KM 81.5 (In front of
the Museum of Wine)
Listen to live music as you enjoy Hacienda Guadalupe’s
regional dishes made by the restaurant’s chefs. Dishes are paired with Melchum
wine samples.
Friday, August 12
Jazz at Cavas del
Mogor
6 p.m.
Rancho El Mogor
Chef Drew Deckman creates an exquisite picnic to accompany local
house wines and an afternoon jazz concert with Pere Soto and Gypsy Project.
Saturday, August 13
Concert: Fernando de
la Mora
2 p.m.
Rancho San Gabriel
Enjoy the finest Mariachi music from Fernando de la Mora,
accompanied by a symphony orchestra.
Monday, August 15 to
Wednesday, August 17
Wine Appreciation Workshop
5 p.m.
CSCC Riviera of Ensenada
Learn about wine from local wine experts. Enjoy a guided
wine tasting and lecture about the local wine culture and history from
winemaker Adrian Garcia.
Thursday, August 18:
Festival in the
Valley
5 p.m.
Parque el Porvenir, Valle de Guadalupe
This free event features wine tasting and regional food for
sale. Local artisanal crafts are on display from Valle de Guadalupe artists.
Thursday, August 18:
“Ramón García Ocejo”
2016 Paella Contest
Noon
Viña de Liceaga
The Vendimia celebration ends with a paella making contest,
with 80 teams creating their unique version of the classic seafood dish. More
than 50 local wines are available for sampling.
