After our hike to the hot springs in the morning we went into the center of Valle de Guadalupe and went to 3 wineries. The first stop was less a winery and more a boutique wine craftsman. There are no signs marking the blue-green colored house and the puppy that greeted us didn’t mention the wine. We followed a group of other wine seekers to the back of the property until we were motioned to follow the others down the stairs. Descending into Don Raul’s low ceilinged cellar was like entering the secret lair of a pirate. Don Raul’s booty was his wine. He had two; a grenache and cabernet. The bottles themselves were unlabeled. Both were delicious. We left with a case as a friend who had visited this lair before requested some. We went to 2 other bigger wineries after. Baron Balche was fancy and their ‘tour’ of the cellar was a brief walk through. Adobe de Guadalupe had tastings in their tiny store outside the winery itself which is closed to the public as the owner lives there and runs an Bed and Breakfast. The wine blends were smooth and rich. There was also a small gardens outside the store with a food truck. The food there was perfection. We had a dish of spicy beef tongue with potatoes and shrimp that was the best thing l’ve tasted in a while. The Miguel wine blend we ordered with our meal might very well be a new favorite. The owner’s Weimaraners wandered around the patio to say hello and get head scratches from us and our fellow diners. We wandered back to our camp site under the stars and slept like babies that night.
