The lush, picturesque Valle de Guadalupe in Ensenada, Baja California, has come into its own as one of the leading wine destinations on both sides of the border. The valley is located 80 miles from San Diego, California, making it easily accessible by car to Southern California locals and visitors who want a taste of Wine Country – with an international twist! One of the premier winery destinations in this region is the El Cielo Winery and Resort.
Tuscany in Baja California
If you have ever visited Tuscany, Italy, the moment you enter the El Cielo Resort will evoke memories of the style of architecture of northern Italy. Why not save yourself the time and expense of traveling to Italy when you can enjoy all its ambiance within easy driving distance from the US border?
A “Heavenly” Hotel Experience
Accommodations at the El Cielo Resort are definitely five-star. The spacious rooms offer luxury bedding and first-class amenities, not to speak of a view on the rolling hills and picturesque vineyards right outside your balcony. You’ll wake up to the sound of chirping birds and no other traffic noise from an adjacent freeway. Translated into English, El Cielo means “heaven.”
We can’t agree more.
Fine Dining Options
Organic vegetables raised on the El Cielo estate, coupled with fresh fish plucked from the ocean waters surrounding the Baja peninsula, make for farm-to-table dining delights that are both healthy and tasty.
From delicious tacos fresh from the grill to a multi-course dining extravaganza in some of the several fine dining restaurants on the property, you’ll never lack for a wide variety of culinary options at El Cielo Resort.
Latitud 32 is the elegant vineyard restaurant at El Cielo serving Baja-Yucatan fusion cuisine and prime Angus cuts, alongside panoramic views of the property’s expansive grape vines and majestic mountains.
The Wine Experience
If you want to learn more about the grapes grown in this region and taste the wines made from them along the way, make sure you put a wine-tasting tour of the El Cielo Vineyards on your itinerary.
Wine and chocolate have been known to have many health properties, as well as the ability to lift the spirits! For an ultimate tasting experience, sip the wines from the El Cielo Winery, coupled with a variety of homemade chocolate truffles produced by a local chocolatier.
The new winery experience at El Cielo also includes a virtual reality component to explore the process of how the cacao is turned into the chocolate truffle tasted during the activity.
The vast wine cellars of the El Cielo resort offer interesting tours as part of their “Winery Experience” itinerary. At this presentation, guests are invited to mix a variety of wines from the barrels to make their own unique blend. Because all the El Cielo wines are exceptional, there’s no making a mistake in this effort. No matter how you mix it, the wine blend you create will be exquisite.
Contemporary Local Art, Jewelry, and Ethnic Clothing
Art lovers will bask in the original, local, and regional Mexican art that is on display at the resort, both on the grounds to enjoy and also available for purchase.
Shopping at the El Cielo Resort is a colorful experience, with beautiful ethnic clothing local to the region, as well as designer clothing and unique jewelry featured in the expansive and beautifully designed gift shop.
And There Are Animals!
Wildlife abounds in this glorious region of Mexico. A resident falcon is always on hand to show his prowess during a winery tour.
Selene, the resident cat at the winery, is a local legend. She showed up one day some 15 years ago as a lost kitten and was restored to health by the caring staff. In return, she eradicated the vineyard’s mice population within a few months and continues to do so to this day.
She serves as a diplomat (or is that diploCAT?), and because she’s very sociable, she can be seen around the winery waiting for a pat on the head from visitors as she continues her important duties.
A Romantic Spot for Destination Weddings
Equinox, the vineyard venue at El Cielo, is perfect for many a special event, including weddings. Why fly your bridal party and relatives to a destination wedding in a remote location when you can enjoy the ambiance of Old Mexico so much closer to home?
Picture-Perfect Moments
On our last evening at El Cielo in celebration of the El Cielo Winery’s tenth anniversary, we visited the winery chapel high on the hill overlooking the resort. Imagine our surprise when a huge harvest moon made its ascent over the mountains, resulting in this picture-perfect image of that magical evening!
Joanne and Tony DiBona are San Diego-based freelance travel photo journalists with a portfolio of award-winning travel articles and photos that scan decades. Their articles have been featured in USATODAY, 10Best.com, and many newspapers, both national and international. Additionally, they are the proud recipients of many San Diego Press Club awards over the years for their excellence in photojournalism.
Wow, that really makes me want to travel south of the border! Great photos–really brings the experience to life. I would never have thought to go to Mexico for Wine and Chocolate tasting!