This Winery Is Permanently Closed.
Winery Rating
Located at:
Casta de Vinos Winery
el porvenir 22830, 22755 Ensenada, B.C., Mexico
Wine Club Rating
Price Range For Tasting
Casta de Vinos is a family-owned winery in the Valle de Guadalupe wine region of Baja California, Mexico. Although some may refer to Baja California as an up-and-coming wine region, wine production here isn’t exactly new, as grapes have been grown here as far back as the 16th century. What’s new is the attention from both locals and tourists to the wines of Valle de Guadalupe. As wine lovers look to explore areas beyond the usual go-to wine destinations like California’s Napa and Sonoma County, they’re increasingly seeking out these often overlooked areas.
There are just over a hundred or so wineries in the region, with more added every year. But, in our opinion, it wouldn’t be a stretch to call Casta de Vinos one of the best wineries in Baja.
Keep reading to see why we love Casta de Vinos wines and visit this laid-back Mexican wine region.
There are lots of opinions on where to go wine tasting in Baja. You can easily drive by Casta de Vinos on your way to the always-packed, very commercial Decantos Vinicola, but doing so would be a big mistake.
Casta de Vinos was founded by Claudia Horta Meza, a trained sommelier, and her husband, winemaker Sergio Castañeda Piña in 2010. With their substantial wine knowledge and understanding of the terroir, this is a team that’s crafting some of the best wines in Baja. Their daughter, Ana Sofia, has even caught the winemaking bug and created her first vintage, the Flor de Roca, in 2014, which subsequently went on to win a gold medal at a blind tasting in Ensenada and quickly sold out.
Sergio and Claudia are a first-generation wine family, but that hasn’t prevented them from crafting stand-out wines in a crowded region. To date, Casta de Vinos wines have been awarded 27 medals in both local and Spain wine competitions.
Valle de Guadalupe is on track to become the Napa Valley of Baja California, Mexico. Local winemakers have been flocking to the area for decades to experiment with growing familiar Old World red varieties like Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Syrah, Nebbiolo, and Tempranillo, as well as white varieties like Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Visitors will also find smaller plantings of rare varieties like Palomino, Trousseau Gris, and Chasselas, likely introduced by European immigrants who settled in the area.
Baja California wine country is often described as having a Mediterranean climate. The days are hot and dry, and the evenings are cool and mild, thanks to the Valley’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which is just 15 miles away.
Roughly 5,000 acres of vineyards are planted in Valle de Guadalupe, with another 6,000 planted in the surrounding areas. Collectively, this is known as Valle de Ensenada or the Valleys of Ensenada. The soils here are largely granite-rich alluvial soils.
Casta de Vinos offers several wine-tasting experiences. Guests can enjoy flights of Baja wine indoors in the rustic-style tasting room or on the covered patio that overlooks the rugged Mexican terrain. The winery also offers a one-of-a-kind wine-tasting experience in their stone-lined wine cave, which is one of the most unique wine caves in the entire Baja region.
We tried three wines during our tasting. We were particularly impressed with the 2017 Casta Tinta Syrah, an international Silver Medal Winner that is aged 18 months in Hungarian French Oak. This is a great Syrah, and for $33 a bottle, it’s a steal. The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, and their Red Blend the 2018 Cardon (60% Syrah, 30% Cab, and 10% Mourvedre), also deserve praise. And, at $25 and $19 a bottle, you can’t go wrong if you go home with a few bottles of these as well.
Like all Baja wines, Casta de Vinos has very limited distribution outside of Mexico, so if you have the chance to visit, be sure to pick up a few bottles to take home with you.
There are tons of private wine tour companies operating in Baja, California. If you live in Southern California or you’re visiting San Diego or Orange County for a few weeks, booking one of these tours is a great option. Alternatively, you could easily make the two-hour drive yourself.
The winery is open seven days a week, and while reservations aren’t required, the weekends do get pretty busy, so it’s never a bad idea to plan ahead and book a tasting spot.
Tasting appointments can be made through the Casta de Vinos Facebook page, located here.
We hope you enjoy visiting this special winery as much as we do!
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