Just south of the San Diego-Tijuana border, El Cielo Resort and Winery is located in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s most celebrated wine region. Going to this hidden gem is easy, as you can take a two-hour drive from San Diego or fly into Ensenada Airport and take the short, scenic drive to the resort. Upon entrance to the resort, you are surrounded by 1,640 feet of lush vineyards, but most awe-dropping is its location between two stunning mountain ranges.

This luxury and tranquil setting affords views of rolling hills, fertile grapevines, olive trees and more. It offered a quintessential food-and-wine escape in a growing region of Mexico and, best of all, I didn’t have to leave the property. The luxury hospitality project with a wine tourism concept presented unique vineyard and cellar experiences along with 95 lavishly appointed suites and villas; two specialty restaurants, Latitud 32 and Polaris; and a terrace perfect for social events.

© El Cielo Resort and Winery

You become easily immersed in the free and relaxed atmosphere thanks in part to its Tuscan-Californian style, along with its warm Mediterranean climate. After settling into your room, a great way to fully experience the property is through a cart ride tour or self-guided golf cart rental to admire the landscapes, orchard, olive trees and vines. Opting for the cava cart tour presents a wonderful opportunity where one of the sommeliers explains the vine process during the year and presents you with three tastings in the underground cellar. You then are accompanied to the fermentation tanks and barrel areas to try five other El Cielo wine labels.

© El Cielo Resort and Winery

The standout experience by far was the Blend Your Own Wine cellar experience, in which you are guided through an hour-long experience you’ll not soon forget. After touring the vineyards and cellar (and tasting along the way, of course) the guide explained the individual characteristics of each wine to craft a blend to my liking. Other great wine experiences include terrace tastings; a guided tasting of three Piper-Heidsieck Champagne labels; and a six-course meal in Enoteca, a 12-seat private wine bar. Surrounded by stone walls adorned with award-winning bottles, Enoteca is situated underground within the wine cellar and, upon walking in, you feel like you are transported to an entirely different location. It was a great intimate spot for a small dinner.

Along with the wine (the winery produces some of the most internationally awarded Mexican wines in the country), you quickly figure out that fundamental to El Cielo Resort’s allure is its commitment to fresh, local and organic cuisine. With a breakfast menu reflecting the local Baja region and its seasonal products, starting the day with huevos ahogados (“drowned eggs”) overlooking breathtaking views of rolling hills and the expansive sky couldn’t be topped.

© El Cielo Resort and Winery

The resort’s signature restaurant Latitud 32 is renowned for its creative Baja-Yucatan fusion cuisine and is the location to experience the six-course tasting menu. From your walk or tour of the vineyards and surrounding gardens, you can see the fruits of the lands on the plate. From chilies to cabbage, celery to various types of lettuce, figs to lemons and oranges, and coriander to other herbs, the standout dish is the pork belly tacos —  referred to as “the perfect taco” by staff.

On your visit to the resort, make sure to go to Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, or Our Lady of Miracles Chapel, the only private, consecrated chapel in Valle de Guadalupe. Along with being the highest point on the property and offering one of the best views of the resort, it is also available for religious ceremonies and weddings and hosts a weekly public mass. What strikes your eye is, above the entrance, a beautiful stained-glass feature that casts a mesmerizing cascade of colors over the figure of Jesus on the cross at the front of the room.

Another must-do when at the resort is to relax by the pool. Overlooking two reservoirs and surrounded by rows of grapevines and olive trees, the resort’s picturesque pool further adds to the luxurious and relaxed atmosphere. It’s a great place to escape the heat with a glass of vino, of course.

El Cielo Resort and Winery

Carretera El Tigre-El Porvenir KM 7.5 Parcela
117 Porvenir, 22755 Francisco Zarco, B.C., Mexico