Valley Girl Wine Tours
Valley Girl Wine Tours
5
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
Come fall in love with the oldest wine region in the western hemisphere! On our tours we'll learn about King Felipe II's epic royal 16th century temper tantrum, where the La Brea family got their soudough starter, the geological history of our unique terroir, what makes Baja cuisine different than any other Mexican cuisine, what the Mokokans brought from Russia, the godfathers of modern winemaking, the entrepreneurial women winemakers who are reshaping Mexican wine, and how the invention of electricity led to Baja's 5th Renaissance in winemaking Book your tour today! http:valleygirlwinetours.com #valleygirlwinetours #rutadelvino #mexicanwine #thepassionatesommelier
Ensenada, Mexico

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles57 reviews
Excellent
53
Very good
2
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
1

Ken_Fresno
San Diego, CA14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2014 • Friends
Sitara did an amazing job coordinating an outstanding wine tour for my father and I during a recent visit to Ensenada! I communicated easily with her over email in the week leading up to our tour date to make all the arrangements. She coordinated all the details and put together a fantastic tour of the wineries of the Valle de Guadalupe, complete with private car and driver and all at a very reasonable cost!

Our particular host/guide was her colleague Paula, who was super friendly, a fantastic host and who did an amazing job -- we loved every minute of our spectacular day together in the valley. We visited 4 boutique wineries - Vena Cava (super cool unique tasting room and beautiful setting with some very good wines), Adobe de Guadalupe (private and outstanding -- the wine, and some special mescal, was delicious), Baron Balch'e (a very cool place with very tasty "full-bodied" and complex wines), and Las Nubes (a great final stop overlooking the valley with good wine).

All of the wineries we visited were based on Sitara and Paula's excellent recommendations and I can attest they were all so unique and exciting (and the wine was excellent!)! Paula and Sitara's expertise, relationships, and knowledge of the local area made it a truly an unforgettable experience -- I can't wait to come back!
Written January 19, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lisa Z
California37 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2018
If you are touring the wineries in Valle de Guadalupe you should absolutely take this tour. It ends up costing the same as going to three wineries on your own, but you have a driver and someone who not only knows wine, but also knows the history of the area as well as lots of suggestions of where to go and what to eat. Our day with Ava and Boris was PERFECT. They both know their wines and foods as they were both sommeliers and chefs. In fact, Boris gives cooking classes. We went to three wineries, a fabulous cheese shop and a wonderful roadside local restaurant that you would never find on your own. I was there with my husband, my 24 yr old nephew and my 82 yr old dad. We all had THE BEST TIME and can't wait to go back with friends.
Written January 18, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

VoyagerinpdxNE
Portland, OR26 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017 • Couples
After a second tour with Ava I know this will now become an annual event for us! Her knowledge of not only the wine industry but of the Valle de Guadalupe is astounding. This visit we had a lovely morning at Rondo del Valle then on to Vina de Frannes for an amazing prix fixe lunch by Chef Saul Flores, and of course we left with some terrific wines in tow. What a great day - thank you Ava and brother Sy!
Written April 27, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for the lovely review! We really appreciate your feedback and look forward to seeing you again soon!
Written April 30, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SEANinSoCal
Island of Hawaii, HI127 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2016 • Couples
A group of 4 of us did an all day Valle de Guadalupe tour with Valley Girl Tours and we were VERY disappointed with our tour! Here are some of the key notes:

PRE-TRIP PLANNING/BOOKING: We got zero info on what we should bring/wear for the day. I even asked about whether there is a lunch plan and if we needed to bring water and never even got a response.

TRANSPORTATION: The van we were in for the day was totally unacceptable. Half the seat belts didn't work and it was filthy with burns and stains all over the interior roof. There was also no water provided for us...which is shocking for an all day tour in a region where tourists can't drink the water. Even the logistics were a mess as there was a ton of confusion at the end of the day as to how we were going to get taken back to the house where we were staying...despite confirming the ride multiple times, we were worried we didn't have a ride back.

THE GUIDE/TOUR: We booked weeks in advance, but Ava never communicated that she wouldn't be our guide. Michael was our tour guide, not Ava, and he doesn't know much about wine at all. He is a nice guy and did offer some good tips and details about the area, he is ill equipped to be a guide in a wine region. He said he had never really had wine before moving to the Guadalupe area a couple years ago and his lack of understanding of wine was clear throughout the day. He doesn't even speak Spanish. How can someone be a guide in a Spanish speaking country and not speak the language? Most importantly, we were really unimpressed with the wineries chosen to visit and we were given no ability to provide nput. The first winery was mediocre and we vetoed the 2nd winery after Michael described it as "rough tasting." Why would we want "rough tasting" wine?!?!?

THE GOOD PARTS: The day wasn't all bad. Once we made it clear we were going to want to eat, Michael did take us to an excellent taco stand (near Mercado Lizin Francisco Zarco) and a fantastic cheese shop (Los Globos creamery in San Antonio de Las Minas, although the store sign is Tiendo Vino y Queso). Also, we were taken a couple great wineries, chiefly Vina de Frannes. Sol y Barro was very nice too. Also, our driver Diego was great! He was bi-lingual and really seemed to understand the Valle better than our guide

Overall, I strongly recommend AGAINST using this tour company, especially if it's not Ava running the tour. Maybe Ava does a better job, but our experience was VERY poor.
Written June 3, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

WestSideSlim
Sun City, AZ20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2015 • Couples
Ava was our guide and I felt by the end of the day we were all great friends. Nice intimate tour for my Wife and I the day after Christmas. 3 Wineries, all very different, and all very good. The last winery - Viña De Frannes was absolutely gorgeous. They also serve food (tapas) which looked amazing so you may want to consider a bite to eat here as well. Bought wine at all 3 (more on that in a minute). We also stopped at Ochento's Pizza where they have a small brewery and make beer for the restaurant. The beer was good and can't wait to get back and try the pizza. It appears this place is not to be missed if you are in the area. Last stop for tasting was at Tequila el Bronco. Yep, homemade tequila. Sorry folks, I got the last bottle until the next batch. Delicioso! We ended the day with dinner at Malvo. I did not realize this restaurant was outdoors. YIKES! By this time it was about 50 degrees F. They brought a heater over and offered blankets but out of the wind and another bottle of wine, it was alllll good. The food was magnificent. I highly recommend this high end but very reasonable eatery. Oops, almost forgot the stop at the cheese shop in between. Lots of tastes of cheeses, oils, tapanades, salsa's, and pesto. Yummy.
Now the not so great part.....Wine is included in your "1 Litre" if you plan to take it across the border. I read that when you declare what you have, you can pay a tariff on each bottle. It is much more complicated than that. (Contact Otay Mesa Crossing, make an appointment, stand on one leg, etc..... No thanks). This will not work at the San Ysidro crossing. I told the border officer I had 1 bottle of tequila and few bottles of wine. I was promptly sent to secondary inspection where I was told "1 Litre is 1 Litre". A bottle of wine and champagne that I brought into Mexico was also included as illegal. It ended with great news on this trip however...they gave me a warning and let me keep everything. I don't recommend this approach next time.
I do recommend Valley Girl Wine tours and we will be back to drink wine, eat food, and explore the Guadalupe Valley. Can't wait to return. Thanks Ava!
Written December 31, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BradJ92103
San Diego, CA24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Friends
Ava took us on a wonderful tour that included three wineries, a home brewery, and the cooper who makes the barrels for the Baja vintners - and sells his family's tequila. All of these are people she personally knows and are literally off the beaten path. These are small places where you won't be overwhelmed with tour buses and you get a lot of one-on-one time with the actual vintners/brewer, so can hear their passion for what they do, and their backstories (amazing in themselves).
Also provided was lunch at a gourmet food truck that was astounding.
If you want to do a tour of the Guadalupe Valley, do this one!
Written August 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kcnugget
Long Beach12 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2018 • Couples
BEWARE. I WAS CHEATED OF MY DEPOSIT AND NEVER HEARD BACK from Owner/Sommelier, Ava Carolina Perez.

My first inquiry regarding booking a wine tour for my husband and I for 9/4/18 was early August 2018. Ava emailed me back on 8/6/18 with a very nice letter with info about the tour, she stated that 9/4/18 was available, and asked me questions to better customize my tour.
The following is the timeline of communications:
8/6/18 I emailed Ava back confirming the date, requesting the $160 per person tour option that would include a non-sommelier tour guide (tours with a sommelier cost $180 per person), and asked her questions regarding hotel pick-up and also about what time the tour would end.
8/8/18 Ava emailed me with more info. She confirmed hotel pick-up and what time the tour would end. In regards to payment, this is what she wrote:
Secure your reservation today! To secure your tour today we request a $20 deposit PayPal. Your $20 PayPal deposit is deducted from the total cost of your tour and is 100% refundable if you need to cancel as long as you give us 48 hours notice. The remaining balance of your tour will be collected by your guide (Ava) in cash (dollars or pesos) when we pick you up. Once we receive you $20 deposit we will send you a confirmation email with additional details about your tour.

Of course if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and you can always reach me on my cell or WhatsApp at +52.646.108.7815.

**But Ava did not confirm that I was booking two tours at $160 each. What concerned me was that I was going to get charged $180 per person after seeing in her email that she, Ava the sommelier, was going to be our tour guide.

8/9/18 I emailed Ava to confirm the $160/person deal.
8/11/18 No reply from Ava, so I asked her again to confirm the price.
8/14/18 No reply from Ava so I emailed her again to confirm the price, and also to express my concern for her well-being as I had not heard anything from her in two days.
8/20/18 No reply from Ava so I emailed her to let her know I made my deposit of $20 via PayPal on 8/16/18, and I'd like to get a confirmation on the booking. I stated that if I did not hear back from her in the next three days, I would reluctantly cancel and find another tour operator.
8/24/18 After trying to contact Ava via telephone twice, and hearing a message that her number was not receiving calls, I emailed her to officially cancel my booking which was well within her 48-hour cancellation policy. I also stated that I expected an email to confirm said cancellation as well as to receive a $20 refund. I even said I was sorry if she was in a bad situation and could not get back to me but I had to move forward.

I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM AVA.
I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A REFUND.
It was only $20, but $20 times many bookings that may never happen nor get refunded may be FRAUD.

BEWARE.

Final notes:
1. We ended up going with another tour operator, and we had a wonderful day wine-tasting for our 25th Anniversary.
2. While in Valle de Guadalupe, we saw a sign for Valley Girl Wine Tours so it seems to be a legitimate business, and we sincerely hope Ava is ok.
3. We hope that this review will result in our getting our deposit back.
Written September 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michelle F
Murrieta, CA65 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2018 • Couples
A a was our guide. From the time I first emailed her she was always pleasant and made it known that she would do her best to make our tour fun. We were on a new years eve cruise on Carnival and I didn't want to even get off at the Ensenada port but a fellow cruiser mention a tour through valley girl so I decided to ask questions.we had both beer and wine drinkers in our group of 8 so I asked her to show us the best brewery and the best winery and they were both perfect!! Sorry I forgot the names :( we had a couple snags since we were there on New year's day some places were closed even though she confirmed before hand for our lunch but we ended up at her third favorite taco stand and it was yummy!! I would highly recommend A a and her tour company and will definitely use her again next time we do the party boat carnival cruise for sure!!
Written January 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eva L
Chula Vista, CA19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2016 • Friends
Once you try a Baja Girl Wine, it will leave you wanting more. Sitara's wines are incredible! She made us feel so welcome at El Corcho Rosa tasting room as we got try several of her wines (Lady in Red was personal favorite) in the tranquil surroundings of the Guadalupe Valley. This hidden gem is a must. We will definitely be back to visit soon, thank you Valley Girl!
Written June 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

VoyagerinpdxNE
Portland, OR26 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2016 • Couples
Just outstanding! Visited with winemakers at small, boutique spots, even had the opportunity for a barrel tasting. Great folks, terrific itinerary that was put together with lots of thought. A must do when in the area.
Written March 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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