After a three-year hiatus forced by COVID-19 related restrictions, Valle Food & Wine Festival is thrilled to announce the 4th Annual Valle Food & Wine Festival to take place at the marquee Valle de Guadalupe location, BRUMA, on October 22 and 23, 2022!

The festival was born in the summer of 2017 by a group of bi-national friends as a way to celebrate the unique Mexican wine region; support the local community through charitable contributions; and invite food and wine lovers to experience the food, wine, art, and culture of the region that many are calling the most exciting wine travel destination in the west.

The passion of its founders made the Valle Food & Wine Festival‘s first three years an enormous success. After taking  a necessary break due to the pandemic, fans of the area are ready  to return, eager to visit and explore this rich wine region a mere two hours from the California/Mexico border.

Guests will sample foods cooked under the sun and stars of the magical Valle de Guadalupe over open fires, in barrel smokers and in Caja Chinas, exemplifying the rustic-chic style of contemporary and traditional cooking of the region.

The day-into-evening Saturday event and the daytime Sunday event both feature live music and dancing, artisan vendors, inspiring talks, live painting, and more. 

All-star chef lineup sets Valle Food & Wine Festival apart

The mix of top chefs for 2022 reaches from Mexico City to New Orleans and gathers for one spirited weekend to promote and celebrate the bounty of the region, and the cuisine and wines of Baja California, now receiving worldwide recognition. 

Chefs prepare dishes using local ingredients (nearby Ensenada is known for having some of the best seafood in all of Mexico), inspired by regional or Mexican dishes, such as ceviche and the area’s most famous export: fish tacos.

“I do a lot of festivals and the festival in the Valle is more special than any of them.” Nancy Silverton

Visiting Chefs include:

• Nancy Silverton, Mozza, Los Angeles
• Rick Bayless, Frontera Grill, Chicago
• Aarón Sánchez, Johnny Sánchez, New Orleans
• Ori Menashe, Bestia / Bavel, Los Angeles
• Neal Fraser, Red Bird, Los Angeles
• Brian Redzikowski, Kettner Exchange, San Diego
• Eric Aronow, San Diego, California

Local and regional Chefs include:

• Christian Herrera, As de Guía, Ensenada
• Bianca Castro-Cerio, byBiaNca Bakery, Mexicali
• Jonathan Ziehl, Billy Blanco, Ensenada
• Omar Valenzuela, Célida Café, Ensenada
• Edgar Ramírez, Cevichería Nais, Tijuana
• David Nishikawa, La Cocedora de Langosta, Ensenada
• Esteban Lluis, Damiana, Valle de Guadalupe

A complete list of participating Chefs is available on their website.

Valle Food & Wine Festival Participating Wineries (partial list)

• Bodegas Magoni
• Madera 5 – Cava Aragon 126
• Bruma
• Las Nubes
• Vena Cava
• Henri Lurton
• Lomita
• Carrodilla
• Relieve Vinícola
• Cielo
• Vinisterra
• LA Cetto
• Monte Xanic
• Legado Sais
• Lechuza
• Roganto
• Cava Maciel
• Xecue
• Norte 32
• Participating  Breweries
• Wendlandt
• Aguamala
• Bruer
• Doble C
• Insurgente

In addition to dishes from a star-studded line-up of chefs, and some of the best Baja California wineries, the Festival showcases local craft breweries and hand-made cocktails.

Limited tickets so don’t delay

To comply with the wishes of local winemakers, chefs, and farmers, committed to preserving the region’s natural beauty by discouraging large events, the number of tickets for VFWF 2022 is limited. This means fewer crowds, no lines and more curated experiences.

To accommodate more attendees, there will be two days of Valle Food & Wine Festival: Saturday, October 22 (4PM to 11PM) and Sunday, October 23 (12PM to 6:30PM). Each day features approximately 25 chefs, 20 winemakers from the United States, Tijuana, Ensenada, Valle de Guadalupe and Tecate.

In addition to the food, guests will have the opportunity to taste craft brews, artisan cocktails, art, live music, and more. Tickets for each day are sold separately and the lineups of chefs, winemakers, and music are exclusive to each day. (Weekend and VIP tickets will also be available.)

Valle Food & Wine Festival Tickets

Ticket levels start at General Admission, $255 Saturday; $185 Sunday Early Admission, $355 (Saturday only); VIP $495 Saturday, $425 Sunday and the three-day All-In VIP Weekend, $1200 (includes a ticket to Friday’s exclusive Welcome Dinner, and Saturday and Sunday VIP Tickets.

The ultimate “Travel with the Chefs Weekend Experience” ($4,550) allows you to spend the weekend with the visiting celebrity chefs, hopping on a luxury sprinter van on Friday afternoon in San Diego to join them for a Street Food Crawl from Tijuana to Ensenada.

This experience includes All-In VIP tickets plus exclusive access to the Talent Lounge in the festival (tickets are not sold for this), and, for every two tickets purchased, lodging where the chefs are staying.

Add-ons include the exclusive Welcome Dinner (location TBA) in Valle de Guadalupe on Friday, October 21, 2022($325), and the Portée Petanca + Restaurante five-course farm-to-table dinner collaboration by Chefs Daniel Horn (Cuyama Buckhorn, Santa Barbara County), Elmo Ruffo, and Kael Mendoza ($225) on Sunday, October 23, 2022.

Transportation from the United States or within the region is also available through the Travel & Transportation page of the website here.

About Valle de Guadaupe

A peaceful valley surrounded by arid mountains, the Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California is often compared to the Napa Valley of days gone by. Just fifteen miles from the port city of Ensenada, the unique region is celebrated for its natural beauty, abundant ingredients (especially seafood), award-winning architecture and design, world-class wines, and exciting food scene. 

The destination has been featured in over 200 national publications and has been called “The next great food scene to discover,” by Conde Nast Traveler The local winemakers put the region on the map, and their sparkling wines, floral rosés, acclaimed Nebbiolo and cabernet blends are now being noticed as world-class entries in the wine community.

For more information on Valle Food & Wine Festival, visit their website here. Follow Valle Food & Wine Festival on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

See you there, San Diego!