At a glance
- Founded
- 1997purchase and recovery of the family vineyard
- Winemaking
- Óscar Delgado Rodríguez (since 2014); Víctor Torres, founding winemaker
- Vineyard
- 79.1 acres (32 ha)
- Grapes
- Nebbiolo, Merlot, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon
- Style
- age-worthy reds · numbered Premium line · aging in an underground cellar
- Visits
- Open to the public
The house
Editorial review · reviewed on October 11, 2026Balché is a ritual Maya drink made by fermentation, and this winery in El Porvenir, in Guadalupe Valley, takes its name from it. Numbering reached the most ambitious labels: the Premium line starts with the Balch'é Cero and continues number by number, and the barrels rest underground.
It all began in 1997, when Juan Ríos bought about 79 acres (32 hectares) of an old family vineyard with the idea of reviving it and making wine for home. Over the years he changed his plan and began selling the production. In 2008 the winery presented its Premium line, with the Balch'é Cero, a Nebbiolo, and the Balch'é Tres, a Merlot.
Winemaking started with Víctor Torres. Óscar Delgado Rodríguez arrived in the summer of 2001, when the winery had barely been finished, and since 2014 he has been the winemaker, leading the team behind the Premium line and the mid-range line of blended reds and whites. Among the blended reds is the GC, made of Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The underground cellar is the high point of the visit. Every tasting package includes a guided tour of the vineyard, the winery, and the cellars before the wines are poured, and the winery also hosts events on site. Cavas Sol y Barro is in El Porvenir as well.
The wines
The winery sorts its wines into lines: the Premium, with numbered labels from the Balch'é Cero onward, and a mid-range line of blended reds and whites. Its most ambitious wines are single-variety reds, such as the Nebbiolo and the Merlot, with long barrel aging.
Red
Balch'é Cero
Nebbiolo
100% Nebbiolo. It opened the Premium line in 2008.
Red
Balch'é Tres
Merlot
Merlot from the Premium line, presented in 2008.
Red
Grenache Cabernet GC
Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon
Blended red from the mid-range line.
Grapes it works with
- Nebbiolo
- Merlot
- Grenache
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vineyard
- old family vineyard, recovered since 1997
What to taste
Balch'é Cero, the Nebbiolo that opened the Premium line in 2008. For a different register, the GC, a blended red of Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Why go
Head down into the underground cellar after touring the vineyard and the winery. Every tasting package includes that route.
Awards
- GoldConcurso Internacional Ensenada Tierra del Vino · Balché Cien 2012 (magnum)2016
The visit
Receives visitors. Confirm the hours before you go. Reservations are recommended.
Offers:TastingsToursEvents
Tastings and tours
The winery's own pages and the travel guides do not agree on the hours. Confirm before you go.
Groups of 20 or more people must reserve.
Getting there
You get there through El Porvenir, in Guadalupe Valley.
El Porvenir, Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada, B.C. · Get directions ↗ (opens in a new tab)
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