At a glance
- Founded
- 2007planting of the vineyard in the Cañada de Guadalupe
- Winemaking
- Santiago López (since 2012)
- Vineyard
- about 1,300 ft (400 m)
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Viognier, Marsanne
- Style
- Rhône grapes · reds with good acidity · cañada Mourvèdre
- Visits
- Open to the public
The house
Editorial review · reviewed on October 11, 2026One foot in the valley, one by the sea. Solar Fortún has its vineyard in the Cañada de Guadalupe (a small valley), in Francisco Zarco, and its production winery in El Sauzal, at the entrance to Ensenada and facing the ocean, which the house presents as the first Mexican winery built that way. Construction began in 2019 and production moved in May 2020.
It all started with José Alberto López, a physicist and astronomer, who planted the first vines of the cañada in 2007. His son Santiago joined in 2012, with viticulture studies at the University of California, Davis, and has made the house's wines since.
The cañada sits at about 1,300 ft (400 m) of elevation. According to the house, constant winds, good water, and sandy alluvial soils with decomposed granite give fresh wines with good natural acidity. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Syrah, and Mourvèdre grow there, and Viognier and Marsanne in newer blocks.
There are two tables. Dulce Vida, at the vineyard among century-old oaks, serves chef Dulce López's cooking designed around its wines and opens Friday through Sunday. Ocean Deck, in El Sauzal, opens Wednesday through Sunday and has the ocean in front of it. Two wines stand out in the bottle: the Mourvèdre, a Rhône grape bottled on its own here, and O Positivo, from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. According to its website, the Peñín Guide 2026 included it among the notable wineries of Mexico.
The wines
Reds of Rhône and Bordeaux grapes, in single varieties and blends, which the house describes as fresh and naturally acidic. It uses French and American oak barrels depending on the wine.
Red
O Positivo
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah
60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Syrah, with 12 months in French oak barrels.
Red
Solar Fortún Syrah
Syrah
The 2018 vintage spent 12 months in American oak, 20% new.
Red
Solar Fortún Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre
The 2018 vintage was the top-rated wine in the Guía Catadores del Vino Mexicano 2022, per the winery.
Red
Noble Cru
Grapes it works with
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Syrah
- Mourvèdre
- Petit Verdot
- Viognier
- Marsanne
- Soils
- sandy alluvial soils with decomposed granite
- Vineyard
- Cañada de Guadalupe, with constant winds
What to taste
Its Mourvèdre bottled on its own: with the 2018 vintage it was the top-rated wine in the Guía Catadores del Vino Mexicano 2022, per the winery. For comparison, O Positivo, from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Why go
Two visits in one: the cañada vineyard, at about 1,300 ft (400 m) and among oaks, and the El Sauzal winery, where you eat with the sea in front of you.
Awards
- 96 pointsGuía Catadores del Vino Mexicano · O Positivo 20222026
- 97 pointsGuía Revista Cava · O Positivo 20222025
- Top-rated wineGuía Catadores del Vino Mexicano · Mourvèdre 20182022
The visit
Receives visitors. Confirm the hours before you go. Reservations are recommended.
Offers:TastingsToursRestaurantFood pairingsEventsShop
Tastings and tours
Per the official website, the Dulce Vida restaurant, at the vineyard, is open Friday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m., and Ocean Deck, in El Sauzal, Wednesday through Sunday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
There is a restaurant at the vineyard and another, Ocean Deck, next to the El Sauzal winery. Confirm hours before you go.
Amenities
- Restaurant
- Terrace
- Wine shop
- Event hall
Getting there
Francisco Zarco, Valle de Guadalupe · Get directions ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Open the driving route in Google Maps:
- Directions from your location (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from San Diego, CA (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from San Ysidro Port of Entry (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from Ensenada (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from Tijuana (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from Tijuana Airport (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from Tecate (opens in a new tab)
