Villa Montefiori

The house

Editorial review · reviewed on October 11, 2026

In a valley ruled by French grapes, Villa Montefiori planted Italy. Paolo Paoloni, whose family comes from Italy's Marche region, bought about 94 acres (38 hectares) of land in Guadalupe Valley (Valle de Guadalupe), in Baja California, Mexico, in 1997. The next year he put in Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Aglianico, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. The house motto sums up the idea: Mexican wines with an Italian heart.

Paoloni studied agronomy at the University of Perugia, specializing in enology, and came to Mexico in 1985 to run a winery in Aguascalientes. In Baja California he makes the wine himself from the vines he planted. Villa Montefiori says every bottle comes from its own vineyard, irrigated with water from the surrounding hills. The wines are also sold under the Paoloni name.

The lineup splits in two. On one side are single-variety Italian wines: Nebbiolo, Sangiovese Grosso, and an Aglianico the house calls Nerone. On the other are blends that pair those grapes with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, or Petit Verdot. There's also Chardonnay, rosé, and a sparkling wine called Omaggio.

The winery, tasting room, and hotel share one property on the road to El Porvenir, in Ejido El Porvenir (an ejido is land held by a farming community). Rooms at Villa Suites have private terraces facing the vineyard. The tasting room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and reservations are recommended. The house also hosts events and runs a wine club, so you can keep up with new vintages from home.