At a glance
- Founded
- 2002planting of the vineyard, with the first harvest in 2007
- Winemaking
- Kristin Magnussen
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Chardonnay and 1 more
- Style
- family winery · short production · Nebbiolo · Chardonnay whites
- Visits
- By appointment
The house
Editorial review · reviewed on October 11, 2026A lechuza, or owl, hunts at night among the vines and keeps pests in check, and this family vineyard takes its name from her. It sits at the km 82.5 marker of the highway from Tecate to Ensenada, in Guadalupe Valley (Valle de Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico.
Ray and Patty Magnussen began it in 2002. Ray enrolled in the enology and viticulture program at the University of California, Davis, and planted the first four varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Nebbiolo. Syrah came later, along with white grapes from vineyards to the south, toward the San Vicente valley, and the first harvest came in 2007.
Today the winery is run by Kristin Magnussen, the house winemaker, and her husband, Adam Shute. The wines include the Nebbiolo, the Chardonnay, the red blend Amantes, and the Bohemio line, and some labels carry art by Genaro García. The winery's online shop sells the 2019 vintage of Amantes, and reservations are made through a button on its website that links to OpenTable.
A visit calls for a free afternoon. Besides tastings in the vineyard, the winery serves country lunches in front of the vines, always by online reservation: first a basket of artisan cheeses and preserves, then grilled meats and vegetables. The winery is at km 82.5 of Federal Highway 3, from Tecate to Ensenada.
The wines
Lechuza works with the four reds it planted at the start, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Nebbiolo, plus Syrah and whites of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from vineyards to the south, toward San Vicente. Besides single-variety wines, it makes red blends such as Amantes.
Red
Lechuza Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo
One of the four varieties Ray Magnussen planted when the vineyard began.
White
Lechuza Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Red
Amantes
The house's red blend.
Grapes it works with
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Tempranillo
- Nebbiolo
- Syrah
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
What to taste
Nebbiolo, one of the four reds Ray Magnussen planted at the start, and on the white side the house Chardonnay.
Why go
A long country lunch in front of the vineyard of a family that began planting in 2002, by advance reservation.
The visit
Receives visitors by appointment. Reservations are required.
Offers:TastingsPicnicsShop
Tastings and tours
By reservation only, made online through the winery's website.
Amenities
- Picnic area
Getting there
Carretera Federal 3 (Mexico Federal Highway 3), Tecate to Ensenada, km 82.5 marker
Carretera Tecate a Ensenada km 82.5, Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada, B.C. · Get directions ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Open the driving route in Google Maps:
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