While Mexico may not be the first country that you think of for wine, it was the first country in North America to make wine!
Bodegas Santo Tomás is located in the original wine region of Baja and is the oldest winery in Baja California and the second oldest in Mexico. The winery was founded in 1888 by Francisco Adonegui of Italy and Miguel Olmart of Spain. It was named after the mission in the area, Misión Santo Tomás de Aquino. It was a Dominican mission and the original mission was founded on April 24, 1791. This grand valley has natural springs and is home to alder, willow, oak, and poplar trees. The mission cultivated wheat, olives, beans, gnarly, and most importantly- grapes on 80 to 178 hectares (200 to 450 acres). All of this flora contributes to the unique flavors of their wines.
In addition, Santo Tomas claims some of the oldest vines in the region and they are still producing after eighty years. Old vines drive their roots deep into the earth, requiring less water, and are known to produce a very high quality and intensely flavorful grape.
The tasting room, nestled between towering eucalyptus trees, is separate from the main winery, which was built in the 1980s. You will have experiences that go from the vines, through the vineyard that surrounds the winery, to the senses, you will love it!
Bodegas de Santo Tomás is also the only winery that has an Enotourism tour with academic recognition, this is granted by the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California.
We can pick you up and drop you off at your hotel, residence, or designated spot. You also have the option of meeting us at the border.
8 A.M. at the designated spot.
Passion, Safety, and a Memorable Experience are what you can expect on our tours in Baja and San Diego.
We bring our extensive resumes, cultural knowledge, language; English and Spanish, and rare expertise regarding San Diego, California, and Baja California Norte, Mexico.
With these jaunts, we show you how amazingly culturally diverse the surrounding San Diego area is and that we are not alone here, we have Tijuana and Northern Baja California which have been and are forever connected in so many ways. Most people do not notice this but once our clients experience Mexico, they realize the many similarities but also, the major differences which exist today and will in the future. This includes the restaurants, eateries, food trucks, wineries breweries, and of course, the Margaritas on both sides of the border.
Our trips throughout our region include many interesting, eclectic, and awe-inspiring locations which you will not receive from the other tour companies. We are not just a drive and drop off Tour Company, we are in constant interaction whether it is on the bus or on the ground.
We love sharing in a fun, safe, and energy-filled environment which we hope will open our client’s eyes to what it is to really see and experience the incredibly fascinating places in our neck of the woods.
We encourage multi-day custom trips so you can really get the feel of San Diego and Baja.
8:00am-8:40am: Meet your bilingual guides at your hotel or at the designated meeting spot.
Please have your Passport and required documents for each guest.
8:45am-9:00am: Cross the border on foot or car through Mexican Immigration and Customs to our safe, insured, with A/C, tour vehicle waiting on the Mexican side of the border.
9:00am-10:00am: Stop at Our Rosarito Beach Hidey Hole for Carne Asada tacos.
10:00am-11:00am: Take in the breathtaking vista at La Mirador ViewPoint, bathroom break if needed.
11:30-12:30pm: Stop in Ensenada for the best Fish and Shrimp Tacos!
1:30pm: Arrive at Santo Tomas Valley, it is absolutely beautiful, enjoy!
2:00pm- 4:00pm: We will be tasting this area’s famous wines, a tour of the grounds along with an introduction to Santo Tomas and its rich history. You will be amazed!
4:00pm -6:00pm. Bummer, we have to get going. Make our way back to the border, enjoy the ride and a snack and bathroom break along the way
6:00-6:30pm: After clearing U.S. Immigration and Customs, we will walk back to your car parked in San Ysidro, California, or catch the San Diego Trolley, taxi, or Uber, or drop you off at your hotel (while most of our groups usually experience just 10-20 minute crossing times, your arrival time in San Ysidro is highly dependent on the actual border wait time on the day of your tour, which may vary – SDBT has no ability to affect actual border wait times).
*This is a sample itinerary; after paying your affirmed invoice for the full cost of your tour (see details below), you will receive an email with your actual itinerary including any customizations you have requested and links to the boutique wineries and restaurants you will visit on tour. San Diego Baja Tours works with the region’s best farm-to-table restaurants. Specific vendor requests (wineries, restaurants, venues, etc.) cannot be guaranteed, however, we will make reasonable attempts to fulfill your reasonable requests – additional costs may apply for some vendors – inquire for details and pricing via the booking form. Please understand that our dining partners are independent businesses and we ultimately have no control over their availability, cancellations, and other inconveniences imposed by them. We work with most of the top wineries, restaurants, and venues in the Region, and if we must substitute a vendor or vendors on your itinerary, the overall quality of your experience will not be affected.
