heaven in the valle baja muralist joins youth’s world
TRANSCRIPT
VOL. 6 ED. 17 • OCTOBER 14, 2019 • NO BAD NEWS
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Baja Muralist Joins Youth’s World Peace Movement
BY DAVID BEYER
“From the mouths of babes…” begins an age-old adage indicating that young people always speak the truth because they haven’t developed the types of experiences requir-ing duplicity or dishonesty.
We witnessed a monumen-tal example of that last month when a 16-year-old girl from Sweden, Greta Thurnberg, ap-peared before the UN General
Enrique Chiu Will Participate in Global Unification Events
Assembly in New York and demanded that world leaders take climate change and its consequences seriously, or risk the continuity of all species of life on the planet.
Her passion inspired school walkouts in cities in every major free country on earth, including Mexico, resulting in throngs of millions of young CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Heaven in the Valle
BY REN DRAKE HILL
El Cielo Resort and Winery celebrates its 6th anniversary
El Cielo Resort and Winery is just that. In celebration of their 6th Anniversary, a gala wine pairing and launch of their new line, “G&G,” featured the
cuisines of seven of Mexico’s top-level chefs at Latitud 32, El Cielo’s award-winning Baja-Yucatan fusion restaurant (in-cluding First Place at Rosarito’s
2018 Sabor de Baja). 150 guests dined on a menu “worthy of kings,” including tuna with caviar and truffle; baby octopus in toreado chili sauce; and a white chocolate bonbon petit four paired with black tea with cocoa vanilla coffee beans and orange peel as a finale.
El Cielo’s Head Sommelier and Vice President of the As-sociation de Sommeliers Mexi-canos, Gina Estrada, introduced each wine with care. Ms. Estrada is a recent Gold Medal Winner at the 2019 Concourse Mondial de Bruxelles in Switzerland. The winning wine: G & G Red with a blend of Tempranillo, Grenache, and Malbec varietals, aged two years in French oak barrels in El Cielo’s massive wine cellar. All wines are crafted by oenologist (winemaker) Jesus Rivera, who has over 23 years of experience. In all, El Cielo pocketed four CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
October 14, 20192
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Everything else is just public relations
Do you want soy with that burger? A recent study pub-lished by the Mexican con-sumer agency (PROFECO) re-ported that some of the frozen patties found on the local stores include up to 28% soy protein, and some of those don’t even tell you; in fact, they could only find two brands that were made with 100% beef: SuKarne and Marketside.
The study also found that most of the ones that advertise in their packaging that they are using a specific cut of meat like sirloin or skirt steak to make their beef patties were not able to demonstrate it to PROFECO authorities.
From 35 brands tested, 13 were deemed to be misleading for not disclosing soy and other ingredients in their packaging. Most of the others also use soy, but were labeled correctly.
New mayors start their terms. The new mayors of
Tijuana, Rosarito, Tecate, and Ensenada have officially started their terms as of this past Oc-tober 1st. They all come from the Morena Party, just like the president of Mexico, AMLO.
Our new governor, Jaime Bonilla, has yet to start his term, although it’s scheduled to begin this coming November 1st; and it is still not decided if he will serve a term of 2 or 5 years in office.
Some analysts say that a bet-ter flow of resources is expected now that mayors, governor, and president of Mexico all come from the same party. The cur-rent governor from the PAN party, Kiko Vega, has been complaining for some time now that during his term, the federal government has accumulated debt with our state government of over 263 million dollars.
Military base is moving. Governor-elect Jaime Bonilla stated that he already got the
approval from the head of the Mexican military to move the Ensenada military base and airport “El Cipres” to an undisclosed location between Ensenada, Rosarito, and the Guadalupe Valley.
Once the military base is moved, “El Cipres” will be turned into a public park for the benefit of local families.
The new base is contemplat-ing about 500 houses for mili-tary personnel, a bigger airport that would also be used for civil aircraft, hospitals, schools, and a photovoltaic park to achieve self-sustainability energy-wise. About 158 million USD is planned to be invested in the project.
Pay that fine on the spot. In Ensenada, paying your fines on the spot will not have to mean a “mordida” anymore, as long as you pay it with your credit or debit card.
The new head of the Ensenada police, Luis Felipe Chan, announced that in the near future all patrol cars will be equipped with portable credit card terminals so they can receive payments for fines on the spot.
The strategy is meant to increase collection on fines and takes away the hassle for the driver of having to go all the way to the police station to pay it.
Of course, cash is still not allowed for payment of fines on the spot.
Ensenada is drowning in trash. Francisco Gonza-lez, chief of public services in Ensenada, stated that the city is only picking up 100 tons of garbage every day, which is only one-fourth of the trash gener-ated every day in the city.
This has resulted in over 20,000 tons of waste to be dis-persed around the city. and it is is quickly becoming a public health issue.
The newly arrived chief says that they are analyzing their op-tions to increase their collection capacity and solve the problem once and for all. We heard that for 3 years during the last term. Hopefully this time they’ll come through.
Local university fights back. The UABC, Baja’s only autono-mous and public university, is fighting the state government for about $85 million USD that is owed to them.
Just last week more than 35,000 students and faculty members from the University took to the streets of Mexicali to demand payment of the money. Governor Kiko was nowhere to be seen and it looks like he is just sitting this one out until his term is over on October 31st.
The funds were assigned to the University by the state Con-gress, but governor Kiko Vega decided to use them in “some-thing else,” because he says the federal government owes our state over $263 million USD, and it seems that there are more important things than education.
The governor, personally, CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
October 14, 2019 3
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Pop! Goes the Tax Weasel
BY ORLANDO GOTAYTAX ATTORNEY
Late on a recent Sunday night, my “teletype” sprang to life, alerting me to impor-tant news on the Mexican tax front. And there sure were. The López Obrador administration issued its budget document
for the following fiscal year. Much like in the U.S., this voluminous proposal has to be approved by the National Congress.
But unlike up north, this budget contains a number of very specific tax measures, all designed to increase federal revenue, without enacting any new tax. How does one do that? Simply by finding gaps in
existing tax collection schemes and plugging them.
The digital, shared econo-my is a major object of the tax reform package. It does this by, among others, imposing a VAT collection obligation
on out of Mexico digital ser-vice providers that serve the Mexico market … think of all those media streams into the country.
The Mexican government has also set its gaze on the many apps that many of us know too well: Uber, AirBnB, Rappi and so many others. If the tax bills are approved, VAT tax withholding obliga-
tions will be imposed on the platform operators. It makes sense from the tax adminis-trator’s viewpoint. So all those app users will come in one way or another into the taxman’s radar screen.
Another area of interest: property rentals. The budget document states that a large percentage of rentals go un-reported as income. So the proposal says: if you are a landlord and you have to sue for rents, you have better had issued facturas (fiscal receipts)
for the sought rent. Otherwise, the court where you sue will be required to tell the SAT tax service. Fair enough, land-lords were required all along to report the rent, but I know many landlords that don’t issue facturas, mostly because their tenants either don’t know or don’t care to ask for a factura. Still, that’s the proposed re-quirement. It will be interest-
ing to see how that proposal fares in the Mexican Congress.
Reading tea leaves here: The authorities are finding money that was “left on the table” because technology ad-vances allowed for the creation (and now, identification and collection of tax) from that revenue. Not discussed here, but Mexico is also focusing on foreign participation in the national economy and is figur-ing ways to capture part of that benefit, even if the entities or persons themselves are not in Mexican territory.
If things continue to trend in this direction, and consis-tent with the “no new taxes” mantra of the López Obrador administration, it would not be far fetched to see increased ef-forts in policing the economic activities of non-local nation-als within Mexico. That may
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not be the best low hanging fruit (withholding VAT from the Uber Eats or AirBnB pro-vider is so much easier) but it is clearly within the horizon. Municipalities are also taking notice, imposing fees and taxes on AirBnB rentals and enforc-ing their rules. More to come, I’m sure!
Orlando Gotay is a Califor-nia licensed tax attorney (with a Master of Laws in Taxation) admitted to practice before the IRS, the U.S. Tax Court and other taxing agencies. His love of things Mexican has led him to devote part of his practice to federal and state tax mat-ters of U.S. expats in Mexico. He can be reached at [email protected] or Facebook: GotayTaxLawyer. This is just a most general outline. It is infor-mational only and not meant as legal advice. ,
October 14, 20194
October 16, Wednesday, 10 am – 12 pm; Community Cat-tastic Breakfast at Fat Cat Restaurant Rosarito. 50/50, $1 raffle. $25 (includes breakfast eggs, bacon or sausage, pan-cakes, & bottomless coffee.) Have a great breakfast and save lives! Seating limited. Tix: www.paypal,me/BajaS-payNeuter. All proceeds to Baja Spay & Neuter Voucher program.
October 18, Friday, 2 – 4 pm; Fall platter painting class at DeColores Studio (k40 – Santini Plaza). Tix: app.getoc-casion.com/ $9 reserves spot. Buy or bring wine & snacks. 661-104-0022.
October 18, Friday, 9 pm – midnight; BeatleMania in concert at Festival Plaza Hotel. VIP+ $1000 pesos; VIP $750 pesos; Preferred $550 pesos; General $350 pesos. Tix avail-able at Hotel Festival Plaza or TicketMovil. 661-612-2950; www.hotelfestivalplaza.com.
October 19, Saturday, 1pm; Baja Laughs pres-ents: Baja Brews, Bands and Bodyslams! Live pro wrestling (Lucha Libre), All ages, no cover. Baja Seasons K72.
October 19, Saturday, 6 pm (& every Saturday through
December); Grand Opening of Club Mata in San Antonio Del Mar. Tequila tasting bar, signature drinks, DJ Jerome Belize, and lovely dancers. Facebook.com/ Baja Lori Chaffin.
October 19, Saturday, 7:30
pm; A magical Night of Music with Alex DePue & Miguel de Hoyos at Ruben’s Restaurant (k43). 4 course meal and show, $28. Clam chowder, salad, flan, and choice of salmon and BBQ ribs. 661-613-2371.
October 20, Sunday, 1 – 5 pm; Flying Samaritan’s 2nd Annual Oktoberfest at Las Rocas Resort (k 38.5). Tickets; $35 online at www.flyingsamaritansrosarito.org. Beer, wine, German food, music & dancing; live auction featuring 6-day African Safari for two, and 50/50 drawing. All proceeds benefit Flying
Rosarito Calendar of EventsAll prices are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.
Samaritans Rosarito. www.flyingsamaritansrosarito.org; [email protected].
October 23, Wednesday, 7 am; Blues & Jazz evening at Hotel Calafia featuring Deanna Bogart and Friends. To benefit the Rosarito The-
atre Guild. Tix: $30 (includes 1drink ticket). Additional food & drink available.www.RosaritoTheatre.org.
October 25 – 28, Friday – Monday; Apparitions Festival Halloween Edition at Hotel Quinta Calafia. Featuring Troy Pierce, Alexi Delano, and more. www.ApparitionsFesti-val.com.
October 26, Saturday, 8 am – 6 pm; USBC Wine Tour. Four wineries, buffet lunch and boat ride in Ensenada Harbor. $40 (members) $45
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October 26, Saturday, 2 pm; Pretty Horses Rescue 5th Annual Chili (and Salsa & Margaritas) Cook-off & Car-nival at Pretty Horses Ranch. $20 donation (kids under 10 free). Tix: Vista Hermosa Re-sort, Happy Hour Bar/Restau-rant, www.prettyhorsesbaja.org, or at event. Contest entry forms online. Everyone votes!
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BAJA MURALIST JOINS...
continued from page 1
people backing her up on her demands.
Baja California boasts its own passionate pioneer of peace. His name is Enrique Chiu, and although he is a na-tive of Guadalajara, currently living in Long Beach, CA, USA, he is most notorious for his 18,000-square meter mural on the border wall separating Mexico from the US, a project which ultimately involved 4,000 people, and began on the
Mexican side of the border in Tijuana.
Enrique’s goal is to unite people through his art. He aims to show that we are all more alike than we are different. He attained notoriety within the past several years with his mural-painting events on the border wall separating Mexico and the US. He never had to resort to politics to get his point across.
Instead, his messages were always positive and sometimes humorous, portraying children playing, people working, and people engaged in the daily
processes of survival and the pursuit of happiness.
Enr ique recent ly an-nounced that he has been selected as one of the ten final-ists (from 181 applicants) to be chosen to participate in the International Junior Cham-ber’s TOYP (Ten Outstanding Young People) competition. This prestigious competition has, in the past, honored the likes of Elvis Presley, Nelson Rockefeller, Jackie Chan, and former US Presidents John F Kennedy, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton.
The award is bestowed upon people between the ages of 18 and 40, and includes the following categories: Academic Achievements; Volunteering & Humanitarian Aid; Econom-ic Achievements; Business; Medical Innovation; Cultural Achievements; Community Leadership; Political, Govern-mental or Legal Achievements; Technological & Scientific Development; Personal De-velopment; Contributions to Children; and World Peace & Human Rights.
Throughout its history, however, only 2 Mexicans were considered worthy of this distinction: Charles T Murr (1986) and Blanca Lomeli (1992). So it is a memorable occasion for Enrique Chiu to have been selected as one of the ten finalists this year.
He is being recognized for his many achievements, pri-marily as a muralist, most no-tably the Brotherhood Mural on the border wall. Thousands participated in that project.
Chiu is further recognized for his work in educating mi-grants; his “We Are All Mi-grants” project provided sup-port to migrant communities by informing them of their rights and connecting them with organizations that provide food and shelter.
He’s also conducted art workshops for over 3,000 chil-dren in recent years.
He says that “People think that the American Dream can only be lived in the United States; but on this side of the border, there are also dreams. On this side, you can also cre-ate. On this side, you can also change the world.”
The TOYP celebration will be held November 5th, 6th and 7th in Tallinn, Estonia (a northern European country bordered by the Gulf of Fin-land and the Baltic Sea), and will feature representatives from JCI (Junior Chamber
International) members from several countries, including Mexico, and from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Orga-nization).
To underline the magnitude of this honor for Chiu, he is the first representative from Mex-ico to be chosen to participate since 1992; and this year, he is the ONLY representative from anywhere in the Americas.
After the TOYP ceremonies conclude, Enrique will travel to Berlin, Germany, where he is slated to give a lecture and live presentation about the Broth-erhood Mural. This will be his contribution to the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the destruction of the Berlin Wall. He will appear alongside fellow Mexican artist Adrian Sierra at Berlin’s Benhadj & Djilali Galerie. ,
October 14, 20196
Daniel Rivera, 29, loader.Both of my grandparents live
in their houses still. My grandads on both sides still have their jobs and my grandma on my dad’s side takes care of my nieces when my aunt is at work, for which she gets a little money. My grandma on my dad’s side makes cushions and embroidered stuff which she sells to neighbors, friends, and pretty much everyone who she knows. They said last Christmas that they wanted to be put in a home when they’re older, all four of them, they’re pretty close friends. But I don’t think that will happen, first because they won’t take them in together, they are all loud and so crazy, second because I think the family would freak.
Karolina Marquez, 32, pho-tographer.
My grandpa lives in an “apart-ment” my dad built for him in our house. He has his own entrance and kitchen and doorbell, cooks for himself when he wants to,
but eats with us mostly. He lives off the rent of many properties he bought when he was younger, which my dad and uncle manage, and he has a little office where he gives accounting advice, but nor-
mally doesn’t
charge because his customers are almost always his friends and they mostly drink coffee and whiskey. And talk about the “good old days”.
Victoria Martinez, 30, respi-ratory technician.
My grandma has a ranch that her kids bought for her with sheep and hens which she sells sometimes. I’m not sure if she makes a living of it, we don’t
drive out to see her as often as we would like because it’s kind of far away, but we try to make it every 2 months at least. My aunt lives on a ranch walking distance away, so she sees her every day. In my grandma’s house there are two ladies living there who keep her company and clean up and cook, but she says they’re her friends. She teaches the single ladies from around town to sew, knit, cook and stuff, and she charges them.
Ramses Lopez, 27, mainte-nance.
My grandpa on my mom’s side is quite sick and lives at our house. He has his own room and
everything, and he’s okay most days but then he gets some bad days when he can’t get out of bed. He doesn’t have an income except for his social security cheque which he gets every month, but it’s not even enough for his medicine. He likes to water the plants when he can and whistles all day long, I guess that’s what keeps him sane. At first, it was a little annoying, but now when he
doesn’t whistle because he feels sick, it’s very sad to hear a silent house.
Laura Ramirez, 19, recep-tionist.
I only have a grandma left, and she lives with my aunt who never married. They are the ones in charge of making the big dinners on Sunday and all the family events, they have the biggest house. My grandma doesn’t have an income of her own but she receives my deceased grandpa’s pension money, which is quite high because he was a big politician. Still, it’s not enough to make a living so every one of her children pitch in, except for one who decided he wasn’t part of the family, but we haven’t heard of him in ages.
Ask a Mexican
[email protected], Baja California
Francisco Hernandez, 31, nurse.
My great grandmother is still with us, she owns a little yarn shop on the first floor of her house and lives on the second. She can go up the stairs fine, but very slowly and refuses to close her shop or move out or let anyone in the family move in. She says she’s fine and doesn’t need anyone. She hardly has any customers, but everyone in the neighborhood goes and buys whatever she has left. My uncles and dad pay her bills for her and deliver her groceries, my aunts take care of the medical stuff. I guess I’m sort of proud of her in a way, I think that when she stops working she’ll just fade away. ,
How are the oldest people in your family being cared for? In their home? In a relative's home? Do they have any income at all?
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Care For Yourself Before The Holidays
At the north end of Rosari-to, in a location that’s great for stress-reduction, and close to the breaking surf, is one of Ro-sarito’s best-kept pleasurable secrets. Beach-side massages are offered in many Rosarito locations, but none as serene as the Baja del Mar location of
Nicole. Big bay windows offer an ocean view (as if you would be able to take a massage with your eyes open).
With more than 35 years of Western and Chinese medical training and experience, edu-cation in the US, Australia, Eu-rope, South Africa, and Asia, Nicole settled into the Rosarito area nearly 20 years ago. As many of us Rosaritenses, she came to Rosarito to retire, but re-entered the workforce “because there is a need for my
BY REN DRAKE HILL
Nicole, a certified massage therapist in Rosarito, is here to help you do just that
skills here.”Initially, Nicole asks why
you’ve come. Her repertoire includes light, medium or deep tissue massages for overall relaxation; stress relief with a concentration on your affected areas; sports injury; post-surgery; joint “corrections”
(whiplash, nagging ailment); depression; and drug rehabili-tation or withdrawal pains. She “teases” the muscles to relax rather than pounding them into submission, which many clients prefer.
Many of us don’t take the time to “listen” to our bodies and take into account our feel-ings. By becoming more “in tune” to our selves, our physi-cal and psychological lives will be improved.
At your initial massage, Nicole performs a “pathology” where she voices what she feels is not right with your body. She begins at the soles of the feet because everything happening within one’s body is evident in one’s feet. Inch-by-inch she assesses the interconnection of muscle activity. “If it’s a muscle, I’ll fix it, and teach you how to make it better.”
After your massage, Nicole tells you what she has discov-ered from simply manipulat-ing and massaging joints and muscles. She noticed that one of my ankles was larger than the other and asked about an injury. I answered “no,” but later remembered a child-
hood ice skating injury to that ankle that caused it to swell to grapefruit-size.
Nicole offers many types of treatment packages, including discounts for three same-day massages (think of your fam-ily, friends, social groups), or package of ten that you may use all for yourself, or share with anyone you wish. Remember the holidays are upon us. Do any of us really need any more STUFF? There is a discount for a number of massages she believes will correct your problem or medi-cal condition. Nicole knows many of us may be living on a fixed income, so “pricing is individualized as to need.” She realizes that her one-hour massages should be treated more as a medical treatment and not merely a day at the spa. Regularly scheduled massages (same day / same time, etc.) are given priority and better pric-ing than the occasional caller.
Although her pricing (starting at $50) is based on treatments offered at her north Rosarito location, she does travel. There is a slight price increase for this, and her geo-graphic limitations are usually from San Antonio del Mar, southward to Calafia, but she is open to discussion. Because
she wants her patients to have a stake in getting well, massage packages are pre-paid. She is thorough and treats everyone individually. One hour means one hour (or more). Clients will have to do their home-work. She will issue an indi-vidualized exercise program to perform between visits.
Not only has Nicole come out of retirement to help cli-ents become healthier and happier, she is a live-in care-giver and supports a Mexican family of a Mexican wounded warrior vet with their living costs and schooling for chil-dren who aim to become a doctor and a vet.
Nicole has many refer-ences upon request (includ-ing mine!) She is offering a super special Gringo Gazette offer. Mention “Ren’s Gringo Gazette article” when making your appointment and receive a 15% discount on your first massage. Nicole schedules ap-pointments 8:00 am – 8:00 pm seven days per week. Mexico: 661-112-5161; US 1-702-572-7918. You can also get gift certificates from her for that special person in your life.
Dr. Nicole is looking for someone with whom she may share her extensive knowledge, to continue this practice when
she finally does decide to re-tire…again.,
silver, five gold, and one grand gold awards at this year’s event.
El Cielo crafts two wine series. Their “astronomical” se-ries features the names of stars, astronomers, and constellations, now joined by the new premier G&G series. El Cielo’s Mission is to produce wine with the best selection of grapes from the country and offer an integral experience, innovative through products that exceed the ex-pectation of clients, visitors and customers. Important to El Cielo is sustainability, func-tionality and the wine tourist’s experience.
The Valle offers a Mediterra-nean climate, 300 meters above sea level, an annual temperature of 45 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with about ten inches of rainfall per year. Other local varietals include Cabernets, Chardon-nay, Syrah, Nebbiolo, and Pinot Noir. A wagon tour led by a bi-lingual guide transports tourists through the vineyard where all grape varietals are labeled with a detailed sign featuring a photo of the grapes, their leaves,
HEAVEN IN THE VALLE...
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CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
October 14, 20198
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QUE PASA IN BAJA?...
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has been sued by the University because they say he misappro-priated the funds. Baja has been one of the most controversial states regarding state govern-ment corruption, and some expect the governor to flee as soon as his term is over to avoid any investigation.
It's worse than we thought. That’s what the newly appointed treasurer of Ensenada, Vicente Maldonado, said regarding the public debt that the city has, which, based on his calcula-
tions, amounts to over $237 million USD.
Maldonado stated that they don’t even have enough money to cover the payroll of city em-ployees for the first two weeks of work.
Armando Ayala, mayor of Ensenada, said that he was planning a meeting with presi-dent Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in order to try and renegotiate the payments made to the federal government for past loans.
This is when it helps to have the whole chain of command from the same political party, hopefully!
Goodbye state police, we won’t miss you! With 23 votes in favor and two against, State Congress approved dissolving
Baja’s state police, which has been very controversial because of the level of corruption found in it.
A new super-police will be created that will include a newly formed State prosecution office, a State Intelligence Center, and all the public security agencies from all of the cities in Baja. ,
HEAVEN IN THE VALLE...
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the area in the world of their origin, and a brief description of the grape, it’s history and the wine produced, in English and Spanish.
In addition to the 50 acres of 14 grape varietals, there is a 50-acre lavish resort comprised of clusters of villas (two Presi-dential villas, 18 Master suites, and 36 Junior suites), the Chapel of Our Lady of Miracles (with Sunday mass), heated lap pool, a lake, reclamation pond, and the heralded Latitud 32 Restaurant, all connected with meandering concrete and brick walking trails. The stand-alone Presiden-tial villas offer the most privacy
phyllorexia, a disease of grapes. Grape harvest time is a par-
ticularly popular period to visit, as the weather is mild and the vines are heavy with fruit. I was treated to several food & wine pairings during my brief stay. Wines I did not previously enjoy were much enhanced with the inclusion of the proper comple-mentary foods.
Popular is the 6-course set menu (including duck, lamb, and pork belly), paired with six wines, for about $80. For those of you with a sweet tooth, El Cielo offers a four-wine and chocolate pairings. Words can-not do justice to the many culi-nary delights paired impeccably with wines that enhanced their flavor and aroma.
When I moved to Rosarito ten years ago there were a few dozen wineries in the Valle. Now there seem to be a few
hundred, many of them smaller “boutique” wineries. But in the oenological world, it takes de-cades to perfect the ideal grapes.
Service at Cielo is above par, whether it’s in Latitud 32, the lobby staff, or the butler that handles your every personal need, from transporting lug-gage, providing valet service, to serving your wine in your personal villa.
The night sky is awash with the Milky Way and so many stars, one can barely distinguish the constellations El Cielo’s wines are named after. Wines are priced from $24 to $60, but there are exclusive offers for the preferred clients who join El Cielo’s Wine Club.
Information about reserva-tions, tours, and restaurants are at www.vinoselcielo.com. Did I mention I have the most awe-some job in the world? ,
and include gas fireplaces and kitchens. Most villas are com-prised of a ground-floor Master suite, topped with two Junior suites on the second floor. The views from all are spectacular.
Not grand enough, you say? Planned expansion includes a business center, spa, nail salon, and additional suites. Beautiful as it is, accessibility is an issue. The hotel dining room is on the second floor of the hotel, and all junior suites require stair-climbing.
El Cielo has the distinc-tion of being the first ecologi-cally responsible “company” of Ensenada. In addition to the aforementioned water recla-mation pond, a series of solar panels provides sustainable electricity to the property as well as covered parking for em-ployees. 100% of the water used on the property is “reutilized.” Buildings are constructed with thermal-insulating materials, 98% of all lighting is LED, and pest control is monitored by dogs and a falcon. A falconer is on hand to provide information about falconry and allow guests to pose for photos while holding the falcon.
El Cielo also practices “col-tura promiscua,” which is the growing of olive trees around the vineyards. This traditional mix of two mutually benefi-cial crops is practiced in most vineyards. One of the benefits provides a regional resistance to