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VOL. 8 ED. 5 • APRIL 26, 2021 • NO BAD NEWS
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BY HELGA BOGUE
Baja Wines: Featuring Vinicola Concierto Enologico and Luis Sarabia Ramirez
I was charmed by the Di-rector-General and Founder of Concierto Enologico before I even had one sip of wine. Luis Sarabia Ramirez was born in Ensenada and claims he was shy as a child as he spent many
hours playing in the vineyards with family and friends. At age 18, he moved to Mexico City to earn his Computer Science degree, and it has been his pri-mary home since then.
Although he did not know
anything about enology, 15 years ago when he retired and thought about what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, Luis decided to start a new business connecting to his roots in Ensenada and thought
a winery would be a wonderful family venture.
He joined forces with a friend who had a Chemical Engineering background with a specialty in food service, and hired Jesus Martinez, a wine-maker from Spain to make his dream come true.
It seems that Jesus had an excellent background in Qual-ity Assurance and Process. The very first vintage, a 2013 blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Tempranillo, Grenache, and Barbera won a silver medal at the Concourse tasting in Paris.
At the time, Luis’s daughter
Sofia was finishing her degree in Marketing and Sales and decided to study the wine busi-ness and all aspects of it. She wanted to be part of the new family business but did not want Dad to interfere with her intentions or influence her in any way. Over time more vines were planted, and more wine was produced, at about 3000 cases per year.
Sofia soon became the Sales and Marketing Director of the winery and was very success-ful in selling everything they could produce. Three years
K 38. Rosarito
April 26, 20212
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Country Club Expropri-ation in TJ Causes a Stir. Neighbors around the Tijuana Country Club have already organized in order to avoid the expropriation of the famous club for Tijuana's Jet Set.
They are worried that real estate prices will drop in the area if the club is converted into a public park, like Gover-nor Bonilla said.
Neighbors and Club mem-bers stated that if the governor goes on with the expropriation, they were willing to block ac-cess to authorities from enter-ing the premises.
It was also noted that the
compensation given to owners would amount to about 78 mil-lion USD, which equals 20% of the city annual budget.
Restaurants and Hotels
back to 50% occupancy. A rise on active COVID-19 cases during the last three weeks has compelled our state gov-ernment to reduce the active occupancy on restaurants and
hotels to 50%, while social venues will not be able to open unless they are outside patios, in which cases they will be able to have a maximum of
50 persons, said Oscar Perez Rico, head of the state health department.
“We know now that the previous increase of mobil-ity caused active cases to rise, mostly caused by the semana santa holiday, the removal of the occupancy restrictions also worsened the propagation of the virus”, said Perez Rico.
Burning Trash Can Get You a Hefty Fine. At least in Ensenada, we have now been informed that the city has started to give fines to people
seen burning their trash. This has been a problem for years in several parts of Baja, especially the ones that are farthest away from the city.
With the new ecological police active, fines for things like this are getting more and more usual. If you see someone near you burning garbage, call 911 to report them. Burning trash has several affectations for people that inhale the smoke indirectly apart from the obvious contamination it causes.
More COVID-19 vaccines. Baja has started to rollout its vaccination program for teach-ers of all levels this week, and its already preparing its 50-59 years old group to start prob-ably two weeks from now.
Vaccination in Baja has been slow but steady, with the 60+ group having already being vaccinated on their two doses already.
FBI fugitive caught in Ensenada. Local law enforce-ment was able to catch 35 years old, Texas policeman Kenneth “N”, sought after by the FBI for molesting 3 minors back in the USA, which where relatives of his ex girlfriends.
Authorities suspect that Kenneth fled the USA to Baja when he found out that he was being investigated for his past crimes, and that he was
going to receive an exemplary sentence because he was a for-mer marine and active police officer.
Baja Borrows More Money. Governor Bonilla announced that he is seeking to borrow about 156 million USD for the state, that will be used to pay a previous debt and investing in public works.
Baja’s debt amounts to 1.1 billion USD, which Bonilla says he received at a whooping 1.5 billion USD. ,
April 26, 2021 3
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Just in Case You Were Thinking of Dining Out
BY REN DRAKE HILLSpring is here and summer is
on the way. Many of us are con-sidering reverting back to our previous lives. But let me offer you a suggestion on something new you might want to try this
year. I know we all have our fa-vorite restaurants and chefs, our favorite bars and mixologists, but there is so much more out there to sample… appraise… enjoy.
Last week a grand seven course gourmet dinner was of-fered at the Hacienda de Badu at the north end of Rosarito, for the mere price of $30 (US), featuring tastes from chefs “pen-
insula to peninsula.” There was not much advertisement about the event because many in the food world were busy preparing for the Mole Fest held the same weekend.
Chefs from Baja California Sur, Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Yucatan featured dishes, made from ingredients grown in each of their locales. I can’t describe them all here, but featured were a shrimp topped mini tostada, Baja California chocolate clam stuffed with a mild salsa, and a dessert featuring a corn cream and fresh berries with a jamaica salsa. Chef Mario Medina of Las
Rocas Hotel and Resort created his ode to Jackson Pollack with splashes of candied purred beetroot and beans exploding around a portion of 12-hour roasted lamb; art AND a deli-cious entrée. Each dish was ac-companied by wine, or cocktail featuring mescal or tequila, or fruit drinks.
All safety protocols were being followed all evening by staff and diners, temperatures being taken upon arrival, and hand sanitation stations present. Standards followed were higher than many of the eateries that I’ve sampled the last few months when I pop into California for the day.
Chef Medina was gracious enough to invite my husband Lyle and me to the dinner and although we had the most won-derful time with remarkable food and drink, we could not help but notice we were the only Americans present. I know there was not time to get the word out for this particular affair, but I have noticed the lack of expats at many gatherings in the past.
Why not, in this budding new year of coming out of our caves and enjoying a slightly changed world, embrace the culture that is all around us? Even if you don’t speak much Spanish, ask your local chef-of-choice what may be happening in the future? Maybe it won’t be a gala dinner, but a folkloric festival, or celebration of local children’s groups. There is so much color in Baja, and it isn’t all seen with the eyes. Listen to the music, sway to the dance beat, sample a dish that you can’t quite decipher the name of, or its
ingredients. Stop living in a gray colorless world. ,
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MAILBOX EXPRESS & MORElater around 2016, she told her Dad that he had to step up production because she had presold 9000 cases and needed more wine. Luis is laughing as he tells me how they had to jump into warp speed to keep up with Sofia’s marketing!
Luis tried to learn as much as he could from Jesus and invested a great deal of time and money into the business. One thing I forgot to men-tion is that during these early years Luis and his wife were living in Mexico City, and Luis would make monthly trips to Ensenada to see how things were going with the business, while leaving others in charge of the daily operations. He soon realized that he needed to spend more time at the winery as Jesus, the winemaker, was planning on leaving and Luis
BAJA WINES...
continued from page 1How Are Baja's Elections Going?If the elections for governor of Baja where today, who would you vote for?
Results printed byEl Financiero.33% of voters are still undefined, and 1% chose other candidate. Percentages where adjusted to get a full 100%.
would have to look for another winemaker while keeping the quality of the wines intact.
The current winemaker at Vinicola Concierto Enologico is Mauricio Soler, who has a wonderful resume including many years spent in Napa where he has overseen the vineyards for Artesa Winery as well as California’s premier sparkling wine house, Ro-ederer Estates. He is currently managing 26 acres for Conci-erto Enologico, as well as other grapes they source for some of their wines.
When Covid-19 hit, many businesses suffered, including the winery. Luis and his wife decided to spend an entire year in Ensenada during that time and now have a home there.
Luis tells me that the most positive thing that happened during the pandemic was his wife’s development of the love of wine and the vineyards and that makes him very happy as they now spend more time in Ensenada.
When I ask Luis about the name of the vineyard, he smiles and says it stems from a walk in the vineyards very early before dawn that he took with his wife one day. He says it is like a concert.
At first you “hear and feel the silence” of the air flowing across the vines and trees. Then when the sun starts to rise, the roosters begin to crow, then the doves start cooing and the dogs start barking,
April 26, 2021 5
AskAsk a a MexicanMexicanJosé Antonio Zamudio
Hernandez, 29 years old, restaurant administra-
tor. I think a great taco stand is determined by many different factors. First, loca-
tion. It has to be in a place where it’s easy to
find or get access to unless it’s an already-famous taco stand. Second, hygiene. If people get sick, they won’t be going back AND they will tell people which tacos made them sick. No one likes the runs. Third, quality. Tacos are not only meat on tortillas. It must have a certain grade in order to be good. If the meat is bad and chewy, or the tortillas hard and dry, tacos won’t be as satisfy-ing. And finally, service. Even if the tacos are the bomb, if people get treated poorly, the stand will lose clients.
Ansony Murillo, 25 years old, kitchen chief. If it’s on the street, the flavor and hy-giene as well as their customer
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What makes a taco stand, a great taco stand?service make clients want to come back. Also, the salsas are VERY important, and it’s not easy to make good salsas. First, all the ingredients must be thoroughly washed before prepping because sometimes that’s where the most dan-gerous bacteria are – in the tomatoes’ skin. And the salsas must have rich flavors, not only spice, but also onion and garlic so they tie the taco together.
Victor Hugo Magaña, 19 years old, student and cashier. Taco stands must have a good quality-to-price ratio. People go to street taco stands because they are looking for a cheap alternative versus taquerías. Also, the taquero (person who prepares tacos) must know his stuff, from the way the meat is cut to the way tortillas are oiled. It’s not an easy task and it’s not as simple as people may think. And the onion and cilantro must be cut right. If it’s too big or too small it’s gross. If the street smells amazing from a block down, then it’s prob-ably a good taco stand.
Luis Fernando Hernan-dez Hernandez, 27 years old, waiter. I think the meat and salsas are key. If there’s people eating there it’s a bonus. It means it’s good and more people trust it. The stand must also be clean. It’s no excuse if the stand is on the street. They have to wash the piece of the street it’s on, and make sure there is not a lot of dust around. If there is, the people running it usually sprinkle a little bit of water around so it stays on the ground and doesn’t get to your tacos when you stand there.
Edgar Medrano Carranza, 19 years old, unemployed. Salsas are the key to good taco stands, and the meat as well. The tortilla is also very important. I sometimes ask
for tacos with only one tortilla, and when it’s too thin or brittle it’s a shame. Tacos must have a good consistency, in meat and tortilla. They should be soft and not too greasy. I think people who believe all tacos are greasy are wrong, it completely depends on the meat type and the way it was cooked. And I should not feel sick after eating. Tacos are very tricky. That’s why I usually go into taquerias (taco restaurants, in an actual premise) instead of taco stands.
Anubis Espinoza Hernan-dez, 31 years old, merchant. I am very specific about taco stands and only go to one in particular. What I like about it is how they treat me. No matter what time it is there’s always service and they use good ingredients. It may be a little bit expensive, but I’d rather spend on tacos than on doctors and medicine if I ever get sick. The taquero must also be nice. I know it probably sounds weird but it’s a plus when they’re nice. ,
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CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
BAJA WINES...
continued from page 4
and before you know it “it is a concert”! Thus, all six labels of
their current wines are related to music, and each bottle has a Spotify code on it so you can listen to the music they have paired with the wine. Luis tells me the strategy of pairing the wine with music is to create a culture, almost an orchestra-tion to teach consumers how to drink wine, how to interact with all the wonderful flavors wine can create on the palate.
I asked Luis which of the wines are his favorite, and he told me he respects the dif-ferent characteristics of each wine. He prefers to start with a white wine to prepare the pal-ate and then will taste through the red blends depending on his moods and the food. He en-joys spending time in solitude, introspective, and appreciating his life. He loves to share expe-riences with people. He really listens now he tells me. Now that he has the time away from a busy career in technology, he wants to spend more time understanding human nature and connectivity.
Before I tell you about the wine portfolio, you will want
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On Friday, April 30, Mex-ico celebrates Dia del Niño y la Niña (Children’s Day). This will be the second year in a row we will celebrate under the ugly shade of the pandemic. Traditionally, we wake up our kids to find a new toy and take them to lunch to eat their fa-vorite food. Then on Saturday, May 1, most of the world Cel-ebrates Labor Day, which is an
International Holiday. It is a commemoration
of the international workers’ movement led by Anarchists and Communist workers and celebrated for the first time in Paris in 1889 as an homage to the Martyrs of Chicago, a
group of anarchists executed in the US while protesting to establish a working journey of eight hours. Their protest attracted a multitude of over 20,000 at Haymarket Square, who after several hours dis-obeyed the authority's call to dismiss. A squad of 180 uniformed policemen, led by Inspector John Bonfield opened fire and killed an un-
determined number of people and imprisoned hundreds of them after finding weapons and ammo in different search warrants during the following days.
It is celebrated in Mex-ico with workers’ parades
throughout the country but might be suspended again this year due to Covid-19.
Seen mostly as a Commu-nist celebration, in the United States, Canada, American Sa-moa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, and the Virgin Islands it is celebrated as Labor Day on the first Monday in September. ,
to know that the winery is a boutique family business that currently employs 15 people (more during harvest and planting). Luis oversees pro-
duction, his wife Margarita handles the administration of the winery, daughter Sofia is the director of Sales and Mar-
April 26, 2021 7
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BAJA WINES...
continued from page 6
floral notes of the wine. The 2018 Obertura is a blend of 50 percent Cabernet and 50 per-cent Merlot. This is a young, dynamic wine that is versatile and unpretentious. It has fla-vors of plum, blackberry and cherry. The wine was paired with a lychee and peach salad with candied hazelnuts and fig dressing. It was almost like having dessert as a second course, and the cherry flavor of the wine was delicious with the candied hazelnuts. The 2017 Forza is a blend of 40
percent Cabernet, 40 percent Merlot, and 20 percent Bar-bera. Luis claims this wine is suitable for rebellious souls. It is full-bodied, rich, deep in color with flavors of tobacco, cinnamon, dates, caramel, blackberries, roast peppers, cumin and spice and was aged in French oak for 12 months. It was my favorite of the evening and was perfectly paired with a Morrocan-style leg of lamb.
The 2016 Concierto is a blend of 45 percent Cabernet, 45 percent Merlot, and 10 percent Ruby Cabernet, aged for 18 months in French Oak. Tasting notes are pepper, strawberry, dates, and red plums. Imagine pairing this with a sweet potato and ginger tart with coffee ice cream.
The winery offers a unique experience for its guests, one which Luis believes brings the consumer into the process to engage all the senses. It is called the “enology work-shop” where up to 20 people in groups are encouraged to become educated about the different characteristics of each varietal and then blend their unique wine to take home with them. They also create a label and can select a song or “con-cert” that will describe their own wine. This is available by
reservation at the winery. Concierto Enologico is in
the Valle de Guadalupe and is open from 10 am to 5 pm on Tuesday through Sunday; however, Luis tells me that if someone shows up on Mon-day, they have an open-door policy where no one is turned away. There are plans in the making for a future restaurant as well. You can find the wines at the Wine Market in San Lu-cas where Andres is available to assist you, and at Europea in San Jose and San Lucas.
It was a pleasure to meet such a passionate, somewhat shy, and very engaging man who is so enamored with his beautiful wife and daughters, and truly loves what he is doing in his life. I enjoy inter-viewing people who let their true hearts shine through, al-low you to make a connection
keting, and his daughter Aida is the PR strategist. Luis laughs when he says the women in his family constantly tell him what to do. He is also very excited as his daughter Sofia is expecting their first grandchild of the family very soon.
We tasted four wines from Concierto Enologico. Our first wine was a 2019 Allegro Blanco, a blend of 50 percent
Chardonnay and 50 percent Sauvignon Blanc. Luis sug-gests the perfect mood for this wine is sitting on a beach in the summer or eating a fresh lobster from the sea. It has light citrus, pineapple, and floral notes, and is very soft on the palate.
The wine was paired with an acorn squash and coconut curry bisque. It was a lovely pairing and brought out the
CORRECTIONIn Volume 8, Edition 3, I mistakenly referred to the Hacienda de Badu as a restaurant famous for its carnitas. I misspoke. The specialty of Haci-enda de Badu is a won-derful roasted LAMB. For carnitas, visit their “sister” restaurant, Pan-chos, right next door. So sorry for the confusion I may have given. Both restaurants are known for their flavorful roasted meats, one may some-times end up in a food coma as I apparently did. Ren Drake Hill
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and understand who they are. Luis Sarabia is one of those rare people.
Helga Bogue lives with her husband Charlie in San Jose del Cabo. She is a former restaura-teur and wine buyer from the San Francisco Bay area where she and Charlie lived in the Napa Valley. ,
April 26, 20218
In the Mecklenburg County Court case 21-CVD-1913 filed February 9, 2021 Custody and guardianship of a minor child. Attn C Maria Guadalupe Garcia Delgado Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Custody and guardianship of a minor child, age 15 You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than April 12, 2021 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. This, the 22nd day of March, 2021.K e v i n a n d C a s s a n d ra B a r t l e t t , Huntersville, North Carolina, United States
NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
MECKLENBURG COUNTY
How Much is That Doggie By The Laptop?
Working From Home With Your Pet By Your Side. Simply petting a dog or cat brings about big reductions in stress - as found in a recent study undertaken at Washington State University. Just 10 minutes of this type of interaction with your pet significantly reduces cortisol - a stress hormone, which, when present at chroni-cally high levels, can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other mental and physical conditions. Currently, around 71% of employees who can do their jobs responsibly from home are doing so. They are therefore enjoying much more time with their dogs, cats, and
other pets. If you are one of them, what steps can you take to ensure your working day is as fruitful for you as it is for your dog or cat?
Creating A Personal Work Schedule. If you are working remotely, then you should treat your home office as you would a usual workplace, setting yourself times for work, lunch, and other breaks. Because you will be spending more time in common areas in your home, tidying up regularly is important in order to ensure your home does not become so dirty and cluttered that you end up spending most of the weekend cleaning. Instead of letting tasks build up, assign at least 15 minutes per day to
organizing and cleaning. Break up large tasks into smaller ones, assigning yourself at least one task per day. You should also create a schedule for playtime with your dog or cat, to ensure your time at home really does make a difference in their lives.
Keeping Fido And Kitty Ac-tive. Depending on your type of pet, setting up regular exercise and playtimes can help keep them active and stimulated so they avoid bad behaviors such as chewing, howling, scratch-ing, and doing their necessities indoors. If you have a cat, think about building a DIY ‘agility course’ featuring different lev-els of shelves, scratching posts, tunnels, and other features they can enjoy jumping and running through. For healthy young dogs, schedule daily walks, and head to a green area (such as a dog park or dog-friendly beach) so your dog can enjoy unstructured play as well. Start
early, before you start working, so your pets are fully relaxed by the time the first telephone calls start coming in. Your dog will also enjoy completing an agility course if he is active and healthy, so if you have a yard, this DIY project might be right up your street.
Investing In Training Time.During your shorter scheduled breaks, consider teaching your pet a few tricks. Some can be
practical. For instance, your dog should walk on a lead without tugging, should remain behind you when you answer the door, and shouldn’t bark when the phone rings. Your cats, mean-while, should know that some places are ‘prohibited’. This can include your work desk, since you may be taking part in con-ference calls, and you may not want your pet to play the star-ring role in your next meeting with your manager. You can also include fun tricks such as shaking paws, standing on hind legs, or jumping through a hoop.
A large percentage of Ameri-cans are currently working from home, enjoying more time with their pets. If you are telecom-muting, it is important to work to a schedule so you strike the right balance between work and your personal life. Also, set up an exercise and training sched-ule for your pet so their health and fitness flourish while they are by your side. ,
