Mexico wine country: Foodie paradise and tastings in Baja

Wine lovers, listen up: There's a little-known gem just south of the border called Valle de Guadalupe.

It's a bit dustier and rougher around the edges than California's prized Napa Valley, but Baja's wine country offers a relaxed, unpretentious, budget-friendly experience clustered along a main highway in this region of Mexico known as the Ruta del Vino.

The fast-growing wine mecca just two hours south of San Diego is home to hip boutique hotels, an impressive culinary scene and more than 100 wineries to satisfy the most discerning of aficionados.