Baja California, Mexico - Six hundred miles south of Napa Valley, just past Tijuana, lies a series of lush green vineyards that are turning out some of the world's most exciting New World wines.

The main highway is quiet and dusty, and the landscapes are dotted by rock-strewn hillsides and grazing cows. But turn onto any side road and you'll start to unearth the many gems of Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's first, burgeoning wine region.

There are restaurants with international acclaim, stylish boutique hotels, and sprawling wineries - most with panoramic views - where you're as likely to mingle with locals as with the winemakers themselves.

For wine lovers in-the-know, Mexico is buzzing. Two decades ago, you could count Valle de Guadalupe's wineries on both hands. By 2012, there were about 50 of them. Now, Baja's Ruta del Vino boasts more than 100 wineries.

Despite the exponential growth, Valle de Guadalupe still has a low-key feel that's reminiscent of a pre-commercial, pre-tourism Napa. "All of the wineries here are family-based," says Fernando Perez Castro, owner of Valle's La Lomita and Finca La Carrodilla wineries. "We all live here. When you visit a winery, there's a great chance you'll see the owner or winemaker or the son of the owner hanging around."

Getting there is easy. You can drive two hours south from San Diego or fly to Tijuana. Once you're in Baja, you can use UberValle to get around; it's an Uber service that dispatches private drivers to chauffeur you all day long, from Tijuana's airport to the wineries to dinner or beyond.

It's a common approach for San Diego- and L.A. -based day trippers and weekend visitors, though well-heeled nationals from Tijuana are also pouring in.

Where to Sample

Valle de Guadalupe's regional climate is similar to Bordeaux's and Rioja's, albeit more arid. So it's no surprise that well-ripened, jammy blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are among the most popular pours. That said, mono-varietals are the area's current obsession.

Start with the Nebbiolos from Las Nubes and L. A. Cetto, one of the region's oldest and most respected wineries. Then head to Finca Carrodilla, the only winery in the region that uses certified organic grapes. Its Cabs and Shiraz are high in demand, and best enjoyed on their leafy rooftop garden.

Make your last stop Decantos Vinicola, noted for its modern, minimalist architecture and ground breaking techniques; it uses gravity, rather than mechanical decanting, to transfer wine from tank to barrel, which helps maintain the integrity of the wines' aroma, flavor, and color.

These wines aren't just good by local standards - top sommeliers in the United States are also buying in. "I love pouring a glass of [Mexican] wine and not telling someone where it's from," says Greg Majors, who worked as Tom Colicchio's wine director at Craft in New York before joining San Diego-based Blue Bridge Hospitality. "Then you tell them it's from Mexico and their eyes pop."