Save the Valle de Guadalupe!

HELP SAVE THE VALLE DE GUADALUPE!
Live Cast with W. Scott Koenig of A Gringo in Mexico and Marie Tahan Daniels of Cur8tor Online.

As a result of the last decade’s boom, the Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California’s pristine wine region, has outgrown the capacity of its natural resources and infrastructure. To exacerbate the situation, more and more developers see the opportunity to profit from the “buzzy” region and threaten the fragile Valle ecosystem with rampant, unlicensed and unregulated projects. Late night clubs also threaten the region with unwanted noise, light pollution and revelers. SEE OUR POST FOR MORE INFORMATION.

You can also read the Manifesto on what the group Por Un Valle de Verdad (For One True Valley) hope to achieve by passing regulations into law. SEE OUR POST FOR THE ENTIRE MANIFESTO.

What YOU Can Do to Help

All the regulations in the world won’t make a difference without public support. Here are ten things you can do to help  maintain the integrity of this beautiful agricultural  region:

• Don’t support businesses that defy land management regulations. This pertains to projects that may be developing on land formerly reserved for agriculture.
• Don’t support businesses that diminish, but don’t replace, natural resources. This includes businesses that don’t comply with eco-friendly and sustainable practices.
• Don’t support businesses that damage the environment. This includes off-road and ATV activities in and around the Valle.
• Stop the party at midnight. Don’t attend nightclubs, events or weddings that play loud music or obscure the night sky with bright lighting after midnight.
• Don’t drive drunk. With the proliferation of late-night clubs and events and cantinas selling hard liquor, it’s more important than ever to stay off the roads after drinking or to have a designated driver. Many roads in the Valle are precarious and riddled with speedbumps, curbside parking lots and other nighttime hazards.
• Savor the Valle’s wine culture. Don’t get wasted the night before you’re out enjoying the Valle’s gastronomy. It’s no fun tasting and dining when hungover. Make the most of your culinary experience in this rich gastronomic destination.
• Dine at restaurants that use quality, local ingredients and promote local wines. Local farmers, Valle winemakers and your taste buds will thank you.
• Take the time to verify that a “hot new place” is hot for the right reasons. Is it popular because the food and wine are top notch, or because some bought-and-paid for “journalist” says it is?
• LIKE and follow ProVino’s Facebook page for more information and new developments. Although it’s in Spanish, Facebook offers a handy “See Translation” link that makes posts easy to read in English.
• Share this and other articles on Valle preservation efforts NOW. It’s critical to spread awareness of these regulations to your north-of-the border friends and family who love the Valle and support its sustainable growth. And as soon as possible before the window of opportunity to have the laws approved closes.