Natalia Badan Rancho El Mogor The Soul Of Valle de Guadalupe

Natalia Badan has spent her life on Rancho El Mogor, the vineyard and organic farm her Swiss-French parents built nearly seven decades ago. "We are romantics and have always been a little eccentric. We were always organic, since my father's time. They called it biological agricultural, and everybody thought we were completely crazy. My father studied a lot; he had all the books from the University of California at Davis. These are my childhood memories --seeing him marking the books. Now it's common, but at the time, it seemed a little eccentric, but we were absolutely doing the right thing." When I ask her about the current state of Rancho El Mogor, she warmly tells me about all of their diversified activities. "We have the project of the vineyard; we have the winery; they go together. We have the organic garden that went for 24 years with the market, and now that goes to the restaurant. We have sheep and some cows which we need to improve the land. We move the animals from one place to another so they don't overgraze. Where they go, the soil becomes better with time. This is a very long-term project --improving soil and making a ranch like this more fertile takes many, many years --many more than I will live. But I think it is worth it, and this way, we don't put all our eggs in one basket." In addition to the winery, the farm and the animals, El Mogor is home to Deckman's Restaurant. Michelin-starred Chef, Drew Deckman, prepares hyper-locally sourced fare in an open kitchen. "Authentic, sustainable, and seasonal." Reservations required. Rancho El Mogor is Slow Baja Approved! Please email the winery to make a reservation. Follow Rancho El Mogor on Facebook Follow Rancho El Mogor on Instagram