SAN DIEGO - Foodies interested in Baja California's emergent food movement have a new option for exploring the Region's gastronomy. San Diego based Baja Test Kitchen (BTK) will be offering regularly scheduled "tasting tours" of the region via its newly formed Baja Tasting Club.

Award-winning wine production in Baja California's Valle de Guadalupe (or "Guadalupe Valley"—Mexico's largest wine region with over 110 wineries—has given rise to a farm-to-table slow food movement featuring locally sourced ingredients prepared with modern flair by celebrity chefs. So famous is this emergent foodie movement, that three of Mexico's top restaurants are located in the region.

The poster child for Baja-style gastronomy is Chef Javier Plascencia, who's James Beard nominated Bracero Cocina de Raiz restaurant in San Diego's Little Italy has put the Baja culinary movement solidly on foodie maps North of the border. And celebrity Chef Rick Bayless, of PBS fame, has imitated Baja's campestre-style wood-fired seafood menu at his latest dining venture, Leña Brava, located in Chicago's chic West Loop neighborhood.

While the Baja culinary movement has ventured North of the border in limited, yet well-received fashion; food, wine and craft beer enthusiasts must dust off their passports and cross South into Mexico's Baja California to truly experience all that the region's food movement offers. From street tacos to modern five-star eateries, Baja Tasting Club members will have the opportunity to explore every morsel of the region's unique cuisine.

"Baja California is reinventing itself as a center for culinary excellence, organic farming, superior wine making and artisan craft brewing. Innovative chefs, farmers, wine makers and brewmasters are defining a new Mexican culinary experience," said Chris Mejia, BTK's founder. "All this wonderful food, wine and craft beer is being made right in our own backyard, yet many Southern Californians are intimidated by crossing the border into Mexico. So we created a social club, geared to the interests of foodies like us, which will explore Baja's culinary scene together. We are taking care of all the logistics—all you have to do is show up with your passport, and eat!"

The Baja Tasting Club will meet regularly on the US side of the border, and cross down into Mexico as a group for same-day explorations of the Region. With input from Club members, BTK will be programing new culinary excursions monthly. Round trip transportation, food, and beverage will be included in the price of the trips, which will vary based on itinerary. The Club's inaugural outing is scheduled for Sunday, July 31st and will visit two wineries and a craft brewery, with a gourmet lunch prepared by of one of Baja's rising star chefs. Those interested in joining the Club should register here.

About Baja Test Kitchen: Baja Test Kitchen is dedicated to the exploration of Baja California's emergent culinary movement. We curate and share the distinct flavors of Baja California cuisine through our online community, tasting tours, cooking workshops, and culinary events. We believe in the exploration of culture through food. Our mission is to inspire others to develop an appreciation for Northern Baja's unique culinary culture. Foodies ourselves, we have explored, foraged and tasted our way through Baja California's vibrant culinary scene to bring our customers what we believe is the best of the best. We curate exceptional gastronomic experiences. Baja Test Kitchen spun out of sister company Discover Baja Travel Club, which was founded over 25-years ago as the ultimate resource for people traveling the Baja California Peninsula. Contact: Chris Mejia via email at chris@bajatestkitchen.com.