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New Mexico Wine Routes, Wines and Wine Experiences
Spanish settlers and Franciscan friars brought wine grapes to what is now New Mexico in the early decades of the 17th century, making our wine industry the oldest in North America. It’s had a few ups and downs over the centuries, but even Prohibition didn’t wipe it out entirely. The influential Archbishop of that era wrangled a dispensation for a winery operated by the Christian Brothers in Bernalillo to continue production of sacramental wine for all the Catholic churches in the state. Although that winery is long gone, some four dozen others are operating throughout New Mexico today, and the future could not be brighter for them as well as wine lovers.
Vineyards and wineries cluster in four parts of the state: southeast (near Ruidoso, Tularosa, Alamogordo, and Roswell), south central (near Las Cruces, Deming, Lordsburg, and Silver City), around Albuquerque, and north of Santa Fe. Most are small to medium-size operations that welcome visitors.
You can sample many New Mexico vintages, and enjoy fine wines from other areas too, in a surprising number of locales. Billy Crews’ Fine Dining and Cocktails in Santa Teresa, just outside of El Paso, boasts a cellar of 2,500 wines including Pauillacs and Pomerols and has been a Wine Spectator Grand Award Winner since 1986. Charming Café Bella Luca in Truth or Consequences is just one of our many restaurants with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. In Albuquerque, try out the Gruet Steakhouse, St. Clair Bistro, Jennifer James 101, or the Ranchers’ Club for great wine lists. In Santa Fe, The Compound, Trattoria Nostrani, 315, Rio Chama Steakhouse, Coyote Café, Santacafe, and La Boca are a handful of the dining establishments showcasing wines well. Las Cruces has another of the St. Clair Bistros. In Taos, restaurants including Joseph’s Table, Chef Damon’s, Lambert’s and Doc Martin’s strive to impress wine aficionados.
To check out wineries, including their hours and visitor policies, click on any of the winery names below. You’ll connect through www.nmwine.com, the online home of the New Mexico Wine Growers Association.
Wineries & Vineyards in New Mexico
Northern Wineries & Vineyards
Black Mesa Winery, Don Quixote Winery, Estrella Del Norte Vineyard, La Chiripada Winery, Los Luceros Winery, Madison Vineyards & Winery, Santa Fe Vineyards, Vivac Winery, Wines of the San Juan
Central Wineries & VineyardsAnasazi Fields Winery, Anderson Valley Vineyards, Bees Brothers Winery, Casa Rondeña Winery, Corrales Winery, Gruet Winery, Guadalupe Vineyards, Matheson Wine Company, Milagro Vineyards, Ponderosa Valley Vineyards & Winery, St. Clair Winery & Bistro, Albuquerque
Southern Wineries & VineyardsArena Blanca Winery, Barbershop Winery, Cottonwood Winery, Heart of the Desert Vineyard & Tasting Room, La Viña Winery, Luna Rossa Winery, Rio Grande Vineyard & Winery, St. Clair Winery, Deming, St. Clair Winery, Las Cruces, Tularosa Vineyards, Vintage Wines, Willmon Vineyards
Other Tasting Rooms
Of course, many wineries above offer their own tasting rooms and tours, but off-premises and multi-winery tasting rooms are popping up too. Watch for more in the future.
Albuquerque Area
St. Clair Bistro
910 Rio Grande NW
Albuquerque
505-243-9916
www.stclairwinery.com
Not only a tasting room but a full-scale casual restaurant with French country dishes, this attractive spot offers wines from throughout the state. Open daily.
Las Cruces
St. Clair Bistro
1800 Avenida De Mesilla
Las Cruces
575-524-2408
www.stclairwinery.com
Not only a tasting room but a full-scale casual restaurant with French country dishes, this attractive spot, like its Albuquerque sibling, offers wines from throughout the state. Open daily.
Santa Fe Area
Estrella Del Norte Vineyard Tasting Room
106 North Shining Sun
Santa Fe
505-455-2826
www.estrelladelnortevineyard.com
One of the state’s loveliest vineyard estates offers wines for tasting and sale from the other wineries of northern New Mexico too. Nestled in the Pojoaque valley 17 miles north of Santa Fe, the winery is easily accessible just off Route 84-285 on Highway 503, the famous High Road to Taos. Enjoy the wines under 200-year-old cottonwoods and stroll the European-style garden. If your time outside Santa Fe is limited, this is the one stop you should make.
Vino del Corazón Wine Room
235 Don Gaspar Ave., Ste. 6
Santa Fe
505-216-9469
In downtown Santa Fe across from the river, this comfortable wine tasting room offers wines from the owners’ new Vino del Corazon and from Anderson Valley Vineyards in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.
Other Wine Experiences
Santa Fe School of Cooking
116 ½ West San Francisco (Plaza Mercado)
Santa Fe
505-983-4511
800-982-4688
www.santafeschoolofcooking.com
Offers day trips in summer months to northern New Mexico, visiting farmers, small food processors, and stops for lunch at Estrella del Norte in the lush village of Nambe. The tasting room represents 8 northern New Mexico wineries, and a representative from one of the wineries will be on hand to talk about their wines. Another series of winemaker cooking classes is offered several times throughout the summer with wine-friendly dishes like grilled sausage and corn pizzetta, or masa harina-crusted pork chops, and honey-grilled apricots.
Wine Festivals and Events
What could be more fun that a day under New Mexico’s blue skies with a glass of wine in hand and some great music in the background? Check out these lively events, running from spring through fall, from Taos in the north to La Union on the Mexican border.
