While California is more famous for wine production, it’s an upstart compared to New Mexico, where Spanish missionaries first planted vines of wine grapes along the banks of the Rio Grande back in 1626. That’s about 150 years earlier than the first California vines were believed to have been planted at Mission San Diego.
New Mexico’s modern wine industry consists of 26 wineries, nearly all of them small, family-owned operations, producing about 350,000 gallons of wine a year. Thanks to its sandy clay soil and high-desert climate of sunny days and cool nights, the state has produced award-winning wines that include cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, merlot, zinfandel, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and riesling.
“A long growing season and other conditions in New Mexico produce wines that are dry and crisp, including the sparkling wines from Gruet Winery,” says Mark Ching, executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort near Santa Fe. “As a result, they’re great to pair with food. The wines seem to naturally go with New Mexico cuisine, probably because they came out of the same soil.”
Several New Mexico wineries offer not only tasting rooms, but bucolic sites for special events.
“There are plenty of wineries to choose from that are near Santa Fe and Albuquerque,” says Arlene Schiffer, president of Passport New Mexico, a Santa Fe-based DMC. “For instance, we love Anderson Valley Vineyards for their vineyard setting and Casa Rondena for its event space.”
Anderson Valley Vineyards
Founded in 1973 by Maxie and Patty Anderson, this winery in the northern Rio Grande Valley has won repeated awards for its chardonnay. The winery, which hosts a gala event during the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in which a Balloon Blush wine is released, offers regular tours and tastings and is available for private parties.
Casa Rondena
Located in north Albuquerque’s Rio Grand Valley, Casa Rondena won a gold medal for its 2005 Meritage Red at last year’s Taste of Taos Southwest Wine Competition. The winery offers an Andalusian-style Great Hall for indoor events, which features a cathedral ceiling, antique oak fermentation tables and carved sandstone shaded windows. There is also the Vineyard Garden, replete with bubbling fountains, rose bushes, a pond, a vine-shaded arbor, and mountain views.
Gruet Winery
Albuquerque’s Gruet Winery is primarily known for its sparkling wines, producing seven different award-winning varieties according to traditional methods from the Champagne region of France. The winery, which also produces chardonnay and pinot noir wines, can accommodate large groups for tours and offers a tasting room. In addition, the winery’s Gruet Steakhouse, located in a historic fire station in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill neighborhood, offers an extensive wine list, including many of its own selections.
Ponderosa Valley Vineyard
Located 32 miles northwest of Albuquerque on the slopes of the Jemez Mountains, Ponderosa maintains the state’s largest riesling vineyards, producing three riesling varieties each year as well as an award-winning pinot noir. The winery offers tours as well as a tasting room and picnic area.
St. Clair Vineyard
While its vineyards and winery are located in the Mimbres Valley near the Mexican border, St. Clair offers the St. Clair Bistro restaurant and tasting room, with locations in Old Town Albuquerque and downtown Las Cruces. Groups can enjoy wine tastings, dinners and private parties. The bistros offer live jazz on weekends and French country dishes accompanied by St. Clair wines.
For More Info
Anderson Valley Vineyards 505.344.7266 www.nmwine.com
Casa Rondena 505.977.2008 www.casarondena.com
Gruet Winery 505.821.0055 www.gruetwinery.com
Ponderosa Valley Vineyard 575.834.7487 www.ponderosawinery.com
St. Clair Vineyard 505.243.9916 www.stclairvineyards.com
