Pleasures of the Palate A Quest for New Mexico’s Best Vintage New Mexico Want a whirl of a New Mexico vintages is 100 percent New wine tasting tour? Three different Mexico-grown in the heart of trips await the adventurous avia- the Rio Grande Valley. In the Beginning, Wine was King in the Land of Enchantment tor (with designated driver in tow) who’d like a twirl with the Southern Rove: Touch-down in local grape. historic Las Cruces (LRU) by the meandering Rio Grande; here in Northern Ramble: Six exciting the courthouse, Billy the Kid wineries around the spectacular stood trial for his crimes. Hop Sangre de Cristo Mountains bid the I-10 to Deming, where the welcome to their tasting rooms. St. Clair Winery shows-off such Wing-in to Santa Fe (SAF), rent Mimbres Valley charmers as a some wheels, pack a picnic and tasty Cabernet Sauvignon, and happy trails to you as you travel the new Luna Rossa Winery NM 502 west toward Los Alamos. offers oak-aged originals in Hwy 4 to White Rock deposits Italian, German, Rhône and you at Balagna Winery for some Spanish styles. The I-10 east, great Italian varietals and alfresco Mesilla exit, finds the Blue Teal lunch overlooking an 800-ft gorge Tasting Room, which serves-up of the Rio Grande. Hwy 84/285 16 varietal and three sparkling then will spirit you to Santa Fe wines with its panorama of the Vineyards for an Indian Market gorgeous Organ Mountains; off White unique in all of wine. Old Medilla Plaza is the Santa North along Hwy 68 near Rita/Mademoiselle Winery, Espanola is the Los Luceros where a Pecan Delight sparkling Winery; here, a straw-bale tasting wine is a unique delight. Hwy room sits splendidly in the midst 28 south is a leisurely scenic roll It is the oldest vitis vinifera growing region Nervy? Certainly. But don’t think the The ancient vitis vineferavine of the oldest viticultural area in to La Vina Winery, where you in the country. At one illustrious point in challenges of New Mexico’s climate – frost, - or mission grape - has a 400-year the U.S. (dating from 1598). In can picnic along the fabled Don its happening history, it was the fifth hail and sometime severe winter tempera- growing history in the wine region Velarde, the Black Mesa Winery Juan Oñate Trail. Next day, leave largest wine-producing area in the U.S. tures, among them – daunt the dreams of the Southwest (above); pours a serious dry red, its Black Las Cruces via the I-25 north to And more than a century before Spanish and deter the efforts of the 25 wineries the fruit as bud (below) Mesa Coyote. Next heading? NM 68 to Blush, a vintage that honors the annual Hwy 70/54 toward Alamogordo, where missionaries in California began planting here who know their state’s singular bless- NM 75 toward Dixon for La Chirpada hot-air balloon festival; Casa Rondeña, the Heart of the Desert Tasting Room the vines that would grow the grapes that ings – high desert elevations, long warm Winery’s oeuvre of cellar-quality reds and with its Bordeaux-style Cabernet Franc (and art gallery) at the Eagle Ranch would make the wine that would turn the days, cool nights – can produce wines that delightfully fruity picnic wines. Finally, to (and don’t-miss architecture); Milagro Pistachio Co. highlights a Pistachio Blush world on its ear for today’s love of a attract “much praise,” according to enjoy Madison Winery’s fine dry and Winery, with its lovingly handcrafted wine bottled in honor of the ranch’s suc- thrilling vintage – as the art and science of Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of semi-sweet wines made from French Zinfandel; and Corrales Winery, which cessful pistachio agri-business. A little wine-making so evolved – it was defying America’s Guide to Wines of the World – not hybrids in view of the lovely Pecos River, overlooks the stunning Sandia Mountains. farther along, the Arena Blanca Winery at the very King of Spain, who said no way! to mention plenty of gold medals in vari- follow NM 75 to NM 518 (to Las Vegas), Outside Alburquerque directions get McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch (also pur- to the raising of grapes in the New World. ous wine competitions. Lovers of the then I-25 south to Exit 323 (Villanueva) complex (call 1-866-4WINENM or visit veyors of pistachios) pours a noteworthy Pretty scrappy attitude there, New good thing they’ve got in three vine- and NM 3 six miles south. www.nmwine.com for a detailed map), Chardonnay. Hwy 54 north comes upon Mexico. friendly regions – the Southern Mesilla but be sure to swing by Ponderosa Valley the Tularosa Winery, where an interest- Yes, New Mexico. The year was 1629. Valley, extending northward from El Paso, Central Excursion: Alight in Albuquerque Vineyards on the slope of the Jemez ing Shiraz and other varietal wines from And not only did this then-Spanish holding TX; the Mimbres Valley, a little farther (ABQ or AEG) for a day of wining and Mountains for some award-winning vinifera grapes can be enjoyed outdoors go right ahead and plant vitis vinifera, or the west, around Deming; and the Middle Rio delighting. I-25 north to Paseo del Norte Riesling, Anasazi Fields Winery for dry beneath the lovely pecan trees, while Hwy “mission grape,” in Senecú, a Piro Indian Grande Valley, in the environs of zips you to the wonderful Brut and Blanc fruit wines whose grapevines are spring- 70 east to splendid Ruidoso offers a taste pueblo south of Socorro, but the wines dare Albuquerque – New Mexico vintners bot- de Noirs of Gruet Winery. I-25 south to I- fed by the same irrigation used by the of Willmon Vineyards’ pleasing array of made by the audacious Franciscan priest tle with all the bravura of their forbears. 40 west to Rio Grande Blvd. grants access native Anasazi more than 1,000 years New Mexico wines (plus a game of chess) and Capucín monk set a standard that con- After all, the early missionaries sur- to several fine tasting rooms: Anderson ago; and of course friendly Sisneros- at its busy wine bar in downtown’s End of tinues to this day, nearly 400 years later. vived Apache attacks on their Senecú Valley Vineyards, with its tasty Balloon Torres, where the fruit of its delicious the Vine shop. 16 Flying Adventures October/November 2004 Flying Adventures October/November 2004 17 Pleasures of the Palate PerfectPerfect Mornings—Mornings— OneOne CupCup atat aa TimeTime Your day starts in a rush. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have an outstanding cup of coffee— in your own home in just over 30 seconds. 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These Festival at Bernalillo and the Harvest Mountain Coffee Roasters® coffee Spain” in 1766 (according to a Spanish include the consortium of French, a group Festival in Las Cruces – these Southwest and teas. inspector), wines that in the 1880s were so of Swiss and the local ranchers of Hidalgo friends of the “nectar of the gods” are well- successful they totaled an annual output of and Luna counties who in the 1980s had a fulfilling the prophesy uttered in the Order online one million gallons, and wines that in the happy hunch New Mexico’s relatively low- Socorro Bullion dated 1883 (as quoted by 1980s drew enterprising souls to the chal- cost land and high desert climate would Henry K. Street in The History of Wine in www.CoffeePauseAtHome.com lenge of becoming true blue grit-bearing help them conjure up some bottled poetry, New Mexico, a pamphlet published by the New Mexico vintners…well, it’s the same Southwest style. Ponderosa Valley Winery). or call Right Stuff that’s around today. They were right. Such quality produc- Wrote the editor: “We see in the pres- And true to their roots – literally – wine- ers as Anderson Valley Vineyards, the ent attention given to grape culture, an 1-800-887-5009 makers of the “Land of Enchantment” award-winning Ponderosa Valley Winery important and growing industry which, in devote a full 90 percent of their vineyards to and, for traditional method sparkling a few years, will assume proportions of no the vinifera grapes that the King of Spain in wines, Gruet Winery, join vintners often ordinary nature.” 1595 forbade its New Spain colonists to cul- tickled to experiment (care for a glass of We’ll lift our glass to that, New Mexico, tivate (in an effort to protect the Andalusian sparkling Pecan Delight?) And aren’t they Santé! 18 Flying Adventures October/November 2004.