There is a noteworthy wine country in the state of NM, and we can thank the Church for its mission of making wine almost 400 years ago. Apparently, part of Don Juan de Onate’s crew included Franciscan monks who needed wine for mass. After 30 years of obeying Spanish law that prohibited wine production in the New World, the first vines were planted in NM in 1629.
Black Mesa Winery
Black Mesa winery is about a 45 minute drive north of Santa Fe. On the way to Taos,it only makes sense to stop by the salmon-colored adobe tasting room. The hanging chiles told me that I was in New Mexico. The Coyote (blend of Cab, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel) said, “You could be in Napa Valley.” Did I walk away with a bottle or two? Well! It just so happens that the beau is a wine club member. We tasted for free. He bought a case- so I guess you can say that we walked away with a number of wines. Besides the Coyote, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Velarde Syrah were hits. The winery is known for the Black Beauty (a dessert wine that is chocolatey goodness), so we picked up a bottle and a half of that. Finishing the case- a bottle each of the Black Mesa rose and Zinfandel Reserve.
Two miles up is Vivac, where the tasting room also serves as a pseudo art gallery housing local jewelry makers, painters, and chocolate makers. The woman conducting our wine tasting was born in NM, raised in TX, then moved back. (I always enjoy talking to those people. They obviously love what they do.) Two young guys are responsible for Vivac. The deal is: Free tasting with a purchase…easy with a bottle of Sangiovese. I enjoyed the ‘04 Cab, but since we had just picked up 3 bottles of the other Cabernet, it was a chance to try something different.
My kind of souvenirs!
Most of the wine country is actually in and around Albuquerque (south of us, while we were heading north). The two wineries represented well and add to the reasons to return.
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