New Mexico Wine and Vineyard Guide

New Mexico is known for many wonderful, exciting things. Among those are the delicious, spicy cuisine and the fabulous wines that are produced in this region. Not to mention the numerous, unique food and wine festivals that are held in New Mexico every year. These festivals draw thousands of visitors and guests to this area throughout the year. Many of these people come to the area just to enjoy sampling some of the wines that are produced here. The festival they have in Bernalillo every year is the oldest wine festival in this area. New Mexico is known as a wine producing state. Every year they add thousands of bottles of Mexican wine to store shelves everywhere. These wines have very distinct characteristics that set them apart from the rest. Delicious foods and great wines are a part of life for those who live in New Mexico. And those who choose to visit this area do so for just that same reason.

In 1629 Friar Fray Gracia De Zuniga, a Capuchin monk, realized his dream of planting grapes along the shores of the Rio Grande. After that, New Mexico declared themselves the first grape growing state in America. In 1980, nearly 3,000 acres of New Mexico territory was covered with vines of the grapes that were soon to become some of Mexico's top wines. Gruet wineries, which are located in Albuquerque N.M. has been making wines for many years. Including the well known Gruet Brut Rose, which is a very popular rose wine that has a full bodied, sparkling taste. Gruet Blanc De Noirs has a rich and toasty character. It is balanced and aged to perfection for a minimum of 2 years. This is a fine wine produced by Gruet wineries that has lots of immediate charm and toasty aromas which appeal to the senses of many, which is why this wine is so popular. The Grand Rose is a pink sparkling wine with a delicate floral aroma and lots of cherry and apple notes in the taste. This wine was produced in limited qualities of only 280 cases. Most of the local wineries in New Mexico are small, independently owned farms or operations that will be happy to give you a guided tour and allow you to sample their rare and delicious wines. Some of the main wineries in Northern New Mexico include, Black Mesa winery, Estrella Del Norte vineyards, and the Don Quixote winery. The Quixote winery was established in 2005 and specializes in premium grape and other fruit based wines. They also create port and table style wines, which are significantly less expensive than their original wine creations. The sun drenched plains of New Mexico are just perfect for producing some of the best wines in the region. The grapes to make some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Zinfandels are grown right here in the soils of New Mexico.

New Mexico has 26 wineries which produce vintage wines. They also have 12 tasting rooms where tourists and residents can sample the wine before purchasing. New Mexico produces almost 350,000 gallons of wine per year. Black Mesa winery in Velarde N.M. produces a variety of wines at their winery, including Chardonnays, Rieslings and Cabernet Sauvignons. Casa Rondena produces many bottles of handcrafted, award winning wines at their winery, including cabernet franc and chardonnay. The motto at Casa Rondena is 'handcrafted from the vine to wine'. Milagros vineyards produces some of the best wines that are sold at many of the finer restaurants and pubs throughout Mexico City. To get more information on local wineries in Mexico and New Mexico visit www.milagrovevineyardsandwinery.com and www.newmexico.org/enjoy/