Taste northern New Mexico this fall.
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Oh yeah, the fall season was made for sweat-shirts, jeans and day trips. OK, for the jeans and sweatshirts you are on your own, but the day trip? We've got that covered. Take a winery tour. Napa's too far, and who needs it? Touring the wineries of northern New Mexico is a perfect way to try great wines, meet new friends and savor the beauty and distinct culture of our unique state. Leaving Santa Fe, head northeast toward Española on the Taos highway to your first stop: the tasting room of
Santa Fe Vineyards
(18348 Hwy. 84/285, Española). If the only wine you try all day is the Santa Fe Chardonnay Reserve, priced at $17, you might be satisfied that the day is a success. Yes, it's that good. They have 12 wines available, ranging from the Vina Del Sol, a light dry white priced at $8.50, to their Cabernet Sauvignon, retailing for $17. If
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dessert wines are your passion, you can choose from three, including a late harvest red, a Zinfandel port and Harvest Gold, a white dessert wine at the somewhat pricey $17.50 for a half bottle.
Continuing your drive north, past the ubiquitous casinos, KFCs and Taco Bells, the traffic begins to thin out and the peaceful, flowing river magically appears. When the beautiful Rio Grande River comes into view on the left, the tasting room of
Black Mesa Winery
(1502 Hwy. 68) will be a welcome sight on the right. The large open space and bar-like seating allows visitors to savor their wines without feeling cramped. They offer a whopping 22 wines ranging in price from $11.75 for the delicious 2005 Chardonnay to $27.50 for their exceptional Black Mesa Port. For a modest $3, you are
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provided with a tasting glass (yours to keep) and your choice of seven wines to sample. If you're going to try the Black Beauty, a sweet, chocolate-y dessert libation, save it for last, as it has a very lingering finish that will mask or at least change the taste of anything else you try.
Traveling northeast on Highway 68 to your next destination,
La Chiripada Winery and Vineyards
, you'll turn right on Hwy. 75 and travel 2.3 miles down a winding mountain road lined with apple orchards. This beautiful New Mexico winery is nestled deep in the Rio Embudo Valley. The tasting room is everything a winery tasting room should be, manned with friendly, knowledgeable personnel who will
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gladly pour you a taste of everything they have to offer. La Chiripada boasts 16 different wines, many of them national medal winners and deservedly so. Their 2005 Viognier at $18 and their 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve at $29 may be two of the best wines you'll ever taste.
Vivác Winery Tasting Room
(2075 Hwy. 68) is housed in a northern New Mexico style adobe on the corner of State Hwy. 68 and Hwy. 75. This fairly new structure with a lovely green roof is home to five different wines ranging in price from $15 to $21. Their Syrah deserves a hurrah and for $17 you'll have the perfect red to go with their boutique handmade chocolates. Their slogan, "Your high altitude refuge," gives you a good idea of what you can look forward to. If photography is your thing, you can enjoy, as well as purchase, the quirky, slightly twisted black-and-white photos taken by Liliana Padberg (who also happens to be the wife of
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part-owner Jesse Padberg). If you need a jewelry fix, you're in luck, as Vivác has an array of distinctly different jewelry pieces. Last but not least, Vivác offers the full Putamayo World Music CD catalogue for sale. What more do you need unless it's lunch? If you packed a picnic, now is a great time to stop and take in the sights and sounds of the Rio Grande, while nibbling on a bite of cheese and a hunk of crusty bread. You might even want to crack open one of the bottles of wine you're sure to have bought on this wine tasting tour.
With the late afternoon dusk just beginning to make its appearance, it's time for a leisurely drive back to Santa Fe, and there's just enough time to stop off at one last tasting room.
Los Luceros Winery
(183 County Road 0041) is not as well known as the other wineries, and you need some of the Daniel Boone pioneer spirit to find it,
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but with the help of the map provided by
, you'll have no trouble and you'll be rewarded for the effort. As he pours a taste of each bottle for
both you and himself, the owner and greeter, Bruce Noel, a retired engineer, will be only too happy to answer any and all questions relating to his wines. The six wines offered include four whites and two reds, all dry and all made from grapes grown in either Velarde or Abiquiu. Noel uses unique grape varietals such as Leon Millot to produce his wines, and these grapes give them a European quality not normally found in wine produced in New Mexico. The Hacienda Red, priced
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at $10,
a soft, medium-bodied, easy-to-drink
wine, has a surprisingly
big flavor. Be sure to stock up while you're there, as this is the only place you'll find Los Luceros wines unless you attend the Bernalillo or Las Golondrinas wine festivals.
Northern New Mexico in the fall is all about color. The leaves become more brilliant in the autumn sun, the blue sky more vivid and even the wines taste more vibrant and seductive. For a wine lover, this is a perfect day and a perfect way to stock up for the fast approaching holiday season.
Santa Fe Reporter