Although not as famous of a wine-making region as northern California, the Willamette Valley, the Columbia Valley, or British Columbia’s Okanagan, New Mexico actually has a rich wine history that continues to today.
The first recorded site of a vineyard is a Native pueblo south of Albuquerque planted in 1629, and, by 1880, New Mexico had over 3,000 acres of vineyards.
Even up in the northern parts of the state by Farmington, we have great opportunities for wine enthusiasts.
Just like with other parts of the world that are known for their wines, it all comes down to the climate and environment. In that respect, New Mexico has ideal growing conditions. We have warm summers with high daytime temperatures and cool nights, low humidity and rainfall plus well-draining soil, mountainous terrain with winds that help circulate air flow, and a high elevation that benefits grapes by causing them to grow thicker skin in response to the altitude, which in turn are a source of much of the aroma and complexity.
For some, visiting a winery is just about sitting back and sipping wine, but for others you might be more interested in more in-depth aspects of the process. Consider then if they have vineyards, production facility, tasting room, retail sales, and some will even have a wine lab or offer tours. Other wineries will emphasize sustainability practices.
Some of the most enjoyable wineries will offer — besides of course great wines! — beautiful vineyards with scenic views, fantastic food pairings, welcoming tasting rooms, and especially knowledgeable staff to help guide your selection and educate you on different wines’ tasting notes and how they’ll align with your own preferences.
So, without further ado, here are some of our favorite wineries in New Mexico:
Wines of the San Juan
Wines of the San Juan is just nearby Farmington in our San Juan River Valley. Not only have they won numerous awards, but Wines of the San Juan hosts events during the summer, all with a beautiful backdrop.
Founders David Arnold and Marcia Harris met at a roller skating rink over 60 years ago, got married four years later, and then, after decades of smoke jumping and farming, started their winemaking journey in 1999 when they bought the plot of land that would become Wines of the San Juan just east of Farmington.
Today, their merlot and cabernet sauvignon are internationally awarded. Among their diverse roster or wines, you’ll also find a couple different rosé options. This includes their dry Refosco Rosé that was developed in partnership with New Mexico State University which aims to better understand which grape cultivars especially thrive in New Mexico’s climate. It turns out the refosco grape is one of those. A percentage of sales of this wine go back to NMSU’s Farmington Agricultural Science Center to help fund further viticulture and environmental research.
Not only are they paving the way for greater understanding of winemaking, agriculture, and the environment, but Wines of the San Juan’s laid-back winery showcases renowned wines surrounded by the nature of the San Juan River Valley; you’ll find the sway of cottonwood trees and the calls of red-winged blackbirds and peacocks alongside the stunning sandstone cliffs of the river.
Unique to Wines of the San Juan is that they also have camping on-site! This includes five spots for RVs for only $35 including water and electric hookups (or $20 for dry camping). Sounds like a close-to-perfect way to spend a weekend.
D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro
Known as St. Clair Winery & Bistro in a past life, D.H. Lescombes has been serving up New Mexico wine and food pairings since 1984. These guys have a few different locations, depending on what you’re looking for.
There are four winery-bistro locations — two in Albuquerque, one in Las Cruces, and one in Alamogordo — a tasting room in Deming, and their Hervé Wine Bar location in Santa Fe.
D.H. Lescombes came about after the Lescombes family emigrated to the US from Burgundy in 1981, so their bistros pair New Mexico wines with delectable French country dishes — they’re actually one of only a few wineries in the US to have a food-grade certification. Beyond that, they produce over 40 wines under multiple labels including St. Clair and Soleil Mimosa.
Black Mesa Winery & Cidery
Located in Velarde, New Mexico, about halfway between Santa Fe and Taos, Black Mesa Winery not only produces a range of wines and ciders, but also offers visitors the chance to witness and learn more about the winemaking process.
On a visit to Black Mesa, you can explore the wine production process, including sorting, fermenting, and hand-punching, then sit back and enjoy a glass surrounded by peaceful scenery. Along with wine tastings, they also offer cider flights.
Black Mesa is an especially great place to visit if you’re road-tripping through the area — part of the location includes a space for RVs to camp, so you can taste wine and then retire for the night mere steps away.
They’re also animal and nature lovers: If you ask them, they’d say Sola the cat — who you may spot wandering the tasting area and vineyard — is their real CEO, or at least their official greeter of guests. Of their profits, 2% go to the Espanola Humane Society, and their dedication to environmentally-friendly practices includes, among other things, new solar panels that have saved over 55 tons of carbon emissions since 2023.
Gruet Winery
If you’re in Albuquerque and enjoy wine, you’ll likely find yourself at Gruet Winery. This winery on the north side of town also has a tasting room in the heart of Santa Fe, and was started by Gilbert Gruet, who first cultivated vineyards in France on his father’s old land before taking his expertise to New Mexico.
Gruet is especially known for its sparkling wines, which are crafted in the traditional way of méthode champenoise. (Or, technically, “méthode traditionnelle,” as officially methode champenoise can only come from — you guessed it — the Champagne region of France.) This technique is more time- and labor-intensive, requiring a second, in-bottle fermentation that produces the carbon dioxide which in-turn creates those perfect little bubbles.
At the Gruet tasting room, you’ll find a wide array of sparkling wines. Even better, a caviar pairing option awaits you there, with golden osetra, classic osetra, and smoked trout roe.
For those who are especially interested in the méthode champenoise, you can also schedule a winery tour to learn about the process firsthand.
Vivac Winery
Just a couple miles up the road from Black Mesa, Vivac Winery is in Dixon in the northern part of the state.
Unlike the sparkling wines of Gruet, here they focus on Bordeaux-style blends. And to pair with your wine, Vivac also has a menu of homemade pasta and other delicious dishes as well as picnic snacks and chocolates.
This winery doesn’t just have their delightfully-paired wines and food though — you’ll find panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. And at 6,000 feet — one of the highest-elevation wineries in the world — this landscape is like no other.
Vivac also hosts many events ranging from live music and happy hours (and live music happy hours) to karaoke to grape-picking parties ending with a full guest chef-prepared feast.
La Chiripada Winery
Only a five minute drive from Vivac Winery, La Chiripada roughly translates to “a stroke of luck” and is New Mexico’s oldest winery, having opened in 1977 and harvesting their first vintage four years later.
They have a variety of reds, whites, and even dessert wines. Particularly, this winery is known for their Millot and Vidal blanc, which in turn are key parts of their signature blends, Rio Embudo Red and Winemakers’ Select White.
Not only does Chiripada have over 45 years of history in perfecting their wines, but they also offer overnight rafting and wine tasting excursions on the Chama River!
Noisy Water Winery
In Ruidoso in south central New Mexico you’ll find Noisy Water Winery, about three-and-a-half hours south of Albuquerque.
Their wines are crafted from a variety of New Mexico-grown grapes — the diverse flavor profiles they offer include not just different reds and whites and rosés, dryer wines and sweeter wines; they also have sparkling and even port-style wines. But Noisy Water’s true New Mexico-inspired creativity comes in their chile wines!
They also host events throughout the week, including a wine and book club, sip and paint, trivia, Sunday market, and seasonal events. You can also book a private tasting tour through Noisy Water’s production facility in Alto, 15 minutes away.
Tularosa Vineyards
Last but not least on our list is Tularosa Vineyards, about 40 minutes southwest of Noisy Water Winery.
Tularosa uses locally-grown grapes with a particular emphasis on internationally-awarded regional heritage wines. You’ll also find a selection of fortified port-styles for those who like dessert wines.
Depending on the time of year, you might find certain events like music festivals, the cherry festival, and different holiday celebrations. And, if you’re road-tripping through, you can reserve an RV spot to spend the night on-site.
Whether close by to us in Farmington or in the cities by Santa Fe and Albuquerque, up in the highlands by Taos or down in the south of New Mexico, there are wonderful wineries throughout the state.
Not only are there lots of great wineries, but you’ll find different specialties at each ranging from dry whites to sweet ice wines to complex reds. Wherever you find yourself across New Mexico, you’ll find fantastic wines in gorgeous natural scenery that makes the experience all the more memorable.
With Wines of the San Juans in Farmington and so many incredible vineyards within a day’s journey, Farmington makes the perfect starting point for your wine tour of New Mexico. You can start with award-winning wines from Wines of the San Juans, then explore the diverse wineries scattered across the state, from high altitude vineyards near Taos to sparkling cellars in Albuquerque. Farmington is the ideal home base, with plenty of restaurants, and great places to stay.