Home is a Funny Thing…
A year ago, when I started this wine writing adventure I gave myself what I thought was a modest goal; one blog a month. I headed into August 2021 with big ideas. I was going on vacation to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the first time since Christmas, 2018. My visits home are usually around Christmas time and short, so this summer excursion was planned for a whole week to allow for enough time to see friends, family, and really check out what the New Mexico wine scene was offering these days. The plan was to write my August blog all about my findings, and to finally show a little bit of home in relation to one of my passions, wine. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans…
The trip was impacted heavily by flight delays caused by the first real surge in travel since the beginning of the pandemic and flight crew shortages. I was robbed of 2 days of my trip (spent at an overpriced hotel in the middle of nothing Aurora CO) and my whole timeline was compacted. Time with friends and family rushed, and the stress from the whole flight ordeal left me tired and crabby for the remainder of the time I had.
I did try and make the best of it. I was able to visit quite a few wineries and wine bars. I took lots of notes. Then, when I got back to Portland and tried to write about it, I froze. Writers block? Maybe. Was I still mad about what happened? Yes. When you are a planaholic/Type A and things go off the rails, it can be hard to settle into the unexpected. As much as I try to be like water off a duck’s back, I still tend to break down when things don’t go as planned, or want to run away from things I don’t fully understand or succeed at right away, like math or group exercise where your physical and strength shortcomings in relation to other people are on full display (literally the wall is a mirror). So when my trip to New Mexico wasn’t all I had hoped for, I stewed and stewed and stewed. I actually did start several drafts mulling over New Mexico wine history and how it is often overlooked as a wine region. I mean, it is not even mentioned in The Oxford Companion to Wine AT ALL. But nothing felt right. I was still raw from the experience, and I told myself I wasn’t in a good headspace to write about it. And I guess today is finally the day that I’m ready to write about my New Mexico wine feelings, almost one year later.
I left Albuquerque when I was 21 (circa 2004), and came to Portland, Oregon, to finish up a mostly unsuccessful college experience. There was still a lot of hiccups once I got here but I did eventually finish. Portland had variety, like 30 types of beer that were not Keystone Light. Plus cool bars and restaurants that were not in strip malls, a favorite fixture of the four corner states. My eyes were opened. So when I did come back home for the holidays it was often disappointing to see that the city was still a bit behind the times, at least in relation to the booming food and wine scenes of other places, like my new home town of Portland. Some will say that is comparing apples to oranges because at that time, Portland was at the forefront of the craft brewery scene and had long been a staple in the wine industry, though with not as much clout and media exposure as California. How could ABQ, the largest city in the 36th most populated state still be so behind? As much as I want to pour over data, comparing growth over fiscal quarters on some fancy flow chart or whatever, I wont, as this is a subjective piece. I spent 21 years in ABQ. I have now spent almost 18 years in Portland, and I assure you, I witnessed the differences first hand over a long period of time.
It sounds like I am shitting on my hometown, right? That is what I was afraid of, and that is why I procrastinated the writing of this blog almost a year because while I wish it could be something more, I still love what it is in this moment in time. The desert offers a different kind of beauty. The weather is pretty great, and the food is outstanding, and by that I mean the Hatch Green Chile and Dion’s Ranch Dressing. There are plenty of offerings for outdoor enthusiasts. There are important Native American heritage sites and cultural festivals. After a lifelong career as a nurse, my Grandma Joan, graduated from Santa Fe Community College in her late 60s with an associate degree in Southwest Studies because she wanted to know and understand the history of the land she loved. There are really exciting things happening in wine but there are also some remaining stale relics that frankly, are only catering to one age group (*cough BOOMERS *cough). Before I get into the specifics, and because I don’t feel like dabbling in plagiarism, here is a quick history on New Mexico wine from the tourism website: https://www.newmexico.org/blog/post/a-journey-through-the-ages-the-fascinating-history-of-wine-in-new-mexico/ . There are over 40 wineries in the state, and while I have been to a few outside of ABQ, the following will just focus on what is available in ABQ and where I went on my past trip.
Recommended
Sheehan Winery
https://sheehanwinery.com
Sean Sheehan is just the infusion of life the New Mexico wine scene needed. With experience in both restaurants and other established wineries in the state, he acquired vineyards in areas of the ABQ metro area such as Corrales, Bosque Farms, and the South Valley. The former two already being established vineyard sites before Sheehan acquired them. Sheehan also sources grapes from other small growers throughout the state. The wines are made exclusively from New Mexico-grown grapes which is quite exciting. When I visited, it was at their old location in the South Valley. Since then, they have opened a tasting room in Old Town, which in addition to wine tasting, also hosts events incorporating local artists. Laurie, who is the main artery to the heart of Sheehan, gave my Mom and I, a fun and informative tasting experience which I will try to give justice to from my one-year old notes. I was surprised at the varietal diversity, and once I saw just how many varietals Sheehan was making wine from, Ill admit I was a bit, apprehensive. After all, as many have experienced first hand, quantity doesn’t always mean quality. I’m happy to say, I was very wrong. Below are my tasting notes with favorites denoted with an asterisk * and my absolute favorites bolded.
Grüner Veltliner (2020) - Citrus Pith, Gooseberry, Fresh Herbs, Bitter Almond
Chardonnay (2019) - Almond Croissant, Yellow Apple, Lemon Curd, Flint
*Pinot Gris (2019) Clementine, Orange Blossom, White Peach, Honeydew Rind (classic profile, well executed)
*Vidal Blanc (2019) Papaya, Banana, Fresh Cut Grass, Straw (tropical yet fresh and bright, surprising for a native North American varietal)
*Cinsault Rosé (2019) Strawberry, Jasmine Basil, White Raspberry (reminiscent of a classic Provence style Rosé with an added herbal quality)
*Mourvèdre (2018) Candied Orange, Black Cherry, Black Peppercorn, Anise, Deer Jerky ( nice diversity of flavors while retaining the varietals classic “meaty” flavors)
Cab Franc (2016) Strawberry, Cranberry Sauce, Vanilla Bean, Tobacco Leaf
*Cab Franc (2018) Rhubarb, Red Cherry, Cinnamon, Clove, Paprika
Merlot- El Lagado Vineyard (2018) Plum, Hoisin, Cedar Box, Blackberry, Vanilla
Merlot - Lobo Vineyard (2018) Red Fruit Leather, Cocoa Powder, Fig Compote
Syrah (2018) Fresh Blueberry, Blackberry, Graphite, Hickory Wood
Cabernet Sauvignon (2018) Blackberry, Chocolate, Grilled Plum, Tarragon
Malvasia - Poached Pear, Honeysuckle, Candied Pecans, Challah Bread
Vara Winery & Distillery
https://varawines.com
I like that Vara has a clear vision and direction, even if not all their grapes are from New Mexico. I still never found out how they are sourcing grapes from Spain (which elicits all sorts of quality control questions from my fresh WSET 3 brain) or where else in the US they are sourcing grapes from, but my money is on California. Vara offers distinctly Spanish wine offerings, including Cava, Albariño, Garnacha, Tempranillo, and Cariñena. The outdoor area is spacious with some views of the North Valley and the indoor space (at least when I was there) still had some of that fresh funky “still figuring out the configuration of this place” vibe that is endearing without seeming cluttered. When I was there, there was a closed food cart but they seem to have expanded their menu/kitchen. Here are a few tasting notes from my mostly white/sparkling flight:
Silverhead Brut Cava - Toasted Sourdough Bread, Green Apple Skin, Green Table Grapes, Kaffir Lime Leaves
Viura - Key Lime, Honeydew, Lemongrass, Brazil Nut
Garnacha Rosado - White Raspberry, Strawberry, Raw Parsnip, Meyer Lemon
Proceed With Caution
D.H. Lescombes
https://lescombeswinery.com/
The Lescombes Winery has been a pretty major player in the NM wine scene since the 1980s. They are the Jackson family Estates of NM. They “produce over 40 different wines under many labels, including Blue Teal, D.H. Lescombes, Soleil Mimosa, and St. Clair.” Basically anytime you see a winery flaunting “family” in their branding more than Vin Diesel in a Fast and Furious movie, that is a red flag for a big player in the wine game that owns multiple labels/brands/wineries and vineyards.
Quick tangent about this…For some reason it sounds like people in NM are a big fan of the Ménage à Trois wine because I guess “sex” and also because your local Kroger Wine Steward was told to put that baby right at your eye level and price point, but one trip to the website will tell you that there is big money behind this brand. The video that assaults your eyeballs right away is of a psychedelic music video quality and if you really do your research you will see they are owned by Trinchero Family Estates, who own 55 plus wineries/brands: https://www.tfewines.com/our-brands/ . These huge “Family” Estates exercise a lot of control over their brands, including ensuring vintage consistency which is usually achieved through additives such as Mega Purple, Oak Staves, Oak Chips, Chaptalization etc. I can’t say for sure that every brand they own does this because they have to appeal to lots of markets but you bet they are guiding you to the $7 to $13 price point and calibrating your palate to all the other wineries they own.
ANYWAY back to my experience at the D.H. Lescombes tasting room is Old Town. JFC, this place needs an update. Lattice. Bad hand painted grape motifs. Weird Prime Rib Mafia New Jersey 1991 vibes. I don’t know but I guess I also get it, people must go there for the old money vibe, perhaps worried about what the new thing up the street is going to turn into. The fact is, the only highlight of this location was the patio which was sparsely decorated and tastefully New Mexican. But the crowd was very “ladies who lunch” or old couples who must have run out of things to talk to each other about. The inside felt like I was supposed to be wearing formal wear at Noon on a Thursday. I liked that they had a few different flight options and that they do get all their grapes Deming, New Mexico, but otherwise the tasting was not good. The service was excellent though.
Semillon - Bitter Arugula, Green Apple Skin, Lemon (so, so bitter, acid out of balance, not characteristic of the varietal)
Pinot Gris - White Peach, Pink Grapefruit, Jasmine, Tangerine (the most acceptable of the tasting)
Chenin Blanc - Bruised Yellow Apple, Kiwi, Lemon Zest (hot alcohol yet strangely thin)
Chardonnay - Hot Apple Juice Vanilla Oak Bomb (Ewwww)
Casa Rondena
https://www.casarondena.com/
Look, there is no doubting Case Rondena’s curb appeal. It looks like a classic French Chateau nestled in the North Valley of ABQ. It is a great event space. I’ve been here a few times. In the past the Cab Franc was peppery and busting with red fruit, the tasting room associates were helpful and willing to chat wine with you. This time around was a different story. I guess they were busy trying to coordinate a shoot for the new MacGruber series and the experience felt more commercial and less personal, and the quality of the wine had decreased not to mention that the font on their website is ATROCIOUS. It is the equivalent of trying to sit through an extended strobe light scene is a movie or just the end of Twin Peaks. It is worse than comic sans, it is drunk cursive, if the word “cringe” had a font, it would be this font.
For the Rosé of Merlot I wrote down “astringent cherry flavored water” and for the Viognier “hot pineapple/apple juice”. Also something that still kind of perplexes me, is that that make a wine called “La Copine” which is blend of Viognier and Merlot that just tastes like stale cranberry juice. Like why take two grapes with low acid and smash them together? Viognier does occasionally get co-fermented with Syrah in certain parts of the Northern Rhone is France to help stabilize color extraction. Syrah can also have quite high tannins and Viognier helps balance those out but I’m still baffled by the Merlot/Viognier combo. The acid was incredibly lacking and I struggled to pull out more aromas and flavors other than cranberry and red apple. I hope that Casa Rondena finds their footing again as a winery, otherwise I am sure they will continue to succeed as a dope place to have your wedding, or film your series based off a movie based off a sketch.
Other options to explore inthe ABQ Metro:
https://www.gruetwinery.com
https://corraleswinery.com
