Northern New Mexico is the oldest wine region in the Americas, and that is not marketing hyperbole. Spanish missionaries planted grapevines along the Rio Grande in the 1620s and 1630s, over a century before Junipero Serra carried cuttings to California. The region's winemaking tradition, interrupted by Prohibition and then largely forgotten, is now experiencing a thoughtful revival.
The modern northern New Mexico wine scene is centered on the corridor between Santa Fe and Taos, with vineyards planted in the high-desert valleys of the Rio Grande and its tributaries. At 5,500 to 7,000 feet of elevation, these are among the highest vineyards in North America. The combination of intense sunlight, cool nights, and low humidity produces grapes with remarkable color, flavor concentration, and natural acidity.
Wine tasting in northern New Mexico means immersion in one of America's most culturally rich landscapes. You might taste a Gruner Veltliner in a converted adobe hacienda, drive past Georgia O'Keeffe's Ghost Ranch to your next winery, or pair a local Tempranillo with chile-roasted lamb at a Santa Fe restaurant. The wine is increasingly excellent. The context is extraordinary.
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