August in New Mexico means Santa Fe Indian Market. But be sure to check out the many enchantments beyond the booths.
The words New Mexico inspire visions of rugged mountains, remote desert landscapes, Hatch chile-powered cuisine, Pueblo culture, and a vibrant arts scene. Here’s how to explore the Land of Enchantment in bottles, in person, and in books.
Cheers!
When people think American wine, most think California. But wine culture in America was born in New Mexico. Spaniards arrived in the late 1500s. As a matter of faith (Catholics use wine as part of their Communion ritual) and taste (wine is embedded in Spanish culture), Fray Garcia de Zuniga and Antonio de Arteaga eventually planted Spanish grapes in New Mexican soil in 1629.
Today, there are three official American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in New Mexico: the Mimbres Valley, the Mesilla Valley, and the Middle Rio Grande Valley. There are more than 50 wineries to choose from. Here are three that embody the state’s history and future in winemaking.
Gruet Winery: French-born founder Gilbert Gruet brought his Old World vision for sparkling wine to New Mexico in 1983. Gruet sources grapes from California and New Mexico, and winemaker Cyril Tanazacq says he loves the “complexity and richness” that grapes grown in the Mimbres Valley and Middle Rio Grande Valley bring to his cuvées. In 2014, Gruet partnered with the Pueblo of Santa Ana, Tanazacq says, “galvanizing the tribe’s first foray into growing vitis vinifera.” The fruit of their partnership can be tasted in the 2021 Pinot Meunier Rosé. Versatile, bright, mineral-driven, and vivacious, it is, in a word, delicious. gruetwinery.com.
Vivác Winery: Founded 25 years ago, Vivác works exclusively with New Mexico grapes to “show what New Mexico terroir is about,” says the winery’s co-owner, Michele Padberg. “Our grapes are grown at 6,000-feet altitude, one of the highest vineyards in the world.” Taste that heroic viticulture in the Abbott Merlot, with dark red berry notes, white flowers, a hint of spice, and velvety tannins. vivacwinery.com.
La Chiripada Winery: New Mexico’s oldest winery, La Chiripada sources most of its grapes from the Mimbres Valley, due to its “sandy, loamy soil, hot days, and cool nights,” winemaker Katie Hagan says. Try the Rio Embudo Red, a blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz and hybrid grapes Leon Millot and De Chaunac. Bright red berries, juicy mouthfeel, velvety texture. lachiripada.com.
A Bite to Eat
New Mexico’s food culture redefines the concept of the melting pot, with healthy servings of cultural and agricultural influences from Hispanic, Pueblo, and Anglo culture. The Pueblo staples of beans, corn, and squash feature heavily in menus across the state, in addition to the omnipresent red and green chiles. Classic dishes include Pueblo blue corn porridge, Spanish empanadas, Mexican carne asada, and yes, Frito pie. For a gourmet taste of high and low New Mexican classics, look no further than Santa Fe’s Michelin-starred Geronimo. Visitors will walk into an elegant and spare, but rugged space with thick adobe walls, kiva-accented fireplaces, and dishes like New Mexico four corners grilled rack of lamb with corn polenta, fiery sweet chile and honey-grilled Mexican white prawns. geronimorestaurant.com.
A front view of the famous Geronimo restaurant in New Mexico
A Wonderful Room
New Mexico’s capital city, Santa Fe, has consistently been voted one of the world’s top destinations for its rich multicultural history, renowned Pueblo-style architecture, thrilling culinary scene, relaxing spas, and art and other cultural offerings. Perched at 7,200 feet on the southernmost tip of the Rocky Mountains and encircled by 1.5 million acres of pristine natural forest, it’s a city that offers plenty of attractions for nature enthusiasts.
Get the most of Santa Fe’s town-and-country vibe at Bishop’s Lodge, a restful retreat on 317 acres bordering the Santa Fe National Forest. Just minutes from downtown, the newly redone resort features organic adobe architecture, horse stables and riding, roping lessons, cowboy excursions, a pool, onsite fly-fishing, healing arts experiences, and multiple dining options.
“Our signature restaurant, SkyFire, showcases our sense of hospitality and fun,” says general manager Angelica Palladino. “The element of fire is incorporated throughout the restaurant, from the bright and vibrant fare to the ‘Chili Host’ that greets guests and presents every table with a basket of peppers and chile oil pairings. Our menu changes seasonally, but we love to feature New Mexico’s famed Hatch chiles, and signature dishes include a tortilla soup poured tableside and bison tenderloin.” aubergeresorts.com/bishopslodge.
— Kathleen Willcox
Interior and exterior views of Santa Fe's Bishop's Lodge
Dream Reads
Set the stage for your New Mexican adventure — or just travel through the page — with these incredible books.
Death Comes for the Archbishop: This 1927 classic by Willa Cather is based on the true story about a Catholic bishop and priest struggling to establish a diocese in New Mexico at the tail end of the Mexican American War. Come for the history, stay for descriptions of sunsets that send “a copper glow over pine-covered mountains” and men crossing desolate desert landscapes on horseback.
New Mexico: A History of Four Centuries: This academic, but highly readable, history by Warren A. Beck was first published in 1962 and tells the story of Native American, Spanish, and Anglo-American cultures clashing, cooperating, and blending.
Here, Now and Always: Voices of the First Peoples of the Southwest: This new second edition, edited by Maxine E. McBrinn, with a foreword by Rina Swentzell, coincides with Santa Fe’s Museum of Indian Arts & Culture’s newly renovated permanent exhibition of the eponymous book title. The revised and expanded edition draws from the museum’s vast collections of art, pottery, basketry, textiles, and ancestral items combined with narratives related to themes of origin, place, and self-determination by Native scholars, curators, artists, and writers representing Native perspectives and voices across generations.
— K.W.
Image courtesy of Santa Fe Indian Market
Read the rest of this article in our August/September 2023 issue, available on newsstands and through our C&I Shop.
