Arizona, New Mexico & the Grand Canyon Trips (Lonely Planet, 1st Edition) - Aaron Anderson [159]
Eske’s Brew Pub & Eatery
Check out this crowded hang-out with 25 microbrews on and good food. 505-758-1517; 106 Des Georges Lane; pub grub $6-10; 4-10pm Mon-Thu, 11am-10pm Fri-Sun
Questa Café
The best place in Questa for hearty New Mexican fare. 575-586-9631; 2422 NM 522; mains $4-10; 6am-10pm Mon-Sat, 6am-3pm Sun
SLEEP
Greater World Earthship Development
Rent an Earthship for a boutique-chic, solar-powered experience. Look for the office 1.5 miles west of the Rio Grande Bridge on Hwy 64. 505-751-0462; www.earthship.org; US Hwy 64, Taos; r $125-175
Kachina Motel
Pretty basic, but cute, clean and right on the water. 575-586-0640; 2306 NM 522, Questa; r $80
USEFUL WEBSITES
www.nmparks.com
www.sdcmountainworks.com/water/whitewater.php
LINK YOUR TRIP www.lonelyplanet.com/trip-planner
3 Rafting the Colorado
47 Take the High Road…and the Low Road
48 In the Footsteps of DH Lawrence
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Return to beginning of chapter
New Mexico’s Wine Countries
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WHY GO Small boutique wineries hidden in the Rio Grande bosque and dotting the piñon-studded hillsides of central and northern New Mexico, boast award-winning wines, many crisp, fruity and the perfect accompaniment to the state’s chile-infused cuisine. Pick your designated driver and hit the road!
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TIME
3 days
DISTANCE
230 miles
BEST TIME TO GO
May – Nov
START
Albuquerque, NM
END
Santa Fe, NM
ALSO GOOD FOR
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The oldest winemaking region in the country, the first vineyards in New Mexico were planted by a Franciscan monk and a Capuchin monk in 1629 at the San Antonio de Padua Mission at Senecu, on the east bank of the Rio Grande, just north of present-day San Antonio. Grown from a cutting called vitis vinifera, or “mission grapes,” the grapes at Senecu provided sacramental wine to missionaries throughout the state. In 1880, during its peak wine production, more than 3150 acres of grape vines in New Mexico and the territory produced more than a million gallons annually. By the 1920s, Rio Grande flooding, a particularly harsh climate and Prohibition killed the industry in the state, and it wasn’t until 1978 that the winemaking returned to New Mexico.
Today, wineries in New Mexico are small mom-and-pop affairs, and though some have national reputations, most sell their wines only to local markets, or from their wineries alone. Begin a wine-tasting trip through New Mexico with wineries hidden in the outskirts of Albuquerque, a city that despite its western sprawl and choking traffic boasts several well-preserved pockets of farmland along the Rio Grande. Settle into a handsome Southwestern room at Los Poblanos Historic Inn, a former ranch surrounded by lavender fields in the summer and pumpkin patches in the fall. A big lawn, shaded by cottonwoods, sits next to a tiled pool (the oldest in Albuquerque), perfect for whiling away an afternoon with a bottle of wine and a book. Walking trails meander through the inn’s gardens and organic farm, along the centuries-old acequia (irrigation ditch) and past the chickens and goats. Breakfast includes fruit and veggies grown on-site, and the inn is 100% committed to an environmentally friendly agenda.
Across the street from Los Poblanos is Anderson Valley Vineyards, a tiny winery at the end of a dirt road. Its Red Chile Cabernet, a simple cab infused with red-chile powder, changes subtly but distinctly when eaten with a chocolate kiss. Only in New Mexico! From here, head down the road to the stately Casa Rondena, the most elegant of New Mexico’s wineries. The high-ceilinged tasting room is housed in one of several Mediterranean-style buildings that cluster together among the arbors, and there are several tables outside by the pond where you can sit with your glass of wine.
Situated north on Rio Grande Blvd and west across the Rio Grande is Corrales, a small farming