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Ponderosa Valley Vineyards

Hidden in the foothills of the Jemez Mountains, several miles from the main highway. 505-834-7487; www.ponderosawinery.com; 3171 Hwy 290, Ponderosa; 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, from 12pm Sun;

Santa Fe Vineyards

Beautiful labels and award-winning wine with a downtown Santa Fe tasting room. 505-982-3474; www.santafevineyards.com; 235 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe; 11am-5pm Mon-Sat, from noon Sun

Vivac Winery

One of the newest wineries in New Mexico; brothers Jesse and Chris Padberg specialize in complex reds. 505-579-4441; 2075 Hwy 68, Dixon; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, from noon Sun;

EAT

Artichoke Café

Slick wine bar with cozy interior and outstanding menu of eclectic contemporary American fare. 505-243-0200; 424 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque; mains $12-31; 11am-3:30 Mon-Fri, 5:30-10pm Tue-Sat, to 9pm Sun & Mon

Casa Sena

Perfect winelist and courtyard dining in downtown Santa Fe. 505-988-9232; 125 E Palace, Santa Fe; mains $14-39; dining room 11:30am-3pm Mon-Sat, from 11am Sun, 5:30-10pm, cantina 5:30 and 7:30 seating Jun-Oct, limited seating Nov-May;

Embudo Station

Perfectly situated for lunch between winery visits, with riverside tables in the shade of the cottonwoods. 505-852-4707; Hwy 68, Embudo; mains $8-15; noon-8pm Apr-Oct, seasonal variations;

Joseph’s Table

A luscious interior of dark wood and silk, exquisite food and excellent wine list. 505-751-4512; Hotel La Fonda, 108A South Taos Plaza, Taos; mains $11-39; 11:30am-2:30pm Mon-Fri, 5:30-10pm daily

Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro

Live music, wine flights and casual dining down the street from the University of New Mexico. 505-254-9462; 3009 Central NE, Albuquerque; 11am-2:30pm and 5-10pm Mon-Fri, to 11pm Sat & Sun, cellar bar 5pm-1am

SLEEP

Los Poblanos Historic Inn

Rambling hacienda surrounded by gardens and an organic farm and set in the heart of New Mexico’s central wine district. 505-344-9297; www.lospoblanos.com; 4803 Rio Grande NW; d $155-255

Old Taos Guesthouse

A 180-year-old former ranch with 7 acres of orchards, grape arbors and grass; boasts handsome Southwestern rooms and delicious breakfasts. 575-758-5448; www.oldtaos.com; 1028 Witt Rd, Taos; d $85-175;

USEFUL WEBSITES

www.nmwine.com

www.winecountrynm.com

LINK YOUR TRIP www.lonelyplanet.com/trip-planner

TRIP

44 Fiber Arts Trail

47 Take the High Road…and the Low Road

49 Hiking the Jemez

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Return to beginning of chapter

Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway

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WHY GO Escape civilization and travel back in time on the Geronimo Trail, where rugged black mountains collide with a sun-bleached desert, the air reeks of sage, and the road stretches on forever. Linger in well-preserved ghost towns and be time-ported to the raucous 1880s, when outlaws and silver prospectors ruled the towns in the Old West.

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TIME

4 days

DISTANCE

105 miles

BEST TIME TO GO

Jun – Sep

START

Truth or Consequences, NM

END

Silver City, NM

ALSO GOOD FOR

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The newly minted Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway (named for the feared Apache warrior who held out against Mexican and US raiders until his capture in 1886) is the perfect escape route if you need to go off the grid for a few days. Following in the footsteps of Apaches, pioneer prospectors and the US calvary, this series of rural roads is not only rich in history, it’s also blessed with a seemingly endless amount of wide open spaces. Commercial traffic is nearly non-existentand billboards are banned, so there is little to distract your eye from the mesmerizing expanses of sage- and mesquite-scented desert or the rugged beauty of New Mexico’s longest mountain chain, the Black Range. The route is graced with multiple well-preserved ghost towns, relics of the short-lived late-19th-century silver boom, where if you listen close enough, we swear you can hear the spirits whisper.

Start your trip in quirky little Truth or Consequences, home to a growing number of New Age hippies, off-the-grid artists and sustainable living eco-warriors. Usually