Some geography lessons...

Reverting to a trip a few months back, I was aptly surprised at a wine region in the United States of which I had never heard, but nonetheless had excellent wine.  Of where do I speak?  First, let me ask you this question... where were the oldest vineyards in the United States first planted?  Some may say Virginia, or perhaps one of the other original colonies - and while yes, the history is rich there, that answer is incorrect. Some others may say with the Spanish settlers in California - of course!  And that is not too far off, but the answer is still no.

Some of the oldest vineyards planted in the United States were in none other than the state of New Mexico. The vines were planted by none other than priests (who of course are great for their beer). Back before the Spanish had expanded to California, the missionaries spread to now what is New Mexico. They needed wine to celebrate the mass - yet it being so far away, they decided instead of lugging barrels cross oceans and countries, they would instead bring vines from Spain.  And thus, voila, the New Mexican wine region was born.  (Source: http://www.nmwine.com/)

We were in Albuquerque for a conference, and while we did not have too much time, we did have a chance to visit two beautiful wineries. The first one, located in a hidden part of town (so hidden in fact you feel like you are driving in a subdivision until you come upon it)  is Casa Rondena Winery. The approach, of which is a beautiful entrance into a New Mexican villa:
 The winery buildings are surrounded by a beautiful vineyard, gorgeous gardens, and space that is (the owners told us) quite the popular spot for weddings and other fancy events. And who could blame them.
The wine itself was quite good - unlike Virginia wines I would not recommend the whites or rose's too much. There was something mineral-y about the flavors that I wasn't a fan of. It also had a sweet melon taste, which some people enjoy but yeah not really my type of wine. But, if you enjoy a good Tempranillo - or similar type of Spanish Wine than Casa Rondena is a place to check out.

After our tasting I opted for a glass of their 2010 varietal of the 1629.  IT is 50% Syrah, 41% Cab Sauv and 9% Tempranillo.  And the name derives from the year of the first plantings in North America.  Alas, we didn't have anything to carry the wine home in, so we opted instead for a wonderful, relaxing rest out in the gardens.