They Make Wine There? New Mexico Edition.

Yes, they make wine in New Mexico.  Continuing our "They Make Wine There?" series after this summer's feature on Texas wine, we bring you the finest New Mexico has to offer.  I'm not talking about Alamogordo, of nuclear test fame, or Roswell, home of Area 51 either.  My wine horizons have certainly been broadened through the crack investigative reporting of The Oregon Wine Blog Special Correspondent Chris Heuchert, and I hope yours are too.

This shit got real a few weeks ago when Chris was driving on a rural highway near Santa Fe heading back to his rustic mountain getaway.  Between the rumbling of his stomach from hunger, the blazing sun, a mild headache,  it appeared on the side of the road as if a desert oasis:  the Estrella Del Norte Vineyard.  Wait, what?  New Mexico, right?  He had to stop and see what this foolishness was all about.

It was true, there was wine inside the quant stucco southwestern style building.  And a nice lady who made Chris and his posse feel quite welcome throughout the wine tasting experience.  They tasted 6 reds in short order, sharing the experience with a quite engaging staff who clearly knew a lot about the wine.  After tasting through the big reds one might expect from a dry, high-heat region like New Mexico, Chris saw something on the menu that literally turned his world upside down:  Pinot Noir.  But Josh, you ask, isn't Pinot Noir rather a fickle varietal?  One that likes a cooler, moist climate?  Why yes, it is, thanks for asking.  You can understand Chris' surprise to find it in the middle of one of the most extreme climates in the US.  Unfortunately, there wasn't a bottle open for him to try to compare to the love of our lives, Oregon Pinot.  Chris was so intrigued by the experience, he took the red pill and was a member of the wine club when he got back in the car.  Fast forward two weeks, you'll find a case of wine from New Mexico delivered to his apartment,  and an enterprising Managing Editor of The Oregon Wine Blog on the couch ready to see what Estrella Del Norte is all about.

As an aside, did you know that New Mexico is the oldest wine growing region in the United States?  The first grape vines were brought to Senecu, a Piro Indian pueblo, in 1629 by a Franciscan and a Monk.  No, this isn't a variation of a "Franciscan and a Monk walked in to a bar..." joke.  By 1880, there were 3150 acres of grapevines in the state, and by 1884 New Mexico was producing almost a million gallons of wine per year.  Currently, New Mexico boast 42 operating wineries and tasting rooms.

To kick off my New Mexican experience, Chris popped open a bottle of the 2007 Estrella Del Norte Cabernet Sauvignon, one of my favorite varietals.  Not quite knowing what to expect, I gingerly swirled the wine in my glass and took a big old sniff.  I immediately detected notes of....booze.  Once I got past the boozy features on the nose, I found a rather pleasant cacophony of dark red fruit.  Upon taking the coveted sip, we detected an immediate heat related to the boozy nose, with an otherwise rather mild and dry profile laced with dark fruit and a peppery finish.  The winery describes it like a "starry Northern New Mexico evening", and while I'm not sure I agree with that, I can definitely attest that it was better than expected.  I'll be the first to admit that my palate has been shaped around Eastern Washington cabs, hard to beat, I know.  All things considered, "better than expected" is a glowing endorsement for a non-Washington offering.

So, there you have it.  We brought you Texas.  We brought you New Mexico.  What's next in the "They Make Wine There?" series?  You're just going to have to wait to find out, because frankly, I don't know yet.  Any suggestions?

We're on the Air for Washington Wine

David Wilson of Grape Encounters Radio has basically taken over the state of California. His radio show has a similar format to what we're doing here at TOWB: he approaches wine without pretense, focusing on the experience, and he has a top secret location. Every time I check in with David there's a bevy of new stations that are carrying him all over California. One of the things I appreciate about David is that he looks at wine from every perspective: envelopes are pushed, corks are popped (and screwcaps are twisted, perhaps begrudgingly) and a general good time is had on Grape Encounters. If you're not currently listening, check them out on the interwebs or on iTunes. One of his biggest markets is actually Seattle, which is fortunate for me because it allows me to work a Northwest angle when I appear on his show, as I did recently to talk about Forgeron Cellars and our all too fleeting youth.

David recently invited me back to talk about millenials and wine and to give the wines of Forgeron Cellars a whirl. If you spend time talking with new wine drinkers you'll encounter a lot of "I only drink reds" or "I only drink whites." You'll also encounter a steadfast unwillingness to spend more than $15 on a bottle of wine. The result is often the safe $8-15 blend that has some nice oak elements and red fruit notes. The wines are comfortable, simple, and in many cases they even score pretty well according to the fancy magazine people. At that price point you "can't go wrong," and there's nothing wrong with that. What got us down the road towards Walla Walla's Forgeron Cellars is the idea that there are wines available for twenty to thirty dollars that will give younger wine drinkers a look at what the world of wine can really hold for them.

David and I spent some time talking about going a bit outside the comfort zone, and maybe spending just a little bit more, closer to the $25 dollar neighborhood and really opening yourself and your palate up to a new experience. In an effort to illustrate that, David and I tasted through three brilliant wines from Forgeron Cellars priced between $19 and $26.

I first encountered the wines of Forgeron Cellars in the spring and met the charming winemaker, Marie-Eve Gilles. Her wines, particularly the Zinfandel and Chardonnay, are, in my opinion, among Washington state's finest examples of each. Marie Eve marries her old world education in Dijon with the fruit and potential of Washington wine in away that gives her wine personality, elegance, and in many cases, grace.


I have said it on Twitter and I’ll say it again here: her Zinfandel is one of my top two wine discoveries of 2010. You may have picked up on this, but I get to try a lot of wine; this Zin is excellent. David was a big fan of the Zinfandel and found it to be a big bold wine, spicy and not raisiny, and well-integrated with an alcohol percentages hovering in the mid-14s.

Where Marie Eve may have won David's heart ,and what may be described as her wheelhouse, were the two whites we tasted, a Chardonnay ($19), and Marsanne ($26). What I love about the Chardonnay and where I feel Marie Eve hits the mark is on the mouthfeel of this wine, it's full and rounded. You get a lot of well-rounded Chardonnays in California, but they're usually so buttered over with oak that you don't get to enjoy any of the fruit elements. David said it best: this Chardonnay is indeed beautiful. It's crisp and bright and even a bit floral but it really fills the mouth well with a great finish. The Marsanne furthered David's appreciation for Marie Eve's winemaking. The floral elements and the bright fruit flavors had us both muttering compliments between tastes that included "absolutely beautiful” and “fantastic." There were only three barrels of the Marsanne, so if you’re able to get your hands on this beauty, you definitely should.

The point that David allowed me to make is that spending a bit more on wine allows you to really begin to see what the fuss is all about. So I encourage young people skip a few of those $5 lattes, pool your money with a friend or two and drop a bit more coin on a small production bottle of wine. In a perfect world, I'd prefer it be from Washington so you get a glimpse as to why those of us in the secret location of TOWB are so enamored with Northwest grape juice.

Listen to the show here.

The Columbia Gorge's Maryhill Winery

Maryhill Winery makes a lot of wine: their 80,000 cases rank them as the 15th largest winery in the state of Washington. But there is a lot going on at this scenic spot on the Gorge that would lead one to believe that Maryhill is a bit atypical of the big boys of the Washington Wine industry.

The arrival at Maryhill is about as breathtaking an arrival as one can make. The beautifully placed facilities have a view of the Gorge, the Columbia River, and Mt. Hood that is certainly an enviable one. Perched atop a terraced cliffside among the Gunkel vineyards, this beautiful estate (but not estate winery) defies many of the expectations that its huge case production might create. Why isn’t Maryhill an estate winery? They’re plopped right in the center of the well-regarded Gunkel Vineyards, and the fruit, it belongs to the Gunkels. In fact, the agreement that Maryhill has with the Gunkel family is a lease, a 300 year lease. While Maryhill sources a lot of fruit right there on site, they're also getting fruit from across the state. Maryhill is certainly making a lot of wine from Gunkel fruit, but because Maryhill doesn’t own the fruit, they are not considered an estate winery under the strictest definition of the term.

With distribution in 26 states and 20% of their sales coming from their on site destination tasting room, Maryhill Winery is well positioned, both physically and in terms of the current economy. Maryhill Winery has found themselves in a sweet spot with their wines’ friendly price points - all come in between $10-15 for the non reserve, and the reserve wines barely flirt with $25. On this point Vicki was very clear "We believe wine should be an everyday beverage. If you want people to drink your wine every day, and we do, it should be affordable."


There are a couple things to point out here, of course there's the price of the wines. The wines at Maryhill, particularly the reserve offerings, provide consistent value for the price point. So not only do you have a destination winery with wines that are very approachable where your wallet is concerned, you are also getting consistently well made wines. That makes Maryhill unique among destination wineries, which is unfortunate. Typically wineries with such a prime locale hope the grandeur of the site will blind you to the fact that the wine in your glass is sub par and overpriced.

When it comes to production, Maryhill's large size is more apparent in their practices. Only the Chardonnay is barrel fermented, and all the wines are fermented in stainless steel, with oak staves added when there's a desire to impart the wine with any oak. There is a bit of a departure in how long they hold onto the wines: most of the reds spend two years in barrel and one year in bottle, ideally. Demand may cut this timeline short, but that is an enviable position.

Owners Craig and Vicki Leuthold give off more of a smaller winery vibe. Their upstairs apartment, for one, has them on site and pretty hands on when it comes to the wine, the production and interfacing with their club members and guests of the winery. Last year 75,000 people paid Maryhill a visit, either coming for the wine or the concert series which pulls in national acts that are household names.


Maryhill is making enough varietals that you're certain to find something that suits your tastes. I believe I tasted nearly everything they make and my favorites were the Reserve Zinfandel and Sangiovese. I think these are two varietals that do well in the Gorge but also stand out among the wines that Maryhill makes. From their non-reserve wines I favored the very unique Riesling which has some serious acidity but would do splendidly with food and their tried and true, Winemaker's Blend, of which they make 30,000 cases.

I would have to imagine that when it comes to grandeur it's tough to match or beat Maryhill Winery as a wine destination. The ability to drink a well-made wine at a more than reasonable price while viewing some of the best scenery that that Northwest has to offer makes it easy for me to recommend paying Craig and Vicki a visit.

Twelve Blind Pinot Noirs (From Washington) See How They Taste

Some friends at Wine & Beer of Washington State recently hosted a blind tasting of Washington Pinot Noirs, inviting an assortment of wine bloggers and twitterati. Many of us dubious, given that “Washington” and “Pinot Noir” aren’t often found in the same sentence. Bean Fairbanks and the Wine & Beer of Washington State crew had put together a line up of twelve Washington Pinots and one "ringer" from Oregon. With the foil wrapped bottles lined up in front of us, we went to work.

While there was some scoffing and smug remarks about the ability of Washington to produce a worthy Pinot, these were serious Northwest wine drinkers. All kidding aside, The Washington Wine Report's Sean Sullivan and myself had both previously had the opportunity to experience the Kyra Pinot, and we both found it to our liking. So while no one is ready to demand that Oregon's Willamette Valley fork over their title as America's Best Pinot Producer, (yeah, California, I said it) we knew that there was potential out there for this varietal in Washington. In addition to the Kyra Wines Pinot, word on the street (and in the newspapers) was that very good things were happening with the Pinot Noir from James Mantone down in the Columbia Gorge at Syncline Wine Cellars.

Below I submit my quick thoughts from the evening. Some of them are a bit rough, but this was how these wines tasted to me on this particular evening.

Wine #1: Pinot is not really supposed to have tannins like this. Lots of wood?

Wine #2: Not much palate on this wine. There's not much going on. Anyone home?

Wine #3: Whoa, oaky dokey. This wine is quite harsh. Tastes like it might be oxidized or a port style wine that's been open a long time.

Wine #4: Now that's a Pinot, finally. Cherries and cranberries on the palate.

Wine #5: Very good. Might be the Kyra. Baked cherries, concentrated fruit, restrained use of oak but some toasted almond elements.

Wine #6: This has got to be the Oregon Pinot, best one of the bunch. No oak to speak of, beautiful Pinot Noir. More please.

Wine #7: This wine has a lot of green elements, not so much oak to speak of; a relief. I'm getting sour cherries.

Wine #8: Sheesh. This wine, what is the deal? Tastes like strawberry daiquiri mix, and unripe rhubarb.

Wine #9: Fairly concentrated, judicious use of oak, a pretty solid example of Pinot Noir.

Wine # 10: Hmm...Bo Derek has nothing to worry about. Way too much oak on this wine, no hope at tasting the fruit. Cherry Halls comes to mind.

Wine #11: A bit of an earthy and musty nose, aromatic wine. Flawed? Brettanomyces?

Wine #12: A rosé. Fairly good acidity with grapefruit and other citrus notes in the wine.

So the verdict? My favorite wine of the night was easily the Syncline Pinot or #6. You know, the one I said had to be from Oregon. This Pinot, produced in the Columbia Gorge from the Celilo and Underwood Mountain vineyards, was the consensus winner from every guest. The restraint on the oak and the old world approach that James Mantone uses with all of his wines really lets the fruit and terroir speak for itself. This approach, which is often referred to in this country as Burgundian, is also typically Oregonian - at least, in what I feel are Oregon's finest examples.

Second place? Kyra Wines 2008 Pinot. Not much of a surprise. Actually, I was thrilled that I guessed this wine correctly. That rarely happens for me in blind tastings. It’s a bit more heavily oaked than what I prefer from Oregon, but it's not overly done. The fruit is certainly present, the concentration is good, and Kyra does a good job of blending multiple vineyards. The Kyra 2007, which was also in the lineup this evening, didn't fair as well. This was the vintage I'd had before, and I suspect that in this case this particular bottle may have been a bit off.

Third place? This was my biggest surprise of the evening, except perhaps for the fact that the Oregon Pinot faired so poorly. Third place went to the Challenger Ridge 2006. While it didn't approach the other two it was a solid Pinot Noir. I was particularly impressed given this one came from the Puget Sound AVA, which has some unique weather challenges to wine growing. Similar to the Syncline this wine allowed the fruit to come out and really backed down on the oak. Similar to the Kyra there was a vast difference in opinion between vintages from the Challenger Ridge, the 2005 was not very impressive at all.

At the end of the evening, as we prepared for a beautiful dinner, the conclusion of the group - besides that the food looked amazing - was that Washington can indeed produce Pinot Noir. However, there isn't yet a consistency in quality like what you'll find in our neighbor to the south. That might come, and it might not. In the case of Syncline, making wine from a cool climate like the western end of the Columbia Gorge may be the ideal situation, but Kyra and Challenger Ridge certainly prove that the wine can come from all over the state. Stop asking questions and give some of it a try.