El Alamo Winery — Attraction in New Mexico

Meaning “The Cottonwood” and home to the largest Cottonwood tree in New Mexico (second in U.S.), this small, family run boutique winery will fill that special place in your wine heart. The estate has been in family hands for about 200 years and was already a working farm for apples and apricots. Winemaker and founder, Joseph Martinez, had already taken a stab at making wine for about 15 years for the family. Almost a decade ago, he and his family began planting vines on the estate of primarily Riesling and Baco Noir. With his mechanical engineering background, his science-based approach to winemaking and intuitive talent has yielded some great tasting wines. 2017 was the first commercial vintage and the tasting room opened in 2020. With about 1200 vines on the estate as well as grapes sourced from other New Mexico vineyards, this new operation has been producing about 300-600 cases per year of wine. There are a lot of different wines to try on the list. For the whites, there are four different Riesling styles from dry, semi-dry, to sweet. Ranging in vintages from 2018 – 2020, each has their own unique character on Riesling notes, but those citrus, apple, and apricot notes are all quite pleasing. Also on the list is an Apricot wine. This surprisingly dry like fruit wine was from a bumper crop they had and has good acids for food pairing. For the Boco Noir grapes, check out their Rosés. Taste all of them from dry to sweet, but all vintages from 2018 to 2020 will peak your senses with lots of aromas of strawberries. You will be in for a special treat with their 2021 Primavera. This porch sipping wine is a blend of Riesling and Baco Noir with fantastic floral notes. For the red wines, start off with the 2018 Baco Noir. Light in tannins, it has a smokiness to it along with flavors reminiscent of a Pinot Noir. The 2020 Baco Noir will tickle your wine senses with some bourbon notes along with flavors of plums. There are also some traditional reds on the list to try including, 2019 Petite Sirah (dark garnet color, light acids), 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon (black cherry notes, rich mouthfeel), 2018 Tempranillo (black pepper, bold, tannic), and the 2020 Nebbiolo (light color, big tannins, rose petal notes). Save some room at the end for their dessert wines. For Riesling lovers, the white version is clocking in at 18% abv and is quite soothing to the soul. The red dessert wine is based off the Baco Noir. Fortified with Brandy, this 2020 beast is what to savor for at the end of a long day and great meal. Also on the horizon are Sangiovese and Petit Verdot wines to be added to the menu. A number of these wines have also garnered top awards at the 2021 New Mexico State Fair Wine Competition. This is a great gem to stop and visit North of Santa Fe as you trek along state road 68. The family and friends there are the best and will treat you quite well. It is always a pleasure visiting a new winery during its early startup years and we look forward to future visits with this one to see how they continue to...

My husband and I had the extreme pleasure of a tour and tasting at El Alamo this afternoon with the owner and his wife. Let me start off by saying that El Alamo has the most delicious and well-balanced wines, across the board, that I've ever had. It's extremely difficult to pick a favorite, but we both especially loved the tempranillo and the baco noir, the latter of which I'd never even heard of before (despite being from the Chicago area and blessed with wide wine selections). The dry riesling and dry rose are also amazing. Before this visit, I would have told you that I dislike riesling, rose, and port wines almost categorically, and that I'm tired of the "bourbon barrel" alcohol trend, which usually leads to feeling like you're hit over the head with bourbon, regardless of which beverage you're drinking. It turns out that I was wrong on all counts. Joseph is an exceptional vintner, and the individualized tour and tasting made it even more special.

My personal recommendation is to SCHEDULE A TASTING NOW. If you're on the fence, please just do it - it is more than worth it! El Alamo is relatively new on the scene, but amazing wine from amazing people should be recognized, and I don't think it will remain relatively...

My husband and I stopped here on the last day of our first anniversary trip and it was the highlight of our whole vacation!!! The tasting was by appointment and it was just us with the owner’s daughter, who was wonderful and so hospitable and knowledgeable. We got to try every single one of the wines and there wasn’t a single one that wasn’t delicious! We left with four bottles. My favourite thing about the winery was that it’s truly family-owned and operated and it was so lovely to hear stories about the family and each family member’s personal preferences. I can’t say enough good things about this place- it was beautiful, it was wholesome, wine was amazing, and at our request we got to pet the family dog, Bear, who was such a sweet, good boy! If you’re in New Mexico make sure you don’t miss it! You’ll be so glad you stopped in. Thank you for...