My husband and I drove to New Mexico to visit friends a couple of years ago. We were delighted to try some of this state’s wines, of which there are many, including VARA.
Based in Albuquerque, VARA produces a huge variety of wines, including a delicious Brut Rosado “método tradicional” sparkling wine ($27), produced and bottled in New Mexico.
A delightful pink-hued color, this tongue-tingling bubbly is filled with the nuances of a French sparkler. With its abundance of tiny bubbles and aromas of raspberries, wild strawberries, hibiscus flowers and earthy green tea notes, it showcases complex flavors and comes with a fresh and crisp mouthfeel.
If you’re headed to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Oct. 5-13), then stop at VARA’s centrally based tasting room to try their wines. And while there, try the VARA Silverhead Zero Dosage, made by Laurent Gruet in the méthode champenoise style—a bone-dry sparkling wine with bright acidity that is perfect for summer; and the VARA 2023 New Mexican Rosé made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Refosco.
VARA Wines, 315 Alameda Blvd, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113, 508-898-6280. varawines.com.
Farm-to-Table Special
The next farm-to-table dinner at Chaminade is 6pm Friday, July 19 featuring Byington Winery. See the resort’s special offer for an overnight stay as well. Visit chaminade.com for info.
Flight at Home
ONX Wines is still doing a brisk business by mailing out tasting kits, as they did in the height of the Covid pandemic. A box of four fab mail-out wines is an opportunity to try a tasting flight without leaving the house. Try these: Indie Rosé. Field Day, Reckoning and Brash.
ONX Wines Tasting Room & Winery, 2910 Limestone Way, Paso Robles. 805-434-5607. onxwine.com onxwine.com.
