Beer, Wine & Spirits in Santa Fe

Ron and Olha Dolin didn’t discover their shared passion for wine and spirits until after they were married. Together they use Ron’s Ph.D. in engineering and Olha’s generational knowledge of producing vodka and brandy in Eastern Europe to craft handmade wines and fine spirits. Their wines include the specialty Emotion series, which includes cherry sherry, apple ice wine, and a wine made from rose petals. The two also distill spirits ranging from blue corn vodka and bourbon to gin made from New Mexico juniper, pinon, chamisa, sage, and rose hips.

Florent and Hervé Lescombes carry on winemaking traditions created by six generations of vintners in the Lescombes family. The winery’s 120 acres of vineyards stretch across the high desert, where the temperate climate and fertile soil help produce 7–10 tons of grapes per acre. After maturing, the grapes travel back to the winery, where state-of-the-art equipment transforms them into more than 70 different wines, including Blue Teal and DH Lescombes. On weekends, live jazz acts play at St. Clair’s four local bistros, which serve French country dishes and gourmet fare. St. Clair's wine festivals invite patrons to crush grapes between their toes and try to catch falling sparks on their tongues at fireworks shows.

Nestled on the outskirts of the Santa Fe National Forest in the Pojoaque Valley, Estrella Del Norte Vineyard not only creates its own wines, but also stocks, sells, and hosts samplings of many other Northern New Mexico ambrosias. Arriving visitors meander down a pebbled pathway, past a flower garden, eclectic sculptures, and adorable grapevines whining for affection, entering the quaint tasting room lined on one side by a rustic wooden bar. Groups gather around tables, studying lists and sampling wines originating from the likes of Santa Fe Vineyards, Black Mesa Winery, and the homegrown vines just a stone's throw from the tasting room’s set of tall french doors.