January 14th, 2026

Many people who like to focus on wineries with extensive tasting options may find themselves coming up a little “short” during a tasting tour in New Mexico. But with careful planning, it is possible to work around this limitation and imbibe in some of the most eclectic wine flavors that New Mexico (and the world for that matter) has to offer.

Of course, touring the Rio Grande Valley areas of the state offers many wine stops. It is a perfect place for an extensive wine tour, but if you don’t have a lot of time, there are other options.

VARA's Wines: Eclectic is the Word

One of these options is paying a visit to VARA Winery and Distillery. And yes, they have a lot to pick from. This wide selection is possible because they ship in fruit from growers in places like New Mexico, California, Washington, and even Spain, to their Albuquerque winery and produce it locally. VARA has no estate vineyards.

A different approach, but that way, a single winemaking team produces their wines on a consistent basis from multiple estates. And sporting quality levels up there with the best, this is a well-considered New Mexico tasting stop.

In fact, if you are willing to devote part of your day to piece together a complete tasting flight in Albuquerque or Santa Fe, VARA is the perfect choice. Their wide assortment of wines will keep you busy.

But, with so many to choose, it’s good to narrow your focus at first. For me, it goes like this:

Round 1 NM Sparkling Brut - Check out the distinctive bouquet of tomato vine and citrus with a dry, light body that works with brunch unbelievably well.

Round 2 Albariño - Expect a bouquet of earthy citrus and honeysuckle with body that is crisp, tart, and refreshing with a background of pineapple. An excellent luncheon wine.

Round 3 NM Rosé – Look for a bouquet that includes strawberry, dust, and earthiness with a body having more strawberry with a trace of saline. This is incredibly dry and with the enjoyable character of Provence, France, for sure.

Round 4 Garnacha – Experience an earthy bouquet with elegant plum, cinnamon, vanilla, and traces of straw. It has a soft entry body with dark fruit, spices, and light tannins. Very wide food-pairing possibilities are possible.

Round 5 Tempranillo Gold Label – Enjoy a real Spanish bouquet with ripe cherry, raspberry, leather, smoke, and toast. Nicely complex. The body is very savory with mellow raspberry, balanced acidity, and a nice spicy finish. Bring on the steak tapas!

Yep, that’s only one of multiple possible tasting flights and their staff will have many other suggestions (like the “Rogue”). They can introduce flights to help your decisions. Please note that they also offer stronger Vermouth varieties, spirits, and even mixology sessions if you’re so inclined.

Of course, there is a big reason why VARA’s wines are anything but ordinary. Each has a distinctive character derived from the region from which they obtained their grapes or juice.

Following a Spanish tradition that originally began in New Mexico with the “Mission Wines”, they have gradually expanded their network of growers to gain vintage stability and character. Despite that, they still source a lot of fruit from local growers. VARA uses this locally sourced fruit in their wine blends as well as in their distilled products.

One of the most interesting stories is how they source their fruit from Spain. Their growers ship the juice to the US after the first round of fermentation in 1000-gallon totes, and VARA completes the process at the New Mexico winery. That is truly novel.

Be sure to ask the staff for details about this. It’s an incredible tactical feat. If you like Spanish wines, having a domestic source with such traditional quality is a real find.

Suggestion: If you like what you’ve tasted, do cash and carry; this is always a sure thing because their offerings vary over time. Of course, their website offers complete ecommerce sales for shipping plus various wine club options.

Call ahead before visiting any of the tasting rooms, the hours may change. Be sure not to pass up this New Mexico wine oasis