Top 100 wines of New Mexico

Discover the top 100 best wines of New Mexico as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of New Mexico and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of New Mexico

NewMexico is a landlocked state on the southern border of the United States, flanked by Texas to the southeast and Arizona to the west. The state covers 316,000 square kilometers of high-altitude desert between latitudes 31° and 37°. The main Grape varieties used for wine production in New Mexico are Syrah, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Zinfandel. New Mexico has three American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) within its borders, all of which are located at these high altitudes: Middle Rio Grande Valley, Mimbres Valley and Mesilla Valley (which spills over into neighboring Texas).

About 40 wineries now operate in the state, producing wines from vinifera varieties and hybrids. New Mexico's continental desert Climate results in a particularly Short growing season, preventing grapes from reaching good levels of phenolic ripeness. Historically, New Mexico wines tend to be Unbalanced, with high sugar levels and low Acidity, and lack the Structure necessary for aging. Of course, there are cooler mesoclimates in New Mexico at higher elevations, and it is in these areas that the state's modern wine industry is emerging.

News from the vineyard of New Mexico

Brad Pitt, Jolie and Château Miraval story takes new twist

Brad Pitt has filed a lawsuit against Angelina Jolie at a Los Angeles court regarding her sale of a stake in Provence winery Château Miraval last year, according to media reports, including in Bloomberg (via Associated Press) and the Los Angeles Times. There had been speculation for several years about how Pitt and Jolie’s divorce proceedings would affect their joint ownership of Miraval, which they acquired in 2008. It was the Hollywood couple’s wedding venue but the estate has also gained a re ...

Top DWWA award-winning wines on show at Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC

At the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards, the world’s largest wine competition saw its biggest year to date, with 18,094 wines tasted from 56 countries. Over 15 consecutive days in June 2021, almost 170 expert wine judges, including 44 Masters of Wine and 11 Master Sommeliers, awarded 50 Best in Show, 179 Platinum, 635 Gold, 5,607 Silver and 8,332 Bronze medals. Join Decanter at our Fine Wine Encounter NYC this June, where you will have the opportunity to sample 23 of these top awarded Gold, Plati ...

Napa wine property on sale for $35m as historic site sold

A luxury Napa Valley wine property covering around 34 acres (13.6 hectares) has recently been offered for sale at $35m. Listed by real estate agent Cyd Greer, with the Coldwell Banker agency, the Meteor Vineyard Estate features 22.58 acres of vines in the Coombsville American Viticultural Area, close to Napa. It’s predominantly planted to Cabernet Sauvignon with some Petit Verdot. Greer, a leading agent in Napa Valley for more than a decade, told Decanter that Meteor was the most expensive listi ...