Looking for good wine shop in Santa Fe

[abadoozy]

Hubby and I are heading to Santa Fe/Taos next week and one of the things we'd like to do is spend at least one night sipping some good wine. We live in a very small town where the wine selection is limited mostly to American wines, and hubby in particular is interested in trying some French wine.

In light of that, if there's a good wine shop in Santa Fe, we'd like to visit it. I know there's no end of really great restaurants with good wine selections, but we'd also like to buy a few bottles.

I know Santa Fe isn't a hotbed of French wine activity, but *any* selection is better than what we get at home. Any suggestions?

[ludja]

The wine shop attached to the Casa Sena Restaurant (in Casa Sena Plaza) is not extremely large but has an excellent selection of wines including French. The knowledgable owner also stocks a very good selection of Austrian wines that he can give you advice on. It's one of my favorite stops on a trip to Santa Fe.

La Casa Sena Wine Shop

Featuring a Large Selection of Fine Wines.

In Sena Plaza, next to La Casa Sena

125 E. Palace Ave

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501

505 988-9232

There is also a Whole Foods in town so that would be another option.

La Casa Sena restaurant is also a a great place to do some wine tasting by the glass in the lovely courtyard.

I know that there is a large liquor store in the northern part of Santa Fe (on the way to Taos) but I've never been there to see their wine selection.

Edited October 10, 2005 by ludja (log)

[JimmyR]

Can't suggest any wine shops (last time I was in the Casa Sena shop I thought the prices were a bit out of whack), though in years past I've found some nice things at Kikkoman, on the highway to Taos, but only about 15-20 minutes outside Santa Fe (after Tesuque, before Pojaque). That was many years ago, however, so hopefully someone with more up-to-date info will have thoughts. My only thoughts are that the good wine shops in Santa Fe have all closed.

Two Santa Fe restaurants with exceptional wine selections, however: Trattoria Nostrani (despite the Italian name, some very interesting French wines--believe it or not we had a gorgeous cru Beaujolais from the mid '90s last summer)--and 315 Restaurant and Wine Bar, where, if the Francophile list doesn't inspire you, it is definitely worth asking if there are any other interesting bottles to be had. And the food at both places can be exceptional.

If the timing is right, you might enjoy stopping off at Gruet on your way from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. Some of the best sparkling wines in the country, made by a Frenchmen. You could do worse than picking up a bottle of bubbly and a bottle of their Pinot. Not technically French, but French in spirit for sure. Off the highway from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. Easy to miss, however, so check their Web site and get directions if that is of interest (link included).

Don't forget, you'll be at high altitude and in the dessert. Drink lots of water and stay away from those 15% alcohol California reds if you can.

I'm jealous. Hope you have a great time.

Hubby and I are heading to Santa Fe/Taos next week and one of the things we'd like to do is spend at least one night sipping some good wine. We live in a very small town where the wine selection is limited mostly to American wines, and hubby in particular is interested in trying some French wine.

In light of that, if there's a good wine shop in Santa Fe, we'd like to visit it. I know there's no end of really great restaurants with good wine selections, but we'd also like to buy a few bottles.

I know Santa Fe isn't a hotbed of French wine activity, but *any* selection is better than what we get at home. Any suggestions?

←

Gruet

[abadoozy]

If the timing is right, you might enjoy stopping off at Gruet on your way from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. Some of the best sparkling wines in the country, made by a Frenchmen. You could do worse than picking up a bottle of bubbly and a bottle of their Pinot. Not technically French, but French in spirit for sure. Off the highway from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. Easy to miss, however, so check their Web site and get directions if that is of interest (link included).

Don't forget, you'll be at high altitude and in the dessert. Drink lots of water and stay away from those 15% alcohol California reds if you can.

We're very familiar with Gruet, and it's already on the list. We fly into Albequerque at around noon - perfect timing for a stop at the Gruet tasting room on our way to Santa Fe.

Also very familiar with dessert - too familiar, my pants are getting tight. Or did you mean desert? Before moving to The Middle of Nowhere we spent a couple decades in Colorado. Thus the trip to New Mexica - it was one of our favorite getaways, and we've missed it now that it's not a day's drive away.

Thanks to both of you for the recomendations. Will check them out. Anyone else?

[Verjuice]

I second the suggestions for Bistro 315 and Trattoria Nostrani. The wine offerings are varied and interesting, and the food is usually excellent as well.

I left Santa Fe quite recently but in Santa Fe restaurant terms it might as well have been a lifetime ago. I always bought my wine at either Kokoman on Taos-bound 285 N or locally at the Liquor Barn on Cerrillos (wine buyers never seem to stay long there, so I can't say for sure what the selection is like now, but I have found some outstanding French wines there in the past and the prices there invariably make everyone else's seem outrageous). I've also noticed that the wine selection at Whole Foods has really grown and improved ever since the store wwas revamped earlier this year.

You might also be interested in this link, which provides locations for all of New Mexico's vineyards, wineries, tasting rooms etc., should you you happen tp find yourselves thirst and with a bit of extra time on your hands.

Have fun- and don't forget to report back!