This was our 2nd visit to Black Mesa Winery so we started out knowing we would enjoy it. On our 1st visit, hummingbirds were everywhere and we sat outside and enjoyed a glass of great wine and even better weather. This time, it's February, so no hummingbirds and too cool to sit outside. Greeted by the "watch" cat, we went in and sat at the bar. A nice wood stove was going and the place just has a homey feel to it. Scott was on the phone, (obviously business) but immediately looked at me and mouthed "be right with you". Another couple walked in right behind us, looked around and then walked out. (their loss!) We took the opportunity to look around the shop and at the tasting list. Our past favorites were on there along with some we didn't remember. $8.00 for a tasting of some incredibly great wines is such a bargain! After tasting, we joined the wine club (which gives you free tastings and a great discount). Two other couples came in shortly thereafter and we all sat and talked for 20 minutes. Scott is a retired chef and obviously enjoys his work. Though not intrusive at all, he will give his opinions and really helps you pick the best wines for your "habits". We go to every winery we can in our travels and this is one of the best. If you are expecting a "California" experience, this isn't it. It's nice, but not fancy. It's not attached to a 500 seat venue for your wedding, and they won't tell you what you are doing wrong or what you should be eating with what. This is a simple, matter of fact kind of place that has great wines and a knowledgeable, (not a know-it-all) staff. Don't miss it!! read more

That chocolate wine cannot be beat

Had family come to New Mexico to visit me in September and on the route Albuquerque-Taos stopped at Black Mesa Winery. Impressed with all the wines; they're REALLY good. (Have been to many wineries and have experienced some really crummy wines!) Enjoyed the cat, who couldn't care less about any of us! The outside sitting area is very pretty. read more

Lovely location and grounds, but the "wine" is closer to 80's wine coolers than actual wine. I ordered five of their "dry" selections and all were very sweet and fruity. If you like this sort of thing this could be your place. More significant though is that the guy handed me a palate of five wine samples and my wife a palate of five hard ciders and pointed us to the door. We had to carry them out ourselves, and no one ever came over to talk about the product or see how things were going. Very odd. I could chalk up the wine to being "not my style" but the service was no service. Very disappointing. read more

Friendly and informative staff, including the kitties that graced us with their presence on occasion. Very nice wines over all, but my favorite is the Black Beauty. ( A little chocolate. A little sweetness. Black Mesa's best seller. GOLD Medal at 2007 "Wine Tasters Guild International Wine Competition".) This is not one of those chocolate wines that look like chocolate milk, it is a wonderful red with a coco finish and gets softer and softer as you anticipate the next sip. Outstanding! This is the bottle you'll take home with you. read more

We stopped by Black Mesa on Sunday during our little "Wines of New Mexico" tour and we all enjoyed it SO much! Jane was funny, friendly, and very helpful! And what I liked the most about her is that she refused to bad-mouth her competition, even when we invited her to do so. That's character! Keep that lady around. I like it. Anyway, I digress: I have to admit, we were all a little worried when we pulled up and the building looked like an old cat lady's house. Once we walked in and started tasting the wines, we were in heaven! The Coyote blend is awesome! The Pinot Noir is even AWESOMER! Took a bottle of that home, risking it in my suitcase for a long flight home! That's how good it was. The champagne was also delicious! Usually champagnes taste all the same to me, but this one had that "oomph" y'know? Something a little different that made me beg my husband to buy me a bottle of that as well! The tasting room is a little eclectic, but very charming! And THANK YOU for having small cups of crackers as palate cleansers between tastings! It's a small detail, but it makes ALL the difference! Can't wait to go back and spend a little more time there! read more

The lady behind the counter was super friendly and patient. We tried lots of wine, and finally decided on a bottle. The cheese was a little pricey, but its a tourist town so I wasn't too surprised. The back patio area was nice and of course you had a view of the mountains. read more

Black Mesa Winery - back patio area - Wineries Near Me - Velarde, New Mexico

My better half and I stopped in at the Black Mesa Winery as part of our own little winery and brewery tour of northern New Mexico. When we arrived it appeared a small adobe house with grapevines out front. The setting is very unique, right up against the base of a hill and the Rio Grande river across the street in the valley. The quaint little shop was nice and the ladies providing the tasting experience were extremely friendly. The wine list for this small place is quite impressive with probably over 20 wines available. We tasted a half dozen wines and both decided to go for a pour of the black beauty chocolate wine ( a true red wine with pleasing chocolate notes and fragrance). We sat outside in a small courtyard where there were dozens of hummingbirds and green grass. We even met the owner (Jerry) and he took pictures for us with some of the neat decor. This is a great little place and we'd suggest a stop in for anybody passing through the area. read more

Awesome Tempernillo! I also loved the Coyote blend. I am usually a red Zin drinker and was throughly impressed by these wines full bodied lovliness. The winery is very cute and unassuming. Dog friendly as long as you sit outside. read more

I came in about twenty minutes before they closed for the day and Nate was wonderful. He didn't rush the tasting and was friendly and knowledgeable about the wines. The Viognier is incredible, but I enjoyed everything I tasted- they have a great dry riesling and pinot grigio as well. I had the lavender rose as well, and found it very pleasant and unique. The tasting room is very welcoming, the location is beautiful, and the people were great. It is absolutely worth stopping in at Black Mesa, and the $8 tasting is incredibly reasonable for their wines. read more

When I was researching activities for my trip to New Mexico, I was suprised to find that the state has a whole lot of wineries. I stopped here on my way between Taos and ABQ and was warmly welcomed by the owner. For $5 I got 6 delicious tastes ranging from sparkling to a chocolately dessert wine (I bought a split) along with some friendly conversation and plenty of snuggles from the adorable resident cat who insisted on sitting in my lap the whole time. read more

My fiance and I came into Black Mesa Winery on our way back to ABQ from a getaway in Taos. The winery was quiet and we were the only people in the tasting room apart from a couple people who came in to browse their cute gift shop. We were greeted by Cat who welcomed us warmly and quickly assessed my wine preference and created a tasting line-up. The wines, which included the Pinot Grigio, dry Rosé, Antelope, Library Malbec, and Petit Syrah, just got better as the tasting continued. I tried the Black Beauty- chocolate wine, as well. It was interesting, but nothing compared to that Petit Syrah which I made sure to pick up a bottle of. Cat was very knowledgeable about the winery's history and the awards won by the various wines. She was friendly, grounded, and clearly invested in the success of this winery, and rightfully so. I live in Albuquerque and have heard little about these amazing wines. I'm so glad we got a chance to try them so I can do my part to support a quality New Mexico Winery. If I were a wealthier person, I would have joined the wine club so I could try a bottle of their Cabernet Franc! I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to meet any of the winery cats on our visit, but every other part of our experience exceeded my expectations. A must try if you love big reds! read more

We picked up a bottle of the Black Beauty at the OBL in Taos. Oh man, this wine was a great dessert wine! It wasn't as sweet as some ports but was exactly what we were looking for. Too bad we can't have wine shipped to us here in Boston - it would be lovely to join their wine club. read more

My in laws buy me this every time they go to Taos! I love the Montepulciano! This last time they opened , after they were closed, just so the could by my fix! Excellent wine! Excellent guest service! read more

The wine here is really great, and usually we love coming to the winery when we travel to NM. We live in Denver and have made a couple of online orders in the past... and I think we will only do that from now on. We stopped here today to pick up a bottle of wine and encountered the worst service we've ever experienced here. We had our dog with us, so my wife went in to make the selection and then she came out and I I went in to pay. My wife says they handed her a menu and offered no other help. When I went in to pay, I was completely ignored and had to seek someone out in order to pay. She also tried to charge me for a tasting that we clearly could not have had. I'm giving three stars for this horrible service because the wine is great, and because my wife witnessed four motorcyclists from Kansas that were sitting out on the patio asking every female worker to "show them her feet so they could see if she had stomped grapes". They also wanted to know if "they were naked while stomping the grapes". So, I do feel bad the female workers had to put up with such horrible humans, but feel the service could have been better. We will continue to order your wine! read more

I never expected to find a winery in New Mexico I enjoyed so much. My friends we were visiting said this was their favorite winery so we went to check it out. It was a drive but totally worth it. The number of different types of wine they had was amazing. I tried 6 wines for 5 dollars and also tried several of my friends. They are know for their chocolate wine which was good but not my thing. I actually ordered a few bottles to drink at home and my friends joined the wine club. I will totally go back again or even just order on-line. If you are in the area I would tell you to check it out. read more

We stopped by the tasting room in Taos and were introduced to the wines by Vicky. She was very knowledgable and helpful and in the end, I ended up tasting 8-10 wines. I wasn't a fan of the Sauvignon Blanc or the Merlot, but I am in love with the Antelope and the Petit Sirah. And my wallet is a lot lighter! Loved the experience and the wines. read more

Stopped at Black Mesa 6/26 By far, the best wine we had while visiting the area. The woman that helped us ( sorry cannot remember name) was friendly and knowledgeable even gave me a little birthday "duck" must try the chocolate wine!!!!! Thanks for the hospitality read more

Never felt like we were welcome or appreciated. Tasting room manager not welcoming or friendly. Politeness and warmth was not any part of our experience. Wine okay but nothing special even if it was their best. read more

We were a party of 3 Okies that had Scott as our host! Scott is also an Okie from Stillwater, OK. Go Pokes! He said he knew we were from OK because he saw our car tags. We bought our 6 sampler taste testing and 4 bottles of wine. The decor is great and had a very chill vibe, although it could've been Bonnie Raitt playing in the background. They have a love of animals and especially cats which is great. They also sold chocolate bars there. We picked up a dark chocolate chili bar and ate it once we got back to OK with their Black Beauty wine. DIVINE combination. They are known for their Black Beauty wine because of the chocolate after taste. Truly amazing! Ask Scott how to get to the bridge over the gorge via Pilar/Carson. He said turn right or left at the water tower. SCOTT, THERE IS NO WATER TOWER, DUDE! OK, OK we are all 50 and over and could've missed it but seriously 3 sets of eyes and we all missed it! All the way back home to OK the running joke was, do we turn left or right at that water tower to get to the bridge? LOL We did find the gorge bridge. Thank you for turning us that direction. We found some beautiful campsites along the Rio Grande that we want to try the next time we are in town. :) When we come back, we will come back to see you, Scott! Thanks for a great visit! read more

Passed this place on our drive on the low road from Taos to Santa Fe. Stopped in and had a tasting which was eight dollars and absolutely worth it. Wide variety of wines which were all pretty tasty. Try the chocolate Chili Wine, which was a pleasant surprise. read more

My husband & I were visiting family in Santa Fe for the holidays so we decided to try some New Mexican wines. We live in Chicago, but we've traveled to wineries in Napa, Tuscany, Piedmont, Champagne, Santorini and Alt Penedès. With that in mind, we were skeptical about what we would have in New Mexico. But, we were pleasantly surprised! The grape varieties, the quality, the knowledge...it was all very impressive! We did a tasting with Scott, had a great time and left with a few bottles (we would have bought more if I wasn't concerned about having enough room in my luggage for the flight home!) Oh, and added bonus was the sweet winery cat, Sola! read more

Your wine selection contributed to the Cumbres Toltec moonlight cruise experience. I concur with the salute to the chocolate wine! I shall put the winery on my itinerary for our next New Mexico excursion! read more

Wow, this is a real winery. I didn't expect to like the Black Beauty, but it was delicious. Also thought their tempranillo. In my opinion the winemaker here knows his stuff. Don't miss it. read more