Drinking Our Way Around the Corrales Wine Loop

Yesterday, Sexy Nerd and I had the pleasure of attending the annual Corrales Wine Loop event, which pairs 9* local wines with 9 cheese tastings. If you're near Albuquerque or Santa Fe, this event is worth the drive to Corrales.

The three participating wineries are Acequia, Corrales, and Pasando Tiempo. It's only $25 per person. You can also attend the Corrales Bike and Wine Tour next month, which features the same wines paired with strenuous exercise instead of cheese. (Ha, ha.)

*Make that 10 local wines - Acequia winery was extra generous!

Also, if you're reading this and are from one of the wineries, your previous event had wines paired with desserts. You replaced chocolate with cheese?! This sweet-toothed gal requests a combination of cheese pairings and sugary treats for Corrales Wine Loop, 2020.

Wine + Cheese + Chocolate = Heaven

Our first stop was the Corrales Winery, which features a lovely patio overlooking a lush, green field. Soaking up the New Mexico sunshine, rosé in hand, was the perfect way to begin our wine tour. The staff was friendly and we appreciated that they took the time to teach us about each variety and why they chose certain cheeses to pair with certain wines.

Of all the wines we tasted at the three locations, Corrales Winery had all three of our favorites. It was recommended that we return for tastings of all 8 of their wines and to bring a picnic lunch. Yes, please!

We're planning to show up again in a few weeks during the Albuquerque Parade of Homes. We're looking forward to a Little Caesar's Hot and Ready pizza wine pairing.

I'm not entirely sure that's what they meant.

Our next stop was the Pasando Tiempo winery. We sampled their Cabernet Sauvignon paired with gouda, Zinfandel paired with smoked cheddar (yum!), and Riesling paired with monterey jack. The wines and the setting, which felt like someone's backyard, were not bad.

What I liked most about this stop was the lemon tablecloth. My birthday is coming up - hint, hint.

The crazy things we want when we're old, right?

We ended our day at the Acequia Vineyards and Winery. The patio had the most stunning view! If you're in Corrales and the weather is right, this is easily the best place in town (maybe even in the state) to stop and buy a glass of wine to enjoy on the patio. Or a bottle - many were under $20.

In addition to the three wine and cheese pairings included with our Wine Loop tickets, the owner allowed each person to sample one additional wine. I chose their Dry Merlot, which was a bit too sour for my taste. It was like a wine version of lemonade. SN opted to try their Osprey, which we both enjoyed.

best place to drink wine in Corrales, NM

The face I make when I'm on my TENTH glass of wine.

(SN is quick to point out that they're only one ounce pours, so it's really not very much alcohol, especially consumed over two hours. Whatever, SN. This wine lightweight was flyin' high!)

Looking for more New Mexico wine events? Be sure to attend our absolute favorite, the annual Taos Summer Wine Festival. The Wine & Wagyu Weekend in Angel Fire is a close second.

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