Events - Arroyo Vino Restaurant & Wine Shop in Santa Fe

Summer Wine Seminar: The New California

June 20, 2019 By arroyovino

Jon Bonné has written many things about the world of wine. His book ‘The New California Wine’ explores the up and coming winemakers and the excitement they bring to what’s in the bottle. This has inspired us to look at the people who are challenging the notions of what New World Wine is supposed to taste like. Whether through seeking out centuries old vineyards and grape varieties, or by pioneering new and undiscovered terroirs, the modern leaders of the Californian wine industry are creating great dynamism and growth. Through a deep appreciation for history, or by practicing sustainable farming or viticulture, these are the tastemakers who eschew over extracted styles of wine in favor of a more balanced approach. So if you’ve abandoned Californian wine for the Old World, or if you’ve always loved the wines of California and want to discover some diverse new bottles, come join us for a wine tasting that will celebrate what makes the Golden State’s vino so very special.

– Birichino, Malvasia Bianca Monterey, 2018
– La Clarine Farms, Petit Manseng Sierra Foothills, 2017
– Brewer-Clifton, Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills, 2016
– Hirsch Vineyards, Pinot Noir ‘San Andreas Fault’, 2014
– A Tribute To Grace, Grenache ‘Highlands Vineyard’, 2015
– Ridge, Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, 2015

The Seminar begins promptly at 2pm.
Includes an appropriately paired snack.
Seating is limited.
Seats can be purchased below.
Must be 21 or older to attend. Tickets are non-refundable.
$20 Seminar Fee, credited with a $200 purchase.

Spring Wine Seminar: Rhône

April 18, 2019 By arroyovino

Since ancient times, the Rhône Valley has been a hub of wine culture. Viticulture is thought to have arrived in the region with the Greeks in the 4th century BC. It took the Romans using the Rhône as a thoroughfare for the establishment of the vineyards and and its reputation for quality.

The Rhône refers to one of the most important wine rivers in the world, linking together a range of wildly varied vineyards under one heading. Of particular prestige are those in the Rhône valley of southeast France, which produces more wine under the heading of Côtes du Rhône than any other appellation in the country—usually a treasure trove of red, fruity and accessible wines. These wines are the perfect gateway to the incredible diversity of vinous options this riverside valley has to offer, from fragrant and multilayered whites to the firm and savory Syrah based reds of the north, which includes a set of appellations that easily rival the best of Bordeaux and Burgundy in quality and complexity. Representing a vastly different climate and topography, the southern Rhone includes the famously rich, spicy and full bodied wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, rightfully heralded as one of the best examples of warm weather viticulture, and the various villages to its east, which offer similar styles of wine at much lower price points. So join us on Saturday for a deep dive into gorgeous, layered wines of the Rhône Valley, and discover what this multifaceted region is truly capable of bringing to the table.

Lunar Apogé, Lirac Blanc, 2014
Dom. de la Solitude, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, 2017
Janasse, Cotes du Rhone ‘Garrigues’, 2011
Domaine Betton, Crozes-Hermitage ‘Espiègle’, 2016
Domaine des Tours, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Réserve, 2014
Domaine Les Pallières, Gigondas ‘Racines’, 2016
Télégramme, Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, 2015
Le Clos du Caillou, Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Les Safres’, 2014

The Seminar begins promptly at 2pm, please arrive a few minutes before.
Includes an appropriately paired snack
Seating is very limited.
Reservations are required, by email or phone 505.983.2100
$20 Seminar Fee, credited with a $200 purchase.

Spring Wine Seminar: Campania

April 18, 2019 By arroyovino

In the ancient world, Campania was home to some of the most renowned wines in the Roman Empire. Yet in the intervening years, it has languished in obscurity.

Recently Campania has experienced a revival in winemaking. Despite its southerly location, the region’s white wines are among the best in Italy, thanks to mountainous conditions mitigating high daytime temperatures, not to mention a plethora of indigenous varieties shaped by talented winemakers into extraordinary bottles of wine. Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tuffo are rapidly being distinguished as some of the most compelling white wines in the region. Campania’s reds remain drastically underrated—the fickle Piedrosso, a variety that only ripens in the best vineyards and longest growing seasons—makes for deliciously light bodied, quaffable wines. And despite the powerful presence of Aglianico in the wines of Taburno and Taurasi, the grape itself frequently flies under the radar of even the most devoted of Italian wine oenophiles. So join us on Saturday for a chance to explore one of the most historic and varied regions in Southern Italy, and taste a historic line up from Campania’s native vines.

Feudi di San Gregorio, Falanghina del Sannio DOC, 2015
Mastroberardino, Fiano di Avellino DOCG ‘Radici’, 2015
Terredora di Paolo, Coda di Volpe Campania IGT, 2017
Terredora di Paolo, Greco di Tufo DOCG, 2017
Terredora di Paolo, Rosato of Aglianico ‘Rosænovæ’, 2017
Mastroberardino, Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio DOC, 2017
Rocca del Principe, Aglianico Irpinia IGP, 2011
Terredora di Paolo, Taurasi DOCG ‘Fatica Contadina’, 2011

The Seminar begins promptly at 2pm, please arrive a few minutes before.
Includes an appropriately paired snack
Seating is limited.
Reservations are required, by email or phone 505.983.2100
$20 Seminar Fee, credited with a $200 purchase.

Spring Wine Seminar: Limestone

February 28, 2019 By arroyovino

Winemakers and winegrowers are eternally searching for the perfect conditions for growing grapes—and arguably, the most important aspect of terroir is soil. Because soil is comprised of both organic matter and different kinds of rocks, questions of geology can factor hugely into winemaking. Despite the difficulty of precisely identifying its role, it has to be acknowledged that some of the greatest wines in the world come from similar soil types and share characteristics in common with each other. For our Saturday seminar we will taste through a series of wines made from grapes grown in limestone soils. On the surface level, there’s nothing unique about limestone per se—it is a type of sedimentary rock which contains fossils of ancient marine life and is high in calcium. Yet some of the most famous vineyards in France come from the same limestone-based soils, and these have inspired winemakers all over the world to search for similar conditions. So, come join us on Saturday where we’ll explore the mythology of limestone, and examine what it truly contributes to the vines cultivated in its midst.

De Sousa, Champagne Brut ‘Tradition’, NV
Gusbourne, Brut Reserve, 2013
Etienne Boileau, Chablis 1er Cru ‘Vaillons’, 2016
De Wetshof Chardonnay ‘Limestone Hill’, 2018
Philippe Gavignet, Nuits-Saint-Georges ‘Vielles Vignes’, 2015
Birichino, Pinot Noir ‘Saint Georges’, 2016
Dom. L’Oratoire St Martin, Cairanne Rouge ‘Rés. des Seigneurs’, 2015
Jim Barry, Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra ‘The Cover Drive’, 2015

Spring Wine Seminar: Greece

February 28, 2019 By arroyovino

Despite being one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world, Greek wine has only recently begun to bring its wine industry into today’s global market. This is an exciting time to explore Greek wine, not only because its wine industry is so ancient, but because it proudly boasts a spectrum of indigenous grape varieties and is determined to avoid the modern international grapes. Modern wine producers are keen to isolate proper vineyard sites, mindfully match varieties to soils, farm sustainably and elegantly integrate oak when needed, yielding wines that are undeniably modern in character, yet retaining the terroir and uniqueness that make them so special in the first place.

So join us on Saturday when we explore the unique vinescape of Greek wine. We’ll celebrate the renaissance in Greek winemaking by sampling some of the fabulous wines that make it so hard to ignore.

Boutari, Moschofilero Mantinia PDO, 2017
Gaia, Assyrtiko Santorini PDO ‘Thalassitis’, 2017
Glavinos, Vlahiko Blend Ioannina PGI, 2016
Domaine Tatsis, Xinomavro Macedonia PGI, 2009
Hatzidakis, Mavrotragano Cyclades PGI, 2014
Estate Argyros, Mavrotragano Cyclades PGI, 2015
Estate Argyros, Vin Sa’nto 4yo Santorini PDO, 2010
Kamara Kioutsouki Estate, Retsina, NV, 500ml

Spring Wine Seminar: Veneto

February 28, 2019 By arroyovino

Most people who love Italian wine cite Piedmont and Tuscany as their favorite regions. And while it’s impossible to deny the prodigious merits of a well made Barolo or Brunello, the stylistic charms of Italy’s other wine regions are worth exploring. The Veneto is Italy’s most productive wine region and one of its most beautiful, stretching west to Lake Garda and north to the Alps and the Austrian border, from the lagoons and land behind the city of Venice, which for centuries wielded great power in the local wine trade and whose legacy reverberates in the region today. The bacari that line the city’s streets could rightfully be called humanity’s original wine bars, ideal watering holes providing a quick glass of vino for all those who could not afford the time or the money to sit and enjoy a meal. And the multitude of people who stood at their counters throughout the years and ordered quick glasses of vino or apertivi fueled the growth of some of the most popular wine styles in Italy, from Soave to Prosecco to Valpolicella—to say nothing of the virtues of the Veneto’s more serious red wines, such as Amarone, or even the rise in popularity of the aromatized wines and amaros that would have enormous impact on craft cocktails around the world.

In Venice, people still say andar per ombre, which means literally “going for shadows” a poetic term for hitting the various wine bars during the mid-day morning break or for aperitivi at night. It refers to the old practice of wine sellers who set up their stalls in the shadow of St. Mark’s bell tower, where the wines would stay cold for the longest time possible. So join us on Saturday for a walk in the shadows, where we will explore some of the most beloved wines the northern Italian countryside has to offer.

Bisol, Prosecco Brut DOCG ‘Crede’, NV
Adami, Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene DOCG ‘Bosco di Gica’, NV
Inama, Soave Classico DOC, 2017
Pieropan, Soave Classico DOC ‘La Rocca’, 2015
Tenuta Sant’Antonio, Corvina Veneto IGT, ‘Scaia’, 2015
Allegrini, Valpolicella DOC, 2017
Musella, Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, 2015
Le Salette, Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, 2014

Spring Wine Seminar: New Zealand

February 28, 2019 By arroyovino

New Zealand has gained a reliable reputation for a very particular style of Sauvignon Blanc. But the variety, along with the local wine industry has grown and matured throughout the past few years. Nowadays many of the country’s bottlings deliver complexity and a solid sense of the character imparted by the landscape, rather than just grape variety. The country is a temperate island surrounded by sea that belies its subtropical climate. Most viticulture takes place on the eastern side of the North and South Islands, protected by a spine of mountains that provide a buffer to cold southern winds and the threat of autumn rains. In our seminar we’ll focus on highlights from the regions of Kumeu, Martinborough, Central Otago and of course Marlborough.

By far the most famous success story of the New Zealand wine industry, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc accounts for 66% of planted vineyard acreage in New Zealand and represents just over 86% of New Zealand’s wine exports by value. We’ll examine why this particular variety has become so internationally beloved, and we’ll take a closer look at the other wines the country has to offer. In addition to some gorgeous examples of Chardonnay, New Zealand makes intensely pure, aromatic and satisfying Pinot Noirs. It’s hard to get a proper perspective on the New Zealand wine industry, since many of its most interesting bottlings are rarely exported internationally, let alone to the United States, let alone to New Mexico. But we’ve cherry-picked some highlights from a country too long pigeonholed into the purview of reliable patio pounders.

Spy Valley, Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, 2017
Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc ‘Te Muna Road Vineyard’, 2017
Kumeu River Wines, Chardonnay ‘Village’, 2014
Kumeu River Wines, Chardonnay ‘Coddington’, 2015
Mud House, Pinot Noir Central Otago, 2017
Awatere River Wine Co., Pinot Noir Marlborough, 2016

Spring Wine Seminar: Jose Pastor Selections

February 21, 2019 By arroyovino

For many years, there was little representation of Spanish wine in the United States beyond a few select bottlings of Tempranillo from Rioja or maybe Ribiero del Duero. Many of them had little regional identity, and gave the impression that Spanish wine was a monolith of easy drinking, over-oaked and over-extracted reds. In reality nothing about Spain is homogenous: not its traditions, not its regions, not its landscapes and certainly not its people or its wines.

Nowadays the American perception of Spanish wine has begun to evolve, thanks in no small part to the efforts of –in the words of Alice Fiering –“a relocated to California Valencian madman” Jose Pastor. His portfolio represents some of the most diverse wines currently being exported out of Spain, handcrafted by a mix of eclectic producers from the most varied regions of the country. Despite their differences, the winemakers represented by Jose Pastor share a common passion for viticulture that manifests itself in a kind of authenticity rarely encountered in the wine world. Their wines portray exactly what is stated on the label—a grape variety, a village, and a human context often forgotten. They are all nakedly original, made with minimal intervention and sustainable winegrowing techniques.

So join us for a seminar led by Chris Barnes, the National Sales Manager for Jose Pastor Selections, for a discussion of these fascinating wines.

Viña Somoza, Godello Valdeorras DO ‘Neno’, 2015
Luis Rodriguez, Ribeiro Blanco ‘Os Pasás’, 2015
4 Monos, Vinos de Madrid DO Tinto ‘GR10’, 2016
Envínate, Vinos Mediterráneos ‘Albahra’, 2017
Guímaro, Ribeira Sacra Mencia ‘Camiño Real’, 2016
Dolores Cabrera, Tinto ‘La Araucaria’, 2016
Akutain, Rioja Crianza, 2014
Curii Uvas y Vinos, Garnacha, 2015

Winter Wine Seminar: Women Winemakers

February 21, 2019 By arroyovino

Happy Women’s History Month! In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week. The proclamation stated, “From the first settlers who came to our shores… men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”

Since we at Arroyo Vino are committed to growth through education, we have decided to make our March 9th tasting a showcase highlighting the contributions of female winemakers.

Wine has always been a conduit to cementing social bonds—whether sharing a bottle with friends or raising a glass to commemorate special events. And behind many of our favorite bottlings are powerful female artists whose visions are now central to the kinds of wine we love. We are excited to study the drive, passion and contributions of women to the business of wine, and are committed to boosting their visibility. Join us on Saturday to taste through a range of wines crafted by women’s hands, and help us celebrate the importance of female trailblazers in the winemaking community.

Chehalem, Pinot Gris ‘Three Vineyards’, 2015
Ailala, Ribiero DO Blanco Treixadura, 2017
Vasse Felix, Chardonnay Margaret River, 2016
Musella, Valpolicella Superiore DOC, 2015
Julie Balagny, Fleurie ‘en remont’, 2016
A Tribute To Grace, Grenache ‘Highlands Vineyard’, 2015
Castello di Volpaia, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, 1.5L, 2013

Winter Wine Seminar: Natural Wines

February 21, 2019 By arroyovino

The Accidental Wines Seminar

Natural wines represent the hottest growing movement in the contemporary world of wine. Bars specializing in vins naturels are cropping up all over the world, from Paris to LA. Wine fairs showcasing myriad producers of accidental wines — so called because the wines come to be “as if by accident” with little intervention in the winery — are becoming more and more commonplace. It’s a hipster movement to be sure, frustratingly lacking in legal definitions (the inability to officially define what natural wine IS is the subject of much controversy) but it’s also a counter-cultural movement, one that has deep, far reaching implications for the future of wine.

What’s so different about them? They symbolize a rejection of the impact of large-scale distribution and retailing of wines, which have led to factory-like production conditions that aim to achieve total homogeneity of flavor, where every bottle tastes the same. The majority of wines are now designed to appeal to the largest common denominator of wine drinker, rather than expressing the quirks and originality that come from a particular vineyard and a particular grape. The natural wine movement is an informal alliance of winegrowers who believe that the less they manipulate or add to their wines, the better they reflect their vineyard origin, and the better they taste. And while natural wines can fall prey to a myriad of faults, the best among them achieve a hauntingly beautiful elegance that is impossible to disregard. So join us on Saturday, March 2^nd, for a deep dive into the ever-growing world of natural wines.

Birichino, Malvasia Bianca Pétulant Naturel Monterey, 2017
Can Sumoi, Xarel-Lo Penedès DO, 2017
Le P’tit Blanc du Tue Bœuf, Vin de France Blanc, 2017
Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme, Touraine AOC ‘Ko’, 2015
Domaine le Briseau, Pineau d’Aunis ‘Patapon’, 2017
Populis, Red Wine Mendocino ‘Wabi-Sabi’, 2017

Summer Wine Seminar: The New California

Spring Wine Seminar: Rhône

Spring Wine Seminar: Campania

Spring Wine Seminar: Limestone

Spring Wine Seminar: Greece

Spring Wine Seminar: Veneto

Spring Wine Seminar: New Zealand

Spring Wine Seminar: Jose Pastor Selections

Winter Wine Seminar: Women Winemakers

Winter Wine Seminar: Natural Wines

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