St. Clair Winery & Bistro is a departure from the traditional wineries we've visited so far. You know, the ones with a nice quiet tasting room and the owner more than happy to chat, take care of us and pose for a picture. St. Clair is the largest winery in the state with multiple locations and this time we visited the location near Old Town Albuquerque. This location is a full-on restaurant and while less intimate than the others it has fabulous food, entertainment and a attentive wait staff to take care of us. We happend to go on Sunday night and they had a live jazz band in the bar area which made for a great evening of tasting, noshing and toe tapping. In the summer the bands are on the expansive patio.
Wine flights are $6.00 for 6 choices. I chose all red, of course (one of these days I will expand my selections...promise!). St. Clair produces over forty wines under four different labels. This is unlike the other wineries we've visited so far who have just one label, but none the less. For my wine flight I chose the St. Clair Cab Zin (mild, tart and light bodied), DH Lecombs Syrah (my favorite of the night; oaky, smokey, smooth and full of body), St. Clair Reserve Merlot (dry with hints of black cherry and medium body), St. Clair Meritage (tart, light and a little bland for me), Blue Teal Cabernet Sauvignon (dark color with sweek oak overtones)and DH Lescombs Cabernet Sauvignon (full flavored).
I have to admit that tasting (or should I say drinking and enjoying) 6 wines (albeit small glasses) in a row is a little like having 6 kids. The first two get all the attention, pictures and video and then by the time you get to the 6th, they're kind of on their own...now, which one's Johnny? Same for my notes on the last couple wines; all bets were off and my notes are a little sketchy. I'll pay more attention to this next time.
By visiting this winery I completed the first
prize level in the contest. I like prizes.
If you go: Go on Sunday night for live jazz. Local jazz artists will knock your socks off.
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