Tierra Encantada 3 of 44



At the bar.



How do you make a small fortune in wine making? Start with a great one. Words of wisdom from Pat Coil, the proprietor of Tierra Encantada Winery.

The Tierra Encantada winery is a hidden South Valley treasure...literally. Unless you know where Cinco Puntos (5 Points) is, you might need your GPS to find it but what better place than in one of Albuquerque's oldest agricultural settings. Once there however, you will be amazed by the variety of wine and enchanted, pun intended, by the spirit and vitality of proprietor, Pat Coil.

Pat started the winery over 6 years ago with her husband, who has since passed away. Through teary eyes she told us of their vision to have a boutique winery where the proprietors are intimately involved with the wine making. Pat has managed to keep this vision alive and proved her passion for wine making as she gave us a brief history and recipe of each of the wines in her wonderful selection. Tierra Encantada's collection includes white, blush and red wine, all of which Pat takes part in creating.

Although there are tables for gathering we chose to sit at the antique bar that greets guests as they enter the front door. The bar's beautiful oak fronts and white marble top made for the perfect setting to begin our tasting. At Tierra Encantada you get one taste for free and 5 for $5. We chose 5 of the reds; Shiraz, Chambourcin, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Melot and we chose Atrisco Sunset as our free taste.



Three wines stood out as our favorites: The Chambourcin, Tempranillo and the Cabernet Franc. The Chambourcin is wonderfully dry with hints of pepper, spices and cloves. The Tempranillo is mild and smooth with a fabulous oaky finish and more tart than the Chambourcin. The Cabernet Franc is quite smooth and soft on the pallet and won best of show at the 2009 NM State Fair.  All three made their way home with us. The Atrisco Sunset is syrupy sweet and the perfect dessert wine if you like dark chocolate.



Through jokes, chit chatting, trying to decipher the delicate flavors within the wine or what type of meal you would pair it with, something magical happens when you share a glass of wine with a group of people. They grow closer. Just as the winery brought Pat and her husband together, our experience at Tierra Encantada brought our group closer together and now, Pat is part of that experience. Thank you Pat, we'll be back!

Vino de pata.

If you go: There is plenty of free parking and bring your camera to capture a moment behind the scene wall. There is no fee to join the wine club. 5 Points Road is just a few blocks South of Central and Atrisco.