Casa Rondeña Winery was lovingly established in late 1995 as a family undertaking, with the first plantings in 1990 at the hands of vintner John Calvin and his two young sons, Ross and Clayton.
The Tasting Room opened in August 1997 and a winery building, with a commemorative Tricentennial bell tower, was completed in the autumn of 2004. In 2008, a new barrel aging and storage facility, including the Founder's Rotunda, was built in order to expand production capability of the winery and hold special events for winery members and special guests.
In 2010, Mr. Calvin moved out of the home he built on the property and turned it into the 1629 Club. This is a new level of membership to the winery which includes access to the private club among many other benefits.
The Tasting Room and winery is open to the public daily from 12 noon until 7 PM. No reservations are necessary.
Our Vintner
JOHN CALVIN, NAMED BEST VINTNER AND BEST WINERY BY THE READERS OF ALBUQUERQUE THE MAGAZINE FOR 7 YEARS IN A ROW!
Albuquerque the Magazine, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 Best of the City Issues.
While living in Spain, John Calvin gained an appreciation for architecture, music, and winemaking - three important ingredients that helped build Casa Rondeña Winery. The Los Ranchos de Albuquerque winery produces award-winning wines, such as its 2008 Meritage and its 2009 1629. Calvin is also a trained flamenco guitarist with a soft spot for supporting local music, which means the Mediterranean-esque winery often plays host to scores of intimate concerts.
Since 1990, John Calvin has dedicated himself to making New Mexico's best red wines. He has become a pioneer of premium winemaking in New Mexico, increasing the popularity and knowledge of high desert wines, turning heads and winning medals at competitions from California to New York. His Meritage Red, a Bordeaux style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, has received 11 gold and double-gold medals over the last 3 years.
Mr. Calvin's white wines have gained significant respect as well. His estate bottled Riesling blends have won Best of Show for the New Mexico State Wine Competition for two consecutive years as well as his 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Founder's Reserve. Everyday at Casa Rondeña Winery, he continues to search for the best expression of the landscape and what it can produce.
A native of the Rio Grande Valley, Mr. Calvin's passion for world music led him to study the classical music of India and the Flamenco of Southern Spain. It was there that he began to form the philosophy that wine, in addition to music and architecture, is another way to experience the beauty around us and to coax the diverse elements of nature and earth into a graceful fabric. With this philosophy in mind, Mr. Calvin tends the vines and his winemaking with the same degree of respect and passion as his practices of music and architecture. A lifelong student of these disciplines, it is Mr. Calvin's fondest hope that Casa Rondeña Winery will continue to be a center of gravity for culture in New Mexico that will include music, art, architecture, wine and philanthropy.