Story by Sarah Campos
The wine flows during the annual fiesta at La Viña Winery. (Photo by Sarah Campos)
As I am walking through rows and rows of grapevines on a beautiful Saturday in April, I start getting butterflies in my stomach – it’s my first time going to a wine festival since I’ve turned 21, and I am excited that I finally get to enjoy this experience.
Waiting in line to get in, I can already smell the food and hear the hustle and bustle of the crowd. It’s a perfect day to walk around and enjoy a nice cool glass of wine while listening to sultry blues and jazz music that is never the same from year to year, according to owner Ken Stark .
I walk through the gates into a park-like scene.
Attractions and history
Art and craft vendors, surrounded by their colorful creations, are set up around the area alongside tents filled with tables and chairs set up underneath so people can sit back and take a break.
La Viña Jazz and Blues Festival is the oldest continuing wine festival in New Mexico. The first festival started in the late 1970s, and when owners Ken and Denise Stark purchased the winery in 1993, they decided to continue the fall festival, adding the first Spring Blues and Jazz Festival in 1997.
“We wanted people to be able to come out, lie on the grass and enjoy themselves while they taste our wines and listen to music,” Ken said.
A couple dance to the tunes of the Kat Crosby Band. (Photo by Sarah Campos)
Vendors and bands
“For this festival alone, we’ve attracted over 60 vendors who have arts and crafts and food items ranging from roasted corn to gourmet hamburgers and over 20 wines that are available for tasting and purchase,” the owner said. He added that there are no duplications so vendors won’t have to compete with each other.
Carlos Urrutia, who carves beautiful wood cut portraits as well as wood crafts, enjoyed his first time as a vendor at the festival.
“The music and weather is nice, and it’s a compliment when people like and want to buy your art,” Urrutia said. “It really makes me want to come back again and be a part of this.”
Georgena Askew, owner of Georgie Girl's Face On Face Off, paints faces for children attending the event. (Photo by Sarah Campos)
Nina Eaton has been a part of the festival for five years. She is a photographer who customizes coasters, ceramic tiles, magnets and mouse pads with her images.
“I do custom photography, but I also do Southwest desert photos,” Eaton said. “I like to capture life the way it is, and I enjoy capturing the colorful aspect of the desert.”
Of course, the festival’s soul is the music. The bands performing at the festivals each year are mostly local – and are usually rotated regularly.
“Because the music is such a large part of the festival, we try not to have the same bands every year,” Stark said.
Intimate setting
With the growing popularity of the festival, Stark said that historically the range of attendees for both days is easily 5,000-10,000.
“We love that our winery is growing, but we do prefer a low-end turnout because we would like it to be more intimate for our guests,” he said. Another problem with huge crowds: they only have volunteers serving the wine, and they can easily become overrun.
La Viña Winery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Tuesdays, with tours by appointment at 11:30 a.m.; it is closed Wednesdays. For information, call (575) 882-7632 or visit online.
