Our signature wines, Special Reserve Riesling, Rio Embudo Red and Rio Embudo Red Reserve Selection are made from grapes grown at our vineyards in the Rio Embudo Valley. Warm summer days and cool, clear nights combine with rich, sandy loam soil to create ideal conditions for the cultivation of grapes. Northern New Mexico’s extreme winters together with our high elevation caused us to choose cultivars capable of withstanding the severe climate and short growing season – at 6100 ft, we are one of the highest commercial grape growing ventures in the world.

In our winemaking practice, we stress the regionality of our product and are sensitive to the unique cuisine of northern New Mexico. We make a variety of wines that range in style from an intensely fruity Kabinett styled Riesling to a spicy Rhone styled red; from an oak aged Cabernet to a delightfully refreshing Blush wine. Our Primavera wine is a favorite of locals as it is the perfect complement to the spicy (hot!) red and green chiles of northern New Mexico.

Our winery consistently brings home awards from competitions across the nation as well as being voted time and again “The Best Winery in New Mexico”. From crush to bottling, together with our dedicated staff, we carefully monitor our wines to bring you the best wine we can produce.

In recent news, we just brought home a gold medal for our 2021 Merlot in the International Women’s Wine Competition!

Wine and Waves Experience:

Beautiful days on the Rio Chama followed by delicious food, wine pairings and comfortable camping! For this amazing combination we have designed a custom menu to pair perfectly with the wine selection provided by Chiripada Winery, plus their award winning lead winemaker will be accompanying us on the trip as sommelier. Come experience New Mexico’s best wine and some of its finest wilderness scenery! a

Day 1:  After meeting at 9am we will take a scenic 1 hr. shuttle to the put-in that features vistas of the craggy peaks of the San Juan Mountains, the massive Brazos Cliffs-over 3000 vertical feet high, and the village of Tierra Amarilla, the center of Reies Tijerina’s land grant revolt of the l960’s. Our launch point is at El Vado Ranch, a rustic, riverside fishing resort. The Chama River immediately whisks us away through a series of swift riffles and into the evergreen-lined canyon. We enter Chama Canyon Wilderness and negotiate Aragon Rapids (Class II). Our camp will be on an old high-water bench, under shelter of ponderosa pines and Douglas firs. Once camp is set up, prepare for a delicious meal with wine pairing  and then settle around the campfire for laughter, music and good times!

Day 2:  Enjoy a very leisurely morning beginning with a hearty, hot breakfast. A song or two to get us going and we are of down the River. Hike up any of the numerous side canyons or to the top of Navaho Peak for a spectacular vista. We will arrive at camp early for more relaxing camp time and another evening of gourmet dining.

Day 3:  We will encounter some longer, steeper rapids and multi-hued sandstone cliffs up to 1000′ high. Emerging from the canyon wilderness area, we observe a quiet zone as we pass the Christ in the Desert Monastery. Now begins the lively whitewater run (Class II-III) into the headwaters of Abiquiu upper Reservoir. Our take out at mid-afternoon, enables us to return you to your vehicles in Abiquiu before 4:00pm.