casa abril vineyards & winery tasting room

We were on our way from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and about midway, just off the freeway, is Casa Abril winery. We were interested in the tempranillo and other Spanish varietals they specialize in, and we were not disappointed. Driving up, we noticed someone on a tractor among the vines, and that someone turned out to be Raymond Vigil, the owner. He stopped his work on a Thursday afternoon and opened the tasting room for us. After about 20 minutes, another couple arrived, and we spent about 2 hours total enjoying Ray's stories and a lovely tasting experience. For a very modest $9, we tried 9 different wines (with generous pours) along with Marcona almonds and chocolate covered raisins. Not only did the snacks help cleanse the palate between wines, but the differences in flavor before and after a bite are most interesting. Ray is a delightful host and after our tasting, took us on a tour of their small, family run operation. It is obvious that Ray and his family love wine and the winemaking process and are anxious to share with others. We are so glad we stopped and will be ordering some bottles to be sent to Texas for sure. Thanks, Ray, for a wonderful experience!

First of all, allow an hour and you will find yourself rewarded immensely. Raymond Vigil knows his vineyard and knows his wines. The format we found was the opportunity to taste all of the available wines in a rather unusual pattern. Started with light reds then more complex reds and finished with roses and whites. Raymond described it as a 'roller coaster' and it was a wonderful ride. Seek this winery out, you will not be disappointed. We are waiting patiently for January 1st so that we can order for delivery to Massachusetts.

Once you meet the owner, Ray and his wife Sheila you know you are going you will have a good time. Great wines of all types from grapes mostly grown on sight. You will find wines you like out of the broad selection served. A definite stop off between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

My wife, daughter and myself spent a couple of hours at Casa Abril experiencing a fantastic wine tasting flight. Our hostess, Heidi, was absolutely delightful. She spent just the right amount of time introducing the various wines and the portions were just the right amount. We have been to other wine tastings where the amount availed made it difficult to determine whether we like the wine or not--this was not the case at Casa Abril.In addition to our wonderful hostess, the variety of wines are outstanding! We purchased 3 bottles and will certainly return to purchase more bottles to be part of our upcoming holiday experience and to share the wine as gifts.The Casa Abril Vineyards and Winery Tasting Room is a short 25 minute drive from Albuquerque and well worth it.

This was an actual experience! The owner took the time to go over everything with is and we really had an unforgettable time! They won themselves some new customers

We visited on a warm summer evening for the first event of this kind held at Casa Abril Vineyards. We were greeted warmly by the owner Raymond upon arrival. A guitarist was playing softly in the tasting room. The tasting room is air conditioned and there is a shade shelter with many tables and chairs on the west side of the building. An excellent array of food was served buffet style as several of the wines were poured for tasting. After an enjoyable repast, we were asked for our favorite of the wines we sampled. We were then served a full glass of the wine we selected. The winery and the tasting room have an excellent view of the Jemez Mountains to the west and the sunset was spectacular!

I saw a Trip Advisor sticker on the door and I knew that this was going to be a good place.We came with some friends to enjoy a wine tasting Groupon. I really enjoy Casa Abril wines. They are not cheap but they are well worth the price. We had chocolate-covered raisins and almonds to go with our tasting. The Groupon was 25 dollars for a two person tasting with a bottle of Estate Tempranillo. We tasted several styles of the wines and two vintages. This is a wonderful way to experience a winery. Our host Raymond Vigil, was charming and knowledgeable. His daughter is the vintner and she does a great job.It was a great way to spend an afternoon. We love the tempranillo style as well as the Tuscan style Sangiovese and the malbec, and all of this wine. It was great fun at a beautiful venue. We will be back.If you are looking for something uniquely New Mexican, I would highly recommend checking out this establishmentThursday through Sunday 12-5

The owner was very informative and the wines are great! We used Groupon and we tasted awesome wines and took several home!

Casa abril is a fantastic little winery near the Albuquerque area. Owner Raymond makes everyone feel like family and their wines are fantastic. Enjoyed just about all their reds and most whites.

A group of 17 women visited Casa Abril in Budaghers, NM, for a wine tasting as part of a tour of New Mexico wineries for a friend's birthday. This is a small boutique winery totally off the beaten path. The wines were excellent, especially their Malbec. It was easy to discover that the family that owns it puts a lot of time and attention into the quality of their wines. The owner spent a lot of time telling us about the history of the winery and their various wines. It was a totally enjoyable visit. Unfortunately, you have to make a trip to the winery to buy their wines as they are not distributed to retail stores.

We went there for a wine tasting today. They are up I-25 north of Albuquerque at the Budaghers exit 257. For $8 tasting fee you get 5 samples-we had a Muscat Canelli, Sol de Abril 2009 Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Savignon Blanc, Tempranillo 2011. Also almonds and chocolates. They also have a Tempranillo 2010 Reserve for sale. Raymond Vigil was a great host, told us some great family history. Showed us his wine making facilities. They made about 500 cases last year, hope to do 1000 cases this year. We came back with 3 bottles of vino. www.casaabrilvineyards.com

We visited Casa Abril in March 2011. We stopped there almost as lark, and it was a good thing we knew where it was - it's was not advertised like the others in the area. When we pulled up, it was a very modest place, not very fancy like some of the other vineyards we've been to. When we pulled up, the owner, Raymond Vigil, was out doing chores and came over to great us and welcome us in. Oh what a pleasant surprise. Raymond was obviously very proud of his vineyard and it showed in the way he presented his wines to us. The wines themselves were very different than the ones we normally drink. We are white wine drinkers, but his tempranillo wines were amazing. 7 different wines/vintages, all from tempranillo grapes, all distinctly different and all very good. When we got home from our trip, this stood out as one of the highlight. If you are in the Algones/Albuquerque area, stop by.