Rio Grande Vineyard and Winery

Gordon Steel was born in Hatch, the chile capital of New Mexico – if not the world. But Steel, as a child, dreamed of grapes. And now Steel is the winemaker of Rio Grande Vineyards & Winery in the historic Mesilla Valley in southern New Mexico.

As Steel grew up, so did his dream – especially when his wife, Sandi, became part of the passion to plant a vineyard and build a winery. They fueled their passion by visiting wineries of California and Europe during the time Gordon served in the Air Force. When time allowed, the couple tried growing grapes in Albuquerque’s South Valley.

“We tried for nine years (1986-1995) to have a vineyard and even a small winery,” Steel says. “But we just could not get our grapes to grow. That’s why we moved to south of Mesilla.”

Fortunately, the move transformed the dream into reality, first with a 10-acre vineyard of vinifera grapes planted in 2004. The first harvest came in 2007. But one can’t just dream about becoming a winemaker, so Steel studied the craft at UC Davis and Washington State University. And one cannot just dream of a winery without careful consideration for the tasting room. So the couple built a modern winery and an attractive tasting room with a backdrop of the dramatic Organ Mountains.

Steel retired from the Air Force in 2009, and now he and Sandi aren’t just dreaming; they’re living in their dream.