Award-winning vintner and owner of Casa Rondeña Winery, John Calvin, wanted to create a serene environment with Mediterranean ambience where food, wine, music, memorable events, architecture, wellness, culture, and intellectual discourse are the essential elements. To that end, he and his two young sons, Ross and Clayton, did their first grape plantings and started the winery in 1995 at Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.
John told us, “The driving force for me was to create a center of gravity for the dense and beautiful culture of New Mexico. We took the name from a place in Andalusia in southern Spain, where I spent a lot of time as a young man as a Flamenco player. I studied the classical music of India and the Flamenco of Southern Spain. It was there that I began to form the philosophy that wine, in addition to music and architecture, is another way to experience the beauty around us and to join the diverse elements of nature and earth into a graceful fabric.”
John opened The Tasting Room and a winery building in 1997. In 2008, he added a new barrel aging and storage facility to expand the production capability and to hold special events. In 2010, he moved out of the home that he had built on the property and created the 1629 Club, named after the year that Spanish monks first smuggled grape vines for winemaking to New Mexico, which, at that time, was forbidden by the Spanish Crown. Membership in the 1629 Club includes access to the private club and many other benefits. Animante de Rondeña is a new event venue for weddings and other special celebrations, both grand and intimate. The 1629 Club and Animante de Rondeña both offer annual memberships with many perks.
John’s winery produces a number of award-winning wines. He has dedicated himself to producing the best red wines in the state, including the 2008 Meritage and the 2009 1629. The Meritage Red has received 11 gold and double-gold medals over the last 3 years. The winery also produces very well-respected white wine offerings as well, including his estate-bottled Riesling blends, which won Best of Show in the New Mexico State Wine Competition for two consecutive years, and his 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Founder’s Reserve. His passion is to seek the best expressions of the high desert environment.
John says, “New Mexico is the oldest wine producer in North America, so it’s part of our cultural institution. I wanted to remind New Mexicans of our roots in southern Spain. Our Spanish and Moorish architecture reflects that as well. I like to celebrate the creation of beauty for its own sake and just make it a better place to live.”
A native of the Rio Grande Valley, he also brings in artistic and philosophical events. He told us, “We are really dedicated to the performing arts. I think for a chamber music venue, it's the nicest in New Mexico. We also focus on philosophy, literature, learning, and community outreach. We have monthly philosophy and literature meetings.” When we were writing this story, he was planning an event to honor veterans in New Mexico. These events endeavor to be diverse and inclusive. His commitment to the local culture, architectural aesthetics, contemplative/ educational experiences, and respect for the land is notable.
John sums up his philosophy, “Many people ask me, well, how did you get from architecture to winemaking or music to architecture, and my answer is ‘I didn't.’ They're all the same thing in my brain. They are all elements of those disciplines.”
Casa Rondeña Winery is at 733 Chavez Road NW, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.
Their phone number is 505.344.5911, and their website is https://www.casarondena.com/.
New Mexico is the oldest wine producer in North America, so it’s part of our cultural institution