Years before I had any interest in the New Mexico wine industry, someone gave me a bottle of wine from Pasando Tiempo Winery. While I don’t remember the varietal (or possibly a blend), I remember thinking it was one of the best wines I’d ever tasted, and I remember the label. I’m not sure, at the time, that I even registered it as being a New Mexico wine, but it was also the first time that my husband and I actually consumed a whole bottle of wine in an evening—it was that good!
As time passed (see what I did there?), I became more familiar with New Mexico wines and when I decided to go all in promoting New Mexico wines, I knew I had to make a visit to Pasando Tiempo as soon as I could.
The above narrative is how I began my original post about Pasando Tiempo Winery and Vineyards just over one year ago. You can read my original post here, or visit my ARCHIVE page.
Recently, a group of us trekked up to Albuquerque to visit the brand new Pasando Tiempo tasting room located at 3741 NM-528 NW. We spent about 3 hours on their beautiful patio trying several different wines. I hope this update on Pasando Tiempo will encourage you to do the same!
Chris Carpenter, wine maker extraordinaire, and his beautiful wife, Martha live in Corrales and planted their first vines there in 2005. They have a beautiful homestead there with perfectly manicured lawns and the original tasting room that opened in 2011.
Pasando Tiempo has won multiple awards—and not only for their wines. They have received awards for being the best local winery, having the best local wine, and, for Chris, the best vintner. Most recently, they won the Albuquerque 2022 Best Family Business award. Corrales is a small village outside of Albuquerque. There is a relatively high concentration of very good wineries in a very small radius, so each of these awards is highly coveted.
Fast forward about 12-ish years. Chris and Martha decide they wanted to move to Europe–Italy, I think, is what Chris told me. After a few weeks, they looked deeply into one another’s eyes and knew, in that moment, THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME! So they moved back and decided to go all in with the wine business and create a beautiful new tasting room that would be accessible to both their loyal customers and new customers from a greater segment of the Albuquerque area. On August 11, 2023, Pasando Tiempo opened the doors at their new location.
Being in a larger, more competitive market calls for a new business model and I think Chris and Martha have an impressive plan that keeps the community-like atmosphere of their original Corrales location, while appealing to the more diverse population of Albuquerque. From what I can gather, they are approaching these goal from three important directions: Live Entertainment, Special Events, and a uniquely curated wine menu.
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On the evening we visited, there was a solo artist playing inside. We were sitting outside and I did not realize the music had begun until I stepped inside. The music was great because it wasn’t about the music. The music supported the overall atmosphere of the tasting room. It was good music because we could pause and listen to a favorite song or continue with our conversations. Pasando Tiempo has music every Friday and Saturday night. There is no cover charge, there is an eclectic variety of music styles from week-to-week, and there is plenty of room for dancing! Especially outside when the weather is nice. If you want to see what Pasando Tiempo is offering each week, you can follow them on Facebook.
COMMUNITY EVENTS: Chris and Martha offer something for everyone when it comes to events. They have had a Mimosa & Music Brunch Buffet, an Eclipse & Sips with Solar Glasses (the kind you wear, not drink from) and they are sponsoring a Holiday Shopping event with local vendors. The Carpenters are all about supporting local artists, musicians, dancers, craftsmen, you name it. They are fans of small business and are clearly proud of their community.
I should also note that the tasting room has a nice event space for corporate events, bridal showers, family reunions, etc. I don’t know anything about rental or availability, but it is definitely worth calling to find out if you are looking for an event space. (505.228.0154).
WINE: The NEW Pasando Tiempo has a uniquely curated wine list with something for everyone. At the time we visited, there were, I believe, 6 amazing flights to choose from. Each flight highlights four wines and we decided to order one of each. Two of the flights featured Chris’s wines. One flight was red and the other white (with a Rose). Both flights were spectacular, and the red one featured the Carpenter Family Meritage which is an absolutely phenomenal wine that I wrote about in my original post a year ago. The other 4 flights feature wines from other parts of New Mexico. There were flights from Vivac Winery, Black Mesa Winery and Cidery, Embudo Valley Vineyards, and RGW (Rio Grande Winery). When I spoke to Chris about his choices, he indicated that he was planning to change up the winery offerings periodically. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the evolution of the wine menu. The other great part about the wine list is that all the wines–even from other wineries–are available by the glass.
In addition to wine, there are New Mexico beers available, and I probably should take a moment to talk about the food. Pasando Tiempo offers charcuterie boards for sale, but on Friday and Saturday they have various food trucks serving. I didn’t ask if you could bring in your own food, but I suspect you can. As always, call ahead when you have questions.
Pasando Tiempo doesn’t have a wine club, but they do ship their wines to most states.
The tasting room is open Thursday: 1:00 pm – 08:00 pm. Friday and Saturday: 1:00 pm – 09:00 pm. Sunday: 1:00 pm – 06:00 pm.
I give the Pasando Tiempo 5 out of 5 Corks! I can’t think of a more charming way to “pass the time,” than with a visit to their new tasting room. When you do make a visit, please let Martha and Chris know you heard about them from Wine of Enchantment.
Please feel free to comment or email me with your winery visit comments, wine tasting experiences, or recent wine travel adventures.
Until next time…
#Cheers!
Wine of Enchantment 