All posts by Editorial Team

Hatch Green Chile: a local staple

Hatch green chiles are one of the most beloved crops in New Mexico, adored by people all across the country. In fact, they are so prized that they even have a festival celebrated in their honor, the Hatch Chile Festival, gathering around 30,000 people each year!

But what are they, and what really makes them so special?

Hatch chiles are long, fleshy, and green. They come in three levels of heat: mild, medium, and hot. They are typically roasted and are traditionally grown and harvested from, surprise surprise…the Hatch Valley!

Although other farms outside of Hatch do produce chiles that they incorrectly refer to as ‘hatch chiles’, nothing compares to the original crop in Hatch Valley because of the soil and growing conditions of the valley that are said to influence the flavor.

They have a very short season, limited to only two months – August and September. However, despite this slim availability margin, there is nothing to fear, because the roasted chiles can be easily frozen and preserved for future use.

Of course, what makes them adored above all else is not the culture, the valley, the soil, or the sweet rush of limited time availability.  No, what really makes them so revered is their flavor. They taste earthier than most other chiles, a taste that gives the impression of constant freshness, with a buttery, smokey flavor that is not only delicious but also extremely versatile.

Hatch chile has made its way into just about every type of food imaginable, from traditional New Mexican foods like salsa and enchiladas to pizza, sushi, and desserts like ice cream, chocolate, or pie and wine.

We believe that the Hatch green chile that is grown and produced right here in New Mexico is a unique treasure, so we proudly incorporate it into our Signature dishes.

Hatch Green Chile is the star of the show in our Pasta New Mexico. Our executive chefs combine quality linguini with a special cream sauce, topped with lightly golden sautéed chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and provolone cheese.  Pair it with our D.H. Lescombes Heritage Series Pinot Gris, for a savory pairing that will bring a smile to your face.

You can also enjoy our local green chile in our fan-favorite dish, the Southwest Meatloaf, made with quality ground beef, drizzled with mango-chipotle glaze. Take dinner to the next level with our D.H. Lescombes 6*3*1 Malvasia-Riesling.

Taste the tradition!

4 Things to Love about our Frozen Wine Cocktails

Have you tried our frozen wine cocktails? You may have enjoyed our Frosé (part wine, part fruit, part slushy concoction) during the Las Cruces, Albuquerque, and Deming wine festivals.

Now you can enjoy our new hand-crafted wine cocktails at D.H. Lescombes! Try our Frosé, New Mexico Sunrise, Five Cherry Chill, or Pinot Smash while dining with us in Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Las Cruces, or Deming.

Here are four things you’ll love about our frozen wine cocktails.

1. Handcrafted Fresh

We believe everyone is as unique as the drink they choose to sip. We carefully handcraft and immediately serve each frozen wine cocktail. It’s a perfectly frosty, frozen treat every time!

2. Quality Ingredients

We proudly use our award-winning wines, real fruit, and beautiful garnish in our Frozen Wine Cocktails. For example:

Try a Frosé at D.H. Lescombes

Our beautiful Frosé is made with real strawberries, blended with our award-winning D.H. Lescombes Heritage Series Rosé. The fresh flavor profile of ruby-red grapefruit, tart raspberry, and strawberry will give you major tropical vibes.

Try a New Mexico Sunrise at D.H. Lescombes

The sweet and tangy New Mexican Sunrise is made with D.H. Lescombes 6•3•1 Malvasia-Riesling blended with St. Clair Bellissimo, real mango, with a touch of tajin and chamoy.

This colorful frozen wine drink will make you feel like you’re on vacation.

3. Pairings

Enjoy pairing these refreshing cocktails with some of our popular menu items!

Here are some of our favorite pairings
Our famous Bistro Burger paired with the delicious New Mexico Sunrise frozen wine cocktail.

NM Sunrise paired with our Bistro Burger. The sweet and tangy flavors will complement the rich, juicy burger.

Summer Berry Salad paired with our Frosé, a frozen Rosé wine cocktail

Frosé paired with our Summer Berry Salad. The fresh, fruit ingredients of the salad complement the flavors, aromas, and crispness of the frozen wine.

4. Most importantly, we love what our guests say about these refreshing wine-based cocktails!

“Frosé, you’re everything I never knew I needed.” – Jessica

“Refreshing and Classy.” – Margaret

“So good! We are never disappointed!” – Rebekkah

Go ahead and enjoy one today, because it’s impossible to be unhappy with one of these frozen treats in your hand!

Available at our Deming, Las Cruces, Alamogordo, and Albuquerque locations seasonally.

Reopening June 15th

The Lescombes family would like to send a huge THANK YOU to our friends and neighbors for your support and patience as we’ve navigated through these unprecedented times.


The Governor recently announced that restaurants will be allowed to open starting on June 1st at 50% capacity. Although we are excited to get back to serving you, we are going to take some time to better
prepare for reopening while continuing to offer our curbside to-go options.


We will open our locations in Albuquerque and Las Cruces for dine-in services beginning June 15th. Our Santa Fe location, which is temporarily closed, will also reopen June 15th. Between now and then, we will be working diligently to ensure that we are able to serve each and every guest to the high standard that you’ve come to expect from us. As always, our top priority is the health and safety of our team and guests.


We are diligently working to ensure we have:

  • Easy options for how to browse our menu without sharing between guests.
  • A comprehensive plan for sanitization and cleanliness along with a training program for all staff.
  • A steady supply of necessary ingredients so we can offer a selection we can be proud of.
  • A supply of single-serve items to replace shareable condiments.
  • A supply of hand-sanitizer and surface/equipment sanitizer to maintain a high level of cleanliness.
  • Cashier sneeze barriers where recommended
  • Planning seating areas to ensure the minimum required distance between tables
  • A no-contact option for credit card payments
  • Any other requirements as noted in official COVID-19 safe practices

If you have any other considerations, feel free to let us know. We’d love to hear from you!


Thank you all again, it will be our pleasure to see our dining room full of smiling faces!


For the latest news on our opening, our sanitization policies, our menu options, our special offers, and our entertainment schedule, please like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Romantic Ideas for Valentine’s Day or Any Day

romantic ideas for valentine's day or anyday

Valentine’s Day is the ultimate day of the year to show your significant other just how special they are to you. Of course, it is not reserved only for Valentine’s Day. Here are some ideas on how to make valentine’s day, date-night, anniversary, or any other day that much more romantic for you and your loved one.

If you’re just not the romantic type, or you just need some new ideas on how to impress and surprise your loved one. Here are some sure-fire ways to get their attention and leave them feeling loved and pampered for Valentine’s Day, anniversary, birthday, or any other day just because!

Romantic Idea #1. Play Cupid!

romantic valentine's day wine gift basket

Wine, chocolates, and exquisite treats are sure to make your sweetheart weak in the knees. We have just the perfect solution that is well-made and easy-to-order. You choose their favorite wine, and we’ll get it shipped to you, or straight to their door. Be sure to order before February 7th to ensure delivery by Valentine’s Day.  Click here to order online or call our gift basket experts at 575-546-1179.

Romantic Idea #2.  Plan a Romantic Dinner Together!

romantic valentine's day dinner at D.H. Lescombes Winery and Bistro

Perhaps the most traditional and obvious way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is the romantic dinner for two. Sure, cooking for your loved one is the perfect way to show that you care, but allowing someone else to do the cooking gives you time to focus on each other. The cozy atmosphere, special Valentine’s Day four-course dinner, and glass of our vibrant Rosé or celebratory bubbly wines are sure to make it an unforgettable day for you and your Valentine. For details on the celebration, click here.

Of course, we offer the romantic-vibe and great food and service all year round with our wonderful appetizers, delicious entrees, delectably unique desserts, and local wine and craft beer.

Romantic Idea #3. Sweet Treats for your Sweetie!

D.H. Lescombes Imperial Kir Raspberry Sorbet Float

The best times can often be had to relax at home together. After all, it’s so easy to curl up together on the couch and watch a movie. Take the usual wine or dessert a step further by combining the two into a romantic treat that is as special as your significant other. This easy Imperial Kir Raspberry Sorbet Float recipe is sure to make the special day even sweeter, valentine’s day, or any day. Click here for step by step instructions.

St. Clair To Adopt D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro Name

Owned and operated by Lescombes Family Vineyards, St. Clair Winery & Bistro will be adopting the name D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro. The transition will take place at all St. Clair branded locations across the state this spring.

As one of the most recognizable and popular wine brands in New Mexico today, St. Clair hasn’t always been that way.

“The original investors that opened St. Clair in Deming were unsuccessful, the winery closed its doors, and the timing just worked in our favor,” recounts Hervé Lescombes.  “I was in a position to purchase the winery in the early ’90s, and we moved in and picked up where the investors left off.”

Hervé had been producing wine for many years near Lordsburg after he and his wife, Danielle, emigrated from France in 1981 with their three children.

The family has owned and operated the winery ever since. New Mexicans happily sipped on the new St. Clair wine in addition to the family’s selection of existing Blue Teal wine.  Hervé’s sons, Florent and Emmanuel, soon joined in the business as winemaker and viticulturist, respectively. Growth was steady as the family made use of the larger winery facility. Hervé’s family label, D.H. Lescombes—standing for ‘Danielle & Hervé’—had been also added to their product line in 1991.

In 2005, the family opened their first restaurant in Albuquerque under the St. Clair name, and a new concept was born. Highlighting St. Clair wines paired with unique bistro dishes proved to be a winning combination. The family soon built upon their success and opened restaurants in Las Cruces and Farmington. In Santa Fe, they recently opened Hervé Wine Bar one block from the historic plaza. The family enthusiastically caters to their guests, offering a unique experience that melds wine, food, and a dose of family heritage.

What was once a small-town family business grew to be a New Mexico icon whose success story was owed to the ingenuity, hard work, and dedication of the Lescombes family. Spanning six-generations and three continents, the family legacy of winemaking is more alive than ever.

“We are moving in a direction that better tells the story of our heritage,” says President, Florent Lescombes of the adoption of the D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro name. “The grapes we grow, the guests we serve, and every step between is a part of who we are. We are proud to put our family name on it.”

The wine focus will shift to their D.H. Lescombes wines to include their Heritage Series, Limited Release, and new 6-3-1 Signature Series at company-owned locations. St. Clair wines will continue to be offered at retailers across the state and ingrained in the Lescombes family’s bright future. After all, their St. Clair Mimbres Red has grown to become the number one wine in the state, beating the likes of Kendall-Jackson, Mondavi, and Yellowtail.

“St. Clair will always be part of us,” said Florent, “While St. Clair will remain one of our brands, our locations will be centered around the family name, allowing us to connect on a more personal level with our guests. We want you to feel like you are dining with our family.”

Guests will be delighted to see new signage, menus, and additional details proudly displaying the Lescombes name.

“We are excited and proud that we have this opportunity,” says CEO, Brandon Young, “We’ve always loved telling the story of Hervé, his family’s migration to New Mexico, and the winemaking heritage of the Lescombes family. It makes sense that we allow the Lescombes name to shine through. We are true to our roots, we want our name to reflect that.”

Lescombes Family Vineyards is the premier vineyard and winery in the state of New Mexico. Since 1981, they have been leading the industry with an array of wines to include traditional, hand-crafted releases and highly-acclaimed, award-winning favorites. Their company-owned locations consist of Bistros in Albuquerque, and Las Cruces; Hervé Wine Bar in Santa Fe; and a tasting room in Deming. Their family-owned vineyard thrives just east of Lordsburg with 200 planted acres. The family’s mission is to passionately craft quality wine and food to be enjoyed with friends and family. You can read more about the family and their offerings at www.lescombeswinery.com.

Truffles & Bubbles

What a better way to celebrate the day of love than with truffles and bubbles?

Join us on Valentine’s Day and enjoy a flight of three sparkling wines alongside three specially paired local handmade truffles.

Featuring:
D.H. Lescombes Imperial Kir– A crisp, bubbly wine that gets a touch of natural raspberry, making it semi-sweet. It boasts a beautiful, light rose color and a crisp flavor profile composed of ripe, juicy raspberries with a hint of melon.

D.H. Lescombes Brut is crisp and dry with a golden straw color, boasting a nose of white flowers and minerality with flavors of green apple, minerality and a delicate citrus zest finish.

D.H. Lescombes Danielle Brut is a light and golden wine that has a clean, fresh nose of apple, toast, and notes of pineapple. Flavors of apple cider and pineapple are suspended in pleasant, moderate acidity with a crisp lemon finish.

This memorable experience is only $18. Don’t miss it.

Deming St. Clair Sip & Snack

Celebrate your loved one and your love of wine at the Deming Tasting Room!

Sip sumptuous wine while savoring complimentary treats.

Enjoy Live Music by Brandon Perrault from 5 to 8 pm.

FREE Wine Flight with purchase of a nosh platter.

Enjoy a glass of St. Clair wine for $5/glass
*excludes St. Clair Port and Kiva

Supporting LOCAL FOOD BANKS WITH A WINE RELEASE PARTY

Combining the release of one of our top-tier wines and some specially-paired bites, we are planning an evening to delight guests across the state of New Mexico—and using it as an opportunity to support a worthy cause; to fund local food banks.

The new wine release, D.H. Lescombes Limited Release 2014 Petit Verdot, is one of the Lescombes family’s favorite varietals due to its consistent fruit production and bold, hardy character.

“We mature each of our Limited Release wines on French oak for at least one year,” explains Melissa Landeros,
Winemaker at St. Clair. “In this case, we aged for three years on oak and an additional year in the bottle which
resulted in a softer, well-balanced wine.”

Release party guests will be presented with a glass of the newest release alongside wine-inspired hors-d’oeuvres selected by St. Clair Winery Chefs. Guests will also have access to purchase from the limited supply at the event, ahead of the public release scheduled for February 15th.

“Our D.H. Lescombes Limited Release wines are a selection of the best varietals grown and crafted in New Mexico,” noted Melissa Landeros, Winemaker. “The entire process—in the vineyard, in the barrel, and into the bottle—is controlled and monitored carefully to ensure it reaches its full potential.”

The admission fee of $15 per person is being donated in full to local food banks in New Mexico including Roadrunner Food Bank, Echo Food Bank in Farmington, and The Food Depot in Santa Fe. All three non-profit organizations are focused on the goal of ending hunger in New Mexico. St. Clair is encouraging guests to reserve their spot by purchasing tickets in advance since space is limited.

What: Release Party for D.H. Lescombes 2014 New Mexico Petit Verdot Limited Release                                                                                                     Where: St. Clair locations in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Farmington, Deming, and Hervé Wine Bar in Santa Fe
When: January 9, Las Cruces | January 11, Deming | January 14, Farmington | January 15, Santa Fe |
January 16, Albuquerque; 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Why: Highly-acclaimed wine & food with admission benefiting local food banks

Purchase your tickets today,  click here. 

ST. CLAIR AND COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT CANCER WARRIORS

Just in time for Christmas, the St. Clair Winery team presented a check to Cancer Support of Deming and Luna County from the proceeds of the 8th annual St. Clair Winefest. The local non-profit provides a variety of support to cancer patients in the community. They also provide outreach services for general education, early detection, screening programs, and general
cancer awareness.


“We provide transportation assistance to cancer patients within Deming and Luna County” explains Patient Advocate, Joanna Costilla. “We have vans that we offer to transport patients to and from out-of-town appointments at no charge. We also have a voucher program that can also help defray the cost of gas for qualifying patients who drive themselves.”


“Year after year, our amazing community comes together to support this local cause,” said Lora Robinson, General Manager at St. Clair Winery & Tasting Room. “We’re grateful we are able to continue to carry on this tradition to benefit local cancer warriors and thankful for the continued support from our guests and employees.”


This year’s Winefest donation was $8,407.10, which has been credited to both attendance and silent auction donations collected from local businesses.

Deming & Luna County Cancer Support can be reached at (575) 546-4780

DH Lescombes Limited Release Renaissance Release Party

Please join us for the highly anticipated release of our D.H. Lescombes Limited Release Renaissance.

Enjoy special hors-d’oeuvres selected by our Executive Chef.

Your donation of $15 at the door will benefit MindMatters, a non-profit created to raise awareness and erase the stigma of mental illness in New Mexico.

Buy tickets online here.


Farmington – St Clair Winery & Bistro

Monday, December 3 from 6 – 8 pm

Albuquerque – St Clair Winery & Bistro 

Tuesday, December 4 from 6 – 8 pm

Santa Fe – Hervé Wine Bar 

Wednesday, December 5 from 6 to 8 pm 

Las Cruces – St Clair Winery & Bistro 

Thursday, December 6 from 6 – 8 pm

Deming – St. Clair Winery & Tasting Room  

Friday, December 7 from 6 – 8 pm 

Come join us and bring your friends to support this great cause!

Buy tickets online here.