New Mexico's wine scene, finally getting its moment
Telshor / East Las Cruces · Las Cruces · New Mexican / Southwestern · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Ristra doesn't try to be something it's not — it's a tight, regionally committed selection that leans hard into New Mexico producers in a way that feels intentional rather than apologetic. For a hotel restaurant in Las Cruces, that's a genuinely refreshing move. You're not staring at a wall of Kendall-Jackson and calling it a wine program.
The list runs somewhere between 25 and 45 bottles, anchored by a trio of New Mexico producers — Gruet, Ponderosa Valley Vineyards, and La Chiripada — supplemented by California and Spanish selections that round out the range without overpowering the local identity. Gruet's presence alone earns some credibility; their méthode champenoise sparkling wines are legitimately good and chronically underestimated outside the Southwest. The California and Spain bottles feel like they're there to comfort the skeptics, which is fair. Where the list falls short is depth — there's no real exploration beyond the surface of any of these regions, and if you want to dig into, say, Tempranillo or Grenache with any seriousness, you'll hit a wall fast.
Eight to fourteen pours by the glass is a respectable spread for a restaurant of this size and setting. The likelihood that Gruet's sparkling is available by the glass makes this a genuine bright spot — it's the kind of wine that works with nearly everything on Ristra's menu and rarely gets the by-the-glass treatment it deserves. Rotation appears limited, so don't expect seasonal surprises.
Gruet Sparkling Wine (NM) — $12
New Mexico méthode champenoise at hotel-restaurant prices is a legitimate steal. Gruet's bubbles are clean, food-friendly, and produced at altitude in a way that gives them real energy. Ordering this instead of a $14 cocktail is the move.
Ponderosa Valley Vineyards (NM)
Most tables are going to walk right past anything from Ponderosa Valley in favor of a California label they recognize — which is exactly the wrong call. This is a small high-desert producer making wines that actually taste like where they're from, and you're unlikely to find them on many menus outside New Mexico.
Generic California Red (list)
The California selections on this list exist to fill a comfort zone, not to excite anyone. You're paying hotel-restaurant markup for bottles you could grab at a grocery store back home. With New Mexico producers right there on the same list, there's no reason to default to the safe California pick.
La Chiripada (NM) + Carne Adovada
La Chiripada's reds tend toward earthy, medium-bodied profiles that won't fight with the deep red chile heat of carne adovada — they sit alongside it. The regional logic is also just hard to argue with: New Mexico wine with New Mexico's most iconic braised pork dish is the whole point of this list.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Ristra isn't going to blow any wine obsessives away, but for a hotel restaurant in Las Cruces it's doing something genuinely worthwhile — championing local producers on a list that could have easily gone full lazy-California. Come for the green chile, order the Gruet, and leave more impressed with New Mexico wine than you expected to be.
Telshor / East Las Cruces · Las Cruces · Italian
Mi Piaci isn't a wine destination, but it's a reliable neighborhood Italian with a list that won't let you down if you know what to order. Grab the Chianti, seriously consider the Amarone, and save room for the tiramisu.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Telshor / East Las Cruces · Las Cruces · Mexican and New Mexican
For a hotel cantina in Las Cruces, this list earns genuine respect by putting New Mexico producers front and center instead of hiding behind safe California imports. If you're anywhere near Hatch chile country and haven't tried Gruet with your enchiladas, Garduños is a reasonable place to fix that.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Telshor / East Las Cruces · Las Cruces · Steakhouse and Seafood
Cattle Baron isn't where you go to geek out on wine, but if you're in Las Cruces and you want a decent glass with a well-cooked steak, it delivers exactly that. Send a friend here for the beef; just don't tell them to splurge on the Caymus.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mesilla · Las Cruces · Bar / Wine-Friendly
La Posta is worth visiting for the history, the atmosphere, and absolutely the margaritas — but the wine list is a placeholder, not a program. Come here for the experience, drink the cocktails, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that's earned it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Telshor · Las Cruces · Italian
The wine list at Olive Garden Las Cruces is a corporate formality, not a feature — overpriced for what it is, with zero ambition and zero discovery. Order the breadsticks, order the Chianti if you must, but don't come here expecting anything from the wine program.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Las Cruces · Las Cruces · New American / Grill
De La Vega's Pecan Grill isn't a destination for wine lovers, but it's a perfectly decent place to drink well alongside a good steak in a warm setting. Go for the New Mexico pours, skip the Rombauer, and enjoy the orchard air.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.