Died and Gone to Heaven

"Fueled by Vivác" became a very literal term as we took 16 wine enthusiasts on a float trip down the Rio Chama. Combine Vivác Winery, Lambert's Taos and New Mexico River Adventures for a trip of a life time. To call this trip "incredible" is an understatement that you will only be able to fully comprehend after you experience it yourself.

This 3 day trip was the epitome of Gucci Camping. We had the expertise of the New Mexico River Adventures' guides waiting on us hand and foot. They shared history of the area, pointed out wild life and navigated the waters all while being charming entertainers. Chef Ky of Lambert's Taos fame made exquisite 3 course meals nightly featuring local greens, herbs and meats. Each dish paired breathtakingly well with all of our wines; the duck in a chipotle apricot glaze with the Divino red wine blend was a particular stand out. These intimate dinners set on the banks of the Rio Chama with stunning views featured wine maker talks, chef tidbits and more fun than you can imagine... cue the "Fueled by Vivác" reference. The white table cloths glowed in the candle light as magnificent course after course was served.

The Rio Chama is accessible by river only making it a jewel to behold, somehow still untouched by the outside world. Dramatic cliff walls dropped down to the water's edge and teamed with life. Unfortunately there were several snake encounters which rocked me to the depth of my core. Even considering the skin crawling experience of almost peeing on a snake, I'm hard pressed to come up with a negative for this trip.

New Mexico River Adventures asked us to join them on this brilliant gourmet raft trip a few years ago and it has since become a highly sought after experience, selling out and garnering a waiting list. People come from all over the country to this river in New Mexico to feed their love of the outdoors and their craving for exceptional food and wine. We are honored to be a part of this annual trip and to host the wine maker dinners each evening.

I have to say, I personally love doing wine maker dinners because it is one of the few times we pull the wine makers out of the winery and vineyard, dust them off and let them be adored. I love that people appreciate all the passion and hard work Jesse and Chris put into making each of their wines. I love seeing people truly understand the artistry in each glass as they listen to the wine makers describe a wine much the way they would describe a child, in loving detail. Our wine makers are a bit shy about all this attention however, which is why this trip offers the perfect setting. Wine enthusiasts get to spend 3 days rafting, camping, eating and laughing with the wine makers, it moves past the theoretical into honest friendship. Each evening, our new friends are treated to the secrets that are behind the beautiful wines Jesse and Chris make and the charming personalities of the men themselves. They truly are talented and I'm not just saying that because I'm married to one of them.

This annual trip with Vivác Winery is the Saturday/ Sunday/ Monday of the Memorial Day weekend. Please contact New Mexico River Adventures to make your reservations. www.newmexicoriveradventures.com/ 

oh and no...I didn't run at all while on this trip.

-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.vivacwinery.com