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wine. spirits. food. art.

life’s pleasurable essentials

OUR WINES OUR FOOD

During COVID lockdown, please enjoy our limited seating for dining Thursday-Friday 4pm to 7pm, and Saturday from 12pm to 7pm on our heated patio. It’s cozy! Reservations recommended.

You can always enjoy Vara at home. Our spirits, wines and food are available for take-out.

We appreciate your continued support.

At Vara, we invite you to join the passion. Our setting is an eclectic mix of winery, distillery, Taberna, retail shop, and events venue. The atmosphere is unique and diverse with an industrial chic feeling inside and a spacious patio outside to watch the awe-inspiring sunsets.

Our tasting room provides wine, beer, and spirits tastings, and a host of delicious cocktails, along with hot and cold tapas service, live music, and an occasional breakout of Flamenco dancing.

Our weekly events are very popular, so we recommend that you make reservations, and remember that under current social distancing rules we cannot accommodate groups larger than 6 at a table.

We’re also available by appointment for wine tastings and special events. Call 505.898.6280 or email us at info@varawines.com.

Vara lets you choose your own experience with a full complement of possibilities. Come visit us. We are certain you will be back for more. Join the passion and live it!

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Our Wines

We produce wines from Spanish grape varietals grown in Spain and various American vineyards including right here in New Mexico. 

Under the direction of our winemaking team, Bob and Louisa Lindquist, we acquire fruit from the highest quality growers of Spanish grape varieties in the U.S. The harvested fruit is brought to our New Mexico facility where the wines are made and aged in individual lots until Bob and Louisa assemble the final cuvees.

Vara co-founders Doug Diefenthaler and Xavier Zamarripa regularly travel to Spain and are committed to growing or locating the best fruit for our Spanish wines and cava. We are very fortunate to have agreements for grape production and wine making with the best grape growers and producers in Spain. 

With a salute to their Spanish heritage, Vara’s wines are simply put — remarkable.  

 

Vara Wines

    • Wines

      Glass / Bottle

    • Apertif

      VIÑA CARDINAL – NM 12 / 32
      VERMUT SECO 8 / 20
      VERMUT SECO 375 ML13
      VERMUT DULCE 8 / 20
      VERMUT DULCE 375 ML13

    • Red

      GARNACHA 2018 ESP8 / 18
      MONASTRELL 2018 USA12 / 30

      TEMPRANILLO 2018 ESP8 / 18
      TEMPRANILLO 2018 USA13 / 32

    • Rosado

      GARNACHA ROSADO 2018 ESP8 / 17

    • Sparkling

      SILVERHEAD BRUT CAVA ESP9 / 20
      SILVERHEAD BRUT CAVA ESP 375 ML13
      SILVERHEAD BRUT RESERVA ESP10 / 23
      SILVERHEAD BRUT ROSADO ESP10 / 23

    • White

      VIURA 2019 ESP8 / 17
      ALBARIÑO 2018 USASOLD OUT

    • Sangria

    • Sangria

      SANGRIA TINTO 1.5 LITERS9 / 49

    • Wine Cocktails

    • Silverhead Escape

      9

      Silverhead Brut Cava, Ginger, Lime, Jalapeño

    • Silverhead Kir Royal

      9

      Silverhead Brut Cava, Pomegranate, Raspberry

    • Sweet & Seco

      9

      Half Vermut Dulce, Half Vermut Seco on the rocks with an orange twist.

    • Wine Flights

      1.5 oz of each wine

    • Vara Wine Flight #00

      12

      Select any four wines

    • Vara Wine Flight #01

      12

      SILVERHEAD BRUT CAVA
      SILVERHEAD BRUT ROSADO CAVA
      SILVERHEAD BRUT RESERVA CAVA
      VIÑA CARDINAL – NM

    • Vara Wine Flight #02

      12

      VIURA 2018
      GARNACHA ROSADO 2018
      GARNACHA TINTO 2018 ESP
      TEMPRANILLO 2018 ESP

    • Vara Wine Flight #03

      12

      GARNACHA TINTO 2018 ESP
      MONASTRELL 2018 USA
      TEMPRANILLO 2018 ESP
      TEMPRANILLO 2017 USA

    • Beers

    • Featured New Mexico Beers

      6

      ON TAP selections vary

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Vara Spirits

    • Spirits

    • FINE ALEMBIC BRANDY8 / 32
      Solera Reserva Lot #0120

      FINE SPANISH BRANDY9 / 39
      Solera Reserva Lot #0819

      PASO UNO 1 LITER8 / 39

      Artisanal Immature Brandy

      HIGH DESERT GIN9 / 36

      HIGH DESERT GIN 1 LITER45

      RUM BLANCO8 / 35

      RUM BLANCO 1 LITER44

       

      RUM AÑEJO9 / 38

      TAYLOR GARRETT WHISKEY10 / 53

      TAYLOR GARRETT RYE10 / 53

    • Spirit Flights

      1/2 oz of each spirit

    • Find Your Own Wings

      12

      Select any four of our spirits to create your own flight

    • The Angel's Share

      12

      HIGH DESERT GIN
      FINE ALEMBIC BRANDY
      RUM AÑEJO
      TAYLOR GARRETT WHISKEY

    • Cocktails

    • Apple Daiquiri

      10

      Vara Rum Blanco, lime, apple cider syrup

    • Cucumber Gimlet

      11

      Vara High Desert Gin, cucumber, lime juice, simple syrup, soda

    • Don't Be So Chai

      12

      Vara Rum Añejo, Chai syrup, lemon juice, mole bitters

    • Final Approach

      11

      Taylor Garrett Whiskey, rosemary syrup, lemon, lime

    • First Class Old Fashioned

      13

      Taylor Garrett Whiskey, bitters, orange bitters, syrup, brandied cherry

    • Pumpkin Old Fashioned

      13

      Taylor Garrett Rye, pumpkin spice simple syrup, mole bitters

    • Spanish 77

      12

      Vara Spanish Brandy, lemon, simple syrup, Vara Silverhead Brut Cava

    • The Pink Drink Effect

      11

      Paso Uno, hibiscus and orange syrup, lemon

    • Tropical Heat

      11

      Serrano infused Vara Rum Blanco, pineapple, lime, simple syrup, bitters

    • Vara-tini

      12

      Vara High Desert Gin, Vara Vermut Seco

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Our Food

Our new To Go Menu offerings are already receiving great reviews. You’ll find our pairing suggestions with each menu item,
but by all means, have fun trying out new combinations. If you like the way it tastes, then it’s the right pairing.

 

Take Out & Patio Dining

Limited Outdoor Dining | Reservations Required
Thursday – Friday 4pm – 7pm, Saturday 12pm – 7pm

    • To Go Menu

    • Albondigas

      Lone Mountain Wagyu beef and pork meatballs, Manchego cheese, and spicy heirloom tomato ragout
      10

    • Arugula Salad

      Arugula, roasted beets, pickled red onion, feta cheese, pistachios, and citrus-saffron vinaigrette
      8

    • Beef Short Rib Pintxos

      Butternut squash purée, pickled collard greens, pepitas, mustardo, and Vara demi-glace
      13

    • Chicken Pintxos

      Caramelized onion, piquillo pepper, and sherry cream sauce
      6

    • Mac N Cheese

      Manchego cheese, crispy chorizo, and fresh herb oil
      10

    • Papas Bravas

      Spicy fried potatoes, chipotle aioli, and rosemary
      5

    • Pork Belly

      Crispy Brussels sprouts, grilled apple, and roasted garlic-mushroom caldo
      16

    • Tapas Platter

      Rotating selection of meat and cheese with Marcona almonds, pistachios, olives, and toasted bread
      15

    • Vara Paella

      Saffron bomba rice, chicken, chorizo, shrimp, mussels, clams, and saffron aioli
      35
      2 – 4 Servings

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dessert

Leche Frita

A traditional Spanish dessert of fried milk custard with spiced apple, Taylor Garrett caramel, and cinnamon whipped cream
7

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, eggs or unpasteurized milk may increase your risk of food borne illness

VARA WINERY & DISTILLERY
315 Alameda Blvd. NE.  Albuquerque, NM 87113  505.898.6280