Mesilla Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) that extends along the edges of the Rio Grande river in New Mexico, with a small portion spilling into western Texas. Vineyards cover less than 50 acres (20ha) of this dry, hot region, so Mesilla Valley wine is rarely seen outside New Mexico. Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Syrah are the most important grape varieties planted here.
The explorer Don Juan de Onate – who arrived in the area in 1598 and went on to become Spain's provincial governor during the colonial era – named a local village Trenquel de la Mesilla, meaning 'little table', in reference to the small plateau on which the village sat. The name became synonymous with the wider valley – a stated requirement for the creation of an AVA title.
The AVA, established in 1985, covers approximately 280,000 acres (113,500ha). The Mesilla Valley's high altitude – reaching 4300ft (1300m) above sea level – is visually compounded by the presence of the Organ Mountains to the west and the Rio Grande, which flows through the valley.
As in other New Mexico wine-growing areas, there is significant diurnal temperature variation here during the winter and spring, with temperatures fluctuating from as high as 70F (20C) to freezing. The classic hallmarks of a continental climate also manifest themselves in the summer months, when daytime highs sometimes exceed 100F (40C). Breezes funneled along the Rio Grande go some way to tempering these extremes of climate, ensuring grapes retain acidity during the ripening process.
The Mesilla Valley is very dry, with annual average precipitation of only 10in (250mm), the majority of which falls in the eastern, higher portion of the valley on the slopes of the Franklin Mountains. However, it is not as dry as the semi-desert of the Mimbres Valley, which receives just 9in (225mm) of rain a year.
The landscape in Mesilla Valley was carved out by flooding in the Rio Grande, and the soils in the area are a reflection of their alluvial origin. Made up of sand, loam and clay, along with sedimentary deposits from the nearby mountain ranges, the soils have moderate depths and are reasonably free-draining.
While the classic red vinifera varieties are the most important in the Mesilla Valley, growers are beginning to experiment with more-exotic grape varieties such as Gewurztraminer and Tempranillo.
