ALBUQUERQUE, N.M – Folks went out to Balloon Fiesta Park Saturday afternoon, not for hot air balloons but for the New Mexico Wine Festival. 

Wine enthusiasts said they love having all their favorites in one place for the weekend.

“It’s so great. I honestly feel like it’s just everybody coming together to enjoy our common passion of growing wine and making wine and selling it,” said Audrey Platt with Noisy Water Winery.

She says a lot goes into your favorite glass of red or white. From their vineyard in Alto to the winery in Rincon, and finally into customers’ glasses. 

“So it’s so nice to see all the finished product when you know how much went into it. And of course, a lot of the bottles they’ve been, you know, in tanks for sometimes a year, sometimes even more,” said Platt. 

Platt says New Mexico is perfect for grape growing.  

“They like to dry out, and it changes the flavor completely. It adds to like more of like a hardiness of the grape, and it really does produce quality wines. And I’ve seen that time and time again, it’s amazing,” Platt said. 

But with their roots in Ruidoso, the Blue 2 Fire is a big concern for Platt. 

“It’s kind of strange being here at this festival and having a good time and just kind of worried in the back of your mind. Like, oh, I hope everything’s okay, back home,” said Platt. 

People were still enjoying the wine and the weather.

‘”I’ve always just liked it. I always really enjoyed it, so it’s a nice vibe. It’s sunny, but it keeps it cool,” said Kiana Davis. 

The wine festival is going on until Monday, so you still have time to check out for favorite wines. 

Don’t forget, the “Take a Ride on Us” program through Bernalillo County is offering the Uber code “NMMD24” for the holiday weekend.