Sunland Winery

Went for the art market one Friday. Was unsure what the venue consisted of, as it hadn’t been well advertised or marketed. The art market was okay, more crafty in nature, at least that nite. The winery and brewery section was nice, staff was friendly, and prices were very affordable. The owner greeted and chatted with me for a bit, the beer selection was small, but the flavors were good (I got a sampler flight for $ 5). No ice water available, have to pay for bottles. They also don’t allow food from outside (I overheard them tell a couple they couldn’t have sandwiches they brought from home, which struck me as odd anyway). The patio area was very clean and well lit. Bartender Alex (I think that was his name) was efficient and very kind. Sitting at the bar while he worked was a comfortable balance of being attended to while not being overly disrupted :)

I’m so saddened by the new management Sal. My husband and I had been coming here for different occasions. We have done the painting classes, the dancing classes with Cindy, we had came to listen to the different bands, and even attended cook outs outside in the patio. In fact, we were going to have our wedding here but due to unforseen scheduling conflicts we couldn’t. The place was so casual and welcoming. We were never treated wrong and our needs were always heard. At that time management would work around your budget to make the customer happy. We stopped going due to our hectic schedules and now that our 1 year anniversary is coming up we decided to have our celebration here: something small, casual, and intimate. We thought of having a small cookout outside like the so many we had attended. When I called I found out it was under new management and some things had changed. We were told our date was available and to stop by to review information. The entire time on the phone the person would not let me speak and would speak over me. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and we stopped by and met with Sal. It was such a distasteful experience. Sal was defensive from the start, he wouldn’t let us speak and he bad mouth old management very badly. He proudly stated he had «fired her.» When we asked about their wine/​beer policy and if bringing our own food was a possibility since it was a possibility in the past (I also consider it to be a typical question you ask when looking at venues) he became upset and said, «no, what do you mean?! Don’t you believe me?! Google it. Google new Mexico laws! We serve our own food! «. And he kept going and going and going about this. We were completely taken aback by our simple question.
He was very abrasive and it was apparent from the get-​go that making money was his primary agenda. He was extremely rude, unprofessional, and forget about your needs being heard or him trying to make an attempt to work around your budget. It’s unfortunate that we will not be going back to a place that we would visit frequently. We did express this to Sal and he didn’t seem a bit bothered. He continued speaking about how he has raised his sales by 75%, money, money, money. Do I care? No. He initially had confirmed over the phone that our date was available, but when he found it it was for a small party he insisted we move it inside so that we could accommodate the other band and the other paying patrons. He added that unless we would be able to bring him at $ 3000 the outside would be unavailable to us.
Take key, new management may not be for the best. What a shame…

Nice wine, and the addition of beer is awesome. I love the Cider myself! This is a great venue for private parties and you can even schedule painting parties or go to the Painting and Tasting Party typically scheduled every third Friday of the month. Roberts Framing located in the back warehouse offers professional framing if you want your art framed. Sunland Dance Studio is also located in the building as well, where you can take lessons. Practice your dancing with the live music offered free of charge Thursday-​Saturday evening! The Art gallery and gift shop offer unique gift purchase of art, jewelry, and antiques!

I used to think that if I wanted to go to a winery, I’d have to make my way out to the vineyards of the Mesilla area… and while it really isn’t that far, I just like convenience. I think «convenience» appears in 3 out of 5 of my reviews. Convenience never influences my rating, but you know… it’s worth a mention. Well as it turns we have a winery (not a vineyard… unless I missed that part) a stone’s throw by Sunland Park Casino. Sweet!
I signed my boyfriend and I up for painting classes at the Sunland Winery and while the painting class is only a reoccurring event that they kind of contract out if you will, the idea of mixing different events is the norm here. The night we went they also had live music and dance classes held in the room next to us. Cool, we’ll definitely be signing up for some future classes here.
We didn’t really get to enjoy the winery in its entirety because we were focused on making the most beautiful paintings in the entire class, but we did get a glass of wine each and a couple of their wine plates (?). I went with their Riesling and I can’t remember what Charles chose, but it was a red full bodied wine… the kind of wine I’d like if I was eating a steak. The Riesling was sweet and light. I’d definitely buy a bottle. Or two. Or three. Or four. After talking to a few people in SW, I found out that some wines aren’t available all the time because they take longer to ferment. Understandable since it is a small winery so they probably aren’t making large batches. The wine plates came with cheese, table crackers, salami, and chocolate covered cranberries. Separately I like every thing that was on this plate, but I wasn’t a fan of the way everything was cut. The salami was almost twice the size of the crackers in diameter and the cheese, which was a colby jack, was cubed. Now, I know that getting a plate with your wine doesn’t necessarily mean you’re supposed to build a Lunchable Cracker Stacker inspired sandwich, but table crackers go untouched if you don’t because they’re always too dry. And who doesn’t love some cheese on a cracker?
The wine was included in our class so I’m not entirely sure how much they charge for glasses or tastings. The plate was $ 6 so not too bad and it was a good portion with lots of chocolate covered cranberries. It’s not going to leave you feeling full, but it can curb your hunger for a bit.
I also noticed they have a small gift shop. I popped my head in there and took a quick glance. There was artwork for sale, some little trinkets, and candles. Just a nice little shop to pick up a gift for a friend or family member.
I think what I like the most was the patio. It just had a nice lighting and lots of space. I could see us making our way to SW to sip some wine and feel the breeze once in a while.