“We’re out here on the farm,” says Marianne Schweers, who runs Heart of the Desert Vineyards with her husband, George. Since 1974, the couple has been growing and harvesting pistachios on their Eagle Ranch farm, in Alamogordo. In 2002, they added a vineyard to the operation. “It’s been exciting to see that development,” she says. Today, guests can taste a variety of Heart of the Desert wines (try the popular Viva La Roja, a semi-sweet red) in a tasting room that borders the farm or on the gorgeous, 2,350-square-foot covered patio overlooking expansive groves of pistachio trees. “We want people to realize how personal wine is,” Schweers says. “It’s a unique experience.”
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