From Barn To Winery To Family

And a Dozen Feral Cats

It was only a barn, laid out in the 1860's with no foundation, no plumb lines, no floor. Charlotte Ritchie, vintner, and Lan Slater, electrical contractor, were recently back from the big jobs of Albuquerque, needing a place to make wine.Wine-making had begun in ABQ with an elderberry tree in the back yard producing “tons” of fruit, and a vintner style that kept the fruit's essence and avoided sweetness. Charlotte made New Mexico State Fair medal-winning wines like Apple, Plum, Cranberry, Loganberry, and Boysenberry. Through miraculous transformation (actually, months of slavery), the Ritchie-Slater Winery Tasting Room emerged as a cozy living room with in-floor heat, folk art on the wall, and a bar finished in slate.

For ten years, the Slaters expanded their vision from a tasting room to a wine bar. From jazz playing on the sound system to a Saturday night house band. From Johnny Todd's folk rock to visiting musicians showing up with vocals of “Me and Bobby McGee” or a banjo or a fiddle. From snacks on the bar to pot-luck brought in by locals and shared with passing tourists. From wine on the new deck to the Chill 'n Grill summer cookouts. Cranberry wine became the rave drink of northern New Mexico. On a good day, you couldn't spot the barn from the highway through all the parked cars.

But after ten years, the economy turned down. Lan and Charlotte took an electrical supervisor job down near El Paso where the DEA and Customs had to double their facility. The Winery closed – or did it? So many locals had invested their time and labor, their decking skills, their Green Chile Stew that they refused to let the idea go. The Black Lake Social Club was born and leased the winery. The food continues to this day and everyone brings his own libation. After six years, the local band retired, and the Club began hiring musicians for Saturday night.

So what is the Club? It's not a Jeep Cult, though it sometimes looks like one. It's not religious or political, or organized around a sport. It's ultimately about extended family.

And what does the Club do? They amp it up, with parties organized around Easter, Cinco de Mayo/Kentucky Derby, Super Bowl, St. Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras, Halloween, and New Years Eve. They indulge the palate with a crustacean dinner, Chill 'n Grills, Octoberfest, and Thanksgiving. They have outings like picnics, off-roading to Greenie Peak, a summer wilderness camping trip, a Coyote Creek campout, and the Aspens Tour.

Last of all, the Club is a coolish August afternoon in the sunshine, a chair on the deck, a view of the Rincon Mountains. It’s good conversation and a glass of crisp wine. And from the outside the barn still looks like it's falling down.