Spain in the High Desert, No Passport Required
Downtown · Santa Fe · Spanish tapas and wine bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 13, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk into Taberna La Boca and the list reads like someone actually flew to Spain, ate their way through Basque Country and Andalusia, and came home with opinions. In a city better known for margaritas and mezcal, a wine program this focused on the Iberian Peninsula stands out immediately. This isn't a token 'we have a Rioja' situation — it's a genuine commitment to a region most American restaurants treat as an afterthought.
The list runs 100 to 180 bottles and stays firmly anchored in Spain, with meaningful representation across the country's most distinct drinking regions — Rioja for the red wine crowd, Rueda for the white wine people who still think Chardonnay is the only option, Priorat for those who want something with actual backbone, and Manzanilla Sherry for anyone paying attention. There's South American coverage too, which makes sense given the shared language if not always the shared soul. What's missing is the kind of deep producer-level curation that would push this into elite territory — you get the regions right, but the individual bottle selections are competent rather than revelatory. Still, for Santa Fe, this is a legitimately exciting list that rewards drinkers willing to venture past the familiar.
With 16 to 28 options by the glass, La Boca is serious about letting you explore without committing to a full bottle — and in a tapas format, that's exactly right. Txakoli makes the cut, which alone tells you these people understand the context: you want something bright, slightly effervescent, and low-alcohol when you're grazing through a dozen small plates. The glass list has enough range to match different moments across a long meal.
Verdejo from Rueda — $12
Rueda Verdejo is one of Spain's best-kept secrets — crisp, herbal, and genuinely refreshing — and at typical La Boca by-the-glass pricing it's a steal compared to what you'd pay for a comparable Sauvignon Blanc at any other restaurant on the block.
Manzanilla Sherry
Most people see Sherry on a list and skip right past it — which is their loss and your gain. Manzanilla is bone dry, bracingly saline, and one of the most food-friendly pours in the world. At La Boca, where the kitchen is built around salty, savory bites, it's the move almost nobody makes.
Rioja
Rioja is the default Spanish red for a reason — it's good, reliable, widely understood — but at a place like La Boca it's also the lazy order. You're surrounded by more interesting options and the Rioja you're likely to reach for is the most marked-up, most recognizable name on the list. Push yourself toward the Priorat instead.
Txakoli + Patatas Bravas
Txakoli's low alcohol, high acid, and slight spritz cut straight through the richness of fried potatoes and spicy brava sauce. It's a classic Basque Country pairing that makes perfect sense here — both the wine and the dish are built around bold flavors that need something bright to keep them honest.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Taberna La Boca is doing something genuinely rare in Santa Fe: building a wine program with a real point of view. It's not perfect — the curation could go deeper and the staff knowledge is hit or miss — but the commitment to Spanish and Mediterranean wines in a tapas context is exactly right, and the Wild Card badge is earned.
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