This was a unique venue that is head and shoulders above that huge tourist trap down the street. The heart of the desert is a pistachio farm, gift shop, and much much more. We took a 45 minute tour to see how their pistachios are grown, processed, packaged, and shipped. In the back of the gift shop is The Patio which is decorated nicely with the backdrop of the pistachio trees. We went Sunday for our first visit, enjoyed free wine tastings, (bought a few) and listened to live music. We went back the next day, took the tour, and shopped. If you happen to be in the area for White Sands National Park, it’s not far from there. Just look for the big red heart sign.

HOD was a wonderful site offering an incredible variety of wine and pistachio products. The beautiful terrace overlooks the surrounding pistachio groves where you can sip a glass and chat with the remarkable staff. Don't miss the chance to meet Lucinda, a world traveler who made our visit especially nice with her suggestions and helpful recommendations on making the right selections for our individual tastes. HOD is conveniently located just minutes outside of Alamogordo on Hwy 52/70 with plenty of available parking. A late afternoon arrival would offer coooler temps and make the terrace even more enjoyable.

We went early in the day and Carolyn took time to share the history of the farm and answered many questions. It was a great experience, we learned a lot and bought several items (oils, nuts & wine which we were able to sample). Carolyn is a gem, very kind and obviously has a passion for the pistachio farm and vineyard. Great visit!

The building and entrance looks simple, inside the staff is very friendly and inviting. Lacey and Marlo put on a pot of coffee just so I could sample the pistachio coffee. They were very patient with us as we tried the pistachios, chocolates and ice cream. Then they set up the video for us. Next we sampled the wines. Lisa knows her wines! She was very knowledgeable and a delightful hostess. The garlic and onion pistachios were the best! Very good flavor, not overpowering. The wines here are very tasty, and more sophisticated than other offerings in the area. Plus, they are very affordable. I may be ordering more when I return home. Overall, this was a fun and tasty experience, very personal and friendly staff. The focus is on the wines and pistachios, not touristy souvenir shopping.

Marked this place to stop at on our way to another destination and so glad we did. Did a little free wine tasting before doing the tour of the pistachio farm and factory. This place has such an interesting history. Lacey and Bree were our tour experts and we learned a lot about growing and harvesting pistachios. We also purchased some of their wines, pistachios, and pistachio products not only for ourselves but as gifts.

We drove back to this place after stopping at another farm. I am so very glad we did! We walked in and a free tour was starting and were invited to join. It was relaxed and interesting. The guide went out of her way to answer some of the strangest questions from a guest. The patio is beautiful. The ice cream is delish! (Not green dye). We did some awesome tastings, wine, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. All were amazing! Of course I wanted flavors that weren't bottled, they bottled it while we waited. We bought gifts...they never made the trip home, we ate them. And we found the pineapple on the horse!

Very informational and intimate tour. Beautiful venue for special events. Gift shop filled with small business products as opposed to "Made in China" trinkets. Loved infused oil and vinegar bar. We stumbled on accidentally is truly a hidden gem.

Heart of the Desert was our favorite pistachio spot in Alamogordo. The gift shop is nice, where you can buy everything pistachio, along with an olive oil tasting and a wine tasting. Yes you can even get pistachio wine. We stepped back into the wine room and met Lisa for our wine tasting. She was knowledgeable about the wines and honestly their wines were fabulous. Very drinkable, and we enjoyed each and everyone. We even ended up buying a bottle we would drink at our hotels along the road. Lisa was fun to visit with and we did try a few of the olive oils and meandered around the gift shop. A good place to buy those gifts for those back home. A fun spot to stop and enjoy for an hour or so. They do offer a tour of the pistachio farm, but we didn't have enough time, so passed on it this trip. Definitely check them out if you find yourself in the area.