Home > World Map > USA > New Mexico
New Mexico Wine
Wineries in New Mexico can be searched by clicking on a region in the New Mexico
wine regions map.
Over 30 New Mexico wineries are integrated into our winery directory,
and many wines
are available direct from the winery or from wine merchants.
You
can
buy New Mexico wine online from many New Mexico wineries
or from participating wine merchants. When you see a list of wineries, note the shopping cart icon as this indicates that you can buy this wine online. Also included on the search results page are other links about New Mexico wine. View all New Mexico wineries on an interactive New Mexico wine region map. |
New Mexico has five major wine regions. They are the Northern, Middle Rio Grande River Valley, Mimbres Valley, Tularosa Basin, and Mesilla Valley. New Mexico’s wine culture consists of both Hybrids and an abundant amount of quality Vinifera plantings. The high desert climate, with hot sunny days and cool nights, makes New Mexico a quality winegrowing region with a promising future.
In the early 1500’s the first Spanish explorers and settlers, brought their European wine grapes with them as they settled into the sunny and lush Rio Grande River valley. These initial grape stocks remain the source of many of New Mexico's vineyards today. Wine making started in the 1580’s, by Missionary priests producing sacramental wines.
The first grapevines planted in what is now the state of New Mexico were brought in 1629 to an Indian pueblo south of Socorro, by Fray Gracia de Zuniga, a Franciscan, and Antonio de Arteaga, a Capuchin monk from San Antonio de Padua Mission, at Senecu. The cuttings brought by the missionaries were a variety of Vitis vinifera, commonly known as the "mission grape". This grape variety continues to be grown in New Mexico today. Many historians believe that this grape is a European variety from Spain, called Monica.
What began in 1633 in Senecu, New Mexcico, as the production of sacramental wine continued for over 40 years, and by 1800 New Mexico was wine country. By this time a strip along the Rio Grande expanding roughly from Bernalillo to Socorro and from the vicinity of Mesilla to El Paso had healthy, established vineyards.
By 1812, raids by nomadic Indians were having such a dramatic effect on trade that wine was the only revenue-producing product. Annual production from New Mexico wineries was estimated at 1,600 gallons. In 1880, the census showed that New Mexicans had 3,150 acres of grapevines. These numbers almost double the numbers shown in that year for New York State. Wine was such a popular beverage that by 1884 New Mexico was fifth in the nation in its wine production of almost a million gallons annually.
The rebirth of the New Mexico wine industry began in the late 1970’s and is showing an increase. Today New Mexico now has over 30 wineries, which produce almost 350,000 gallons of wine a year with over 5,000 acres under cultivation.
Copyright © 1995-2009 Wine
Web Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved.