New Mexico has one of the oldest viticultural histories in the United States. The first documented grapevines were recorded in 1629. Today New Mexico is home to more than forty wineries throughout three American Viticultural Areas (AVA). However, one winery family name stands out for putting New Mexico wines on the map, and that is Gruet.
Gilbert Gruet, founder of the family’s Champagne house, Gruet et Fils, visited New Mexico in 1983 and saw its viticultural potential. He decided to plant sixty acres of vineyards in the state and sent his son and daughter, Laurent and Nathalie Gruet, to New Mexico to oversee the family’s new winemaking ventor. As a teen, Laurent Gruet had worked alongside his father in family’s champagne vineyards and learned the process of producing world class methode champenoise wines. In New Mexico, he oversaw Gruet Winery’s production which, over the years, achieved acclaim at home and abroad for its sparkling wines.
In 2015, Gruet Winery was purchased by Precept Wine of Seattle. Gruet remained for a set amount a time under the conditions of the sale. In 2020 Gruet became a cofounder and partner at VARA Winery & Distillery where he oversees sparkling wine production. His VARA cofounder is Doug Diefenthaler, a include longtime sales and distribution associate.
With forty years of technical mastery under his belt, Gruet remains committed to using French winemaking traditions to make his New Mexico sparkling wines. He underscores that his wines are hand-crafted from planting to picking and sorting the grapes. He does not believe in using machinery to expedite or cut corners. VARA’s range of methode champenoise sparkling wines includes a Zero Dosage, Blanc de Blancs, Brut and Brut Rosé. Currently, grapes are sourced from California and Washington State until VARA’s New Mexico vineyards are ready to produce enough fruit. Gruet’s goal is to produce all his wines from New Mexico fruit. An example is the limited-edition cuvée, VARAx New Mexico United Sparkling NV, a blend of Chenin Blanc, Pinot Meunier and Listán Prieto (a.k.a. Mission), a variety native to the Canary Island that was brought to America by Spanish explorers.
While Gruet’s core sparkling winemaking remains rooted in the three traditional champagne grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, he enjoys experimenting with other varieties which he has planted in New Mexico such as Chenin, Riesling and Listán Prieto. VARA Winery also produces still wines and has a distillery. There are two tasting rooms that welcome visitors. One is in Santa Fe, and the other is in Albuquerque.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Laurent Gruet about his family’s commitment to New Mexico and his new chapter with VARA Winery on The Connected Table Live podcast. Enjoy this episode on The Connected Table TV on YouTube.