Donna Blake Birchell - New Mexico Wine: An Enchanting History

Published by American Palate

A Division of The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2013 by Donna Blake Birchell

All rights reserved

Front cover, top: Heart of the Desert Winery vineyards. Courtesy of the author. Bottom: The welcoming Ponderosa Valley Vineyard & Winery. Courtesy of the author.

First published 2013

e-book edition 2013

Manufactured in the United States

ISBN 978.1.61423.890.4

Library of Congress CIP data applied for.

print edition ISBN 978.1.60949.643.2

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Dedicated with great gratitude to all those past and present who have toiled long hours in the vineyards and wineries of New Mexico, against all elements, to coax a delightfully delicious nectar from the humble grape.

Contents

Foreword

Ive spent a good part of my adult life away from New Mexico and always had the internal desire to return home to the Land of Enchantment. I envisioned establishing a vineyard here as my family had done in the later part of the 1800s, along with a winery in the little town of Mesilla, New Mexico.

While away, I missed our laid-back lifestyle, culture steeped with history and beautiful sunsets. I welcome each and every one of you to come and enjoy not only my wines but also those from vineyards all over the state. More than that, come energize yourself with a way of life that feeds the soul!

For those of you who might be a little skeptical of our industry, I have added a few facts from the 2007 Economic Impact of New Mexico Wineries on the States Economy. Twenty-seven wineries in New Mexico were selling wine made from grapes during 2007. Wine sales by those wineries totaled $19,986,000, and the additional sales of non-wine items in the tasting rooms were estimated at another $999,595.

Revenues from five festival gate receipts, sales of non-wine revenues and parking receipts were estimated at $780,000. Direct revenues spent in the state associated with the wine industry totaled $21,765,595. In addition to these direct revenues, an estimated $6,614,496 of indirect spending and $3,631,773 of induced spending resulted in an estimated total impact of over $32,000,000 on the economy in the state

A total of 198,000 cases of wine, nearly 40 percent, were sold to out-of-state residents either by out-of-state shipments through national wholesale distributors, Internet sales or wine club shipments or by out-of-state tourists purchases in the tasting room. Sales to consumers from outside the state have a greater total impact on the states economy than sales made to in-state consumers.

The New Mexico wine industry has experienced significant growth in recent years since that study was completed. We have obtained dozens of medals, including gold, silver, bronze, double gold, Best of Show and Best in Class from both the New Mexico State Fair and the Finger Lakes International competitions.

These have been achieved in a very short time. Robert Parker, national wine writer from Wine Spectator, is quoted as saying, Wow, not what I expected from a place known for their tamales!

As of 2012, there are fifty-four licensed wineries and another six that I know of in the planning stages, as well as over ten wine festivals statewide. That is over 100 percent growth in five years and still growing!

Use New Mexico Wine: An Enchanting History as a guide to enrich your life by tasting a wide variety of wines made by winemakers who take an artistic approach to their profession. Each winery (as this book illustrates) is as unique as New Mexico itselfwhere history, community, culture and its people create a life that is reminiscent of the past yet modern in its conveniences.

Please do not forget the great food that pairs so well with those wines. These tantalizing meals, made with care, also bring out our cultural diversity and should not be missed. During your stay, find one of our treasured out-of-the-way hotels, bed-and-breakfasts or even a postwar-era motel where that rich culture can be appreciated along with some of the great wine you will find along your New Mexico wine trail adventure.

As a thirty-four-year U.S. Air Force veteran who takes an active role in promoting New Mexico wines, I have been making wine for over forty years and studied viticulture at the University of CaliforniaDavis and Washington State University. I have served in the past as secretary for both the New Mexico Vine and Wine Society and the New Mexico Wine Growers Association; I have also been an active member of New Mexico Wine Country and was president of the New Mexico Wine Growers Association during 2011 and 2012.

I am proud to promote the New Mexico wine trail and passport program offered by the New Mexico Wine Growers Association, publisher of Enchanted Vines magazine, which promotes New Mexico wines and the developing New Mexico wine industry roadside trail program.

Gordon Steel

Owner/Winemaker

Rio Grande Vineyards and Winery

Acknowledgements

It has always been my wish that the words thank you were somehow more regal, more descriptive so as to better impart my true feelings of appreciation to all the people who were instrumental in bringing this project to life. This book would not have been possible without the knowledge, hard work and dedication of the following people who gave up precious time from their lives to educate a novice:

Henry and Mary Street, vintners/owners of Ponderosa Vineyardsan extra special thank you for keeping the history of New Mexico wine alive with your wonderful work, The History of New Mexico Wine. You have certainly done the hard work, opening the door for others to follow. Many thanks for your generous hospitality and accepting my plea to take time out of your life to proofread this manuscript.

Gordon Steel, Rio Grande Vineyards & Winery, great gratitude for all you do for the New Mexico wine industry, and thank you for providing an extremely informative foreword.

The following people have played major roles in the formation of this volume, and it is with a humble heart that I convey my sincere gratitude:

Keith Johnston, Corrales Winery

Dave Wickham, Tularosa Vineyards and Winery

John Calvin, Casa Rondea Winery

Ron Dolin, Don Quixote Distillery

Richard and Eileen Reinders, Estrella del Norte Vineyard

Dale Balzano, Balzano/Spirits of Seven Rivers Winery

Dale and Penny Taylor, Cottonwood Winery

Bridget Perrault, Director, New Mexico Wine Growers Association

Dana Koller, New Mexico Wine Country

Murt Sullivan, park guide and dear friend, Salinas Pueblo Missions

Charles B. Stanford, processing archivist, Rio Grande Collection, New Mexico State University

Sibel Melik, senior archivist, New Mexico State University Library

Elizabeth Flores, New Mexico State University Library

For the crew at Chenega Security at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, New Mexico, who were genuinely interested in the books progress and urged me forward to completionthank you for welcoming me into the fold and for your unwavering support.