Beginning in the northern section of the state (Dixon, New Mexico), Vivac Winery, owned and operated by brothers Jesse and Chris Padberg, cultivates Pinot Meunier at its ‘1725 Vineyard’. According to winemaker, Jesse Padberg,” We’ve found that growing Pinot Meunier at our 6,000+ ft. elevation has been highly successful. These grapes have been a small component of our still wine portfolio for a few years, and their numbers show real potential for a future sparkling wine venture. In spring 2021 we will be planting another 1,000 vines of Pinot Meunier with the intent of starting a sparkling wine program at Vivác Winery. The grapes show real clean fruit qualities and a strong backbone of acidity, while still being able to fully ripen when a red still wine is the end goal. I love this varietal for our location.”
The Pueblo Santa Ana vineyard north of Albuquerque, roughly in the middle of New Mexico, produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Their first harvest was in 2016, with all fruit contracted to close by Gruet Winery, one of the top traditional sparkling wine producers in America. Jim Peterson, vineyard manager, with extensive grape growing experience in California, coordinated the first mechanical harvest of the 30 acre vineyard this year. Fruit quality was good to excellent, although harvest was delayed due to a late frost that set the vines back and late arrival of the harvester from Washington state. This speaks to another challenge of New Mexico grape growing; it is isolated and distant from industry suppliers and support industries, so advance planning and preparation is critical.
Marco D’Andrea and his father Paolo, are producing their first Charmat method sparkling wine at Luna Rossa Winery, near Deming in southern NM, about 90 miles west of Las Cruces. Their base wine is from Ribolla Gialla, and they are awaiting two pressurized tanks to complete their equipment ensemble. Marco, is using the Charmat method to emphasize fresh, aromatic products. The D’Andrea’s grow and use Ribolla Gialla, used for a high acid, slightly floral wines, popularized in their family’s home region of Fruili, Italy. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are also grown at Luna Rossa and can be incorporated into their sparkling wines in the future. Grapes ripen very quickly in southern New Mexico, so growers must be attentive and pick at the correct time, which is 17o-18o degrees Brix for Ribolla Gialla. Marco reminds that “lack of acidity can be your biggest enemy when making a sparkling wine, as it determines how fresh and crisp your sparkling wine can become”. The junior D’Andrea, believes that success ultimately depends on the winegrower, “Overall I believe this area can produce these quality wines and it just comes down to the experience and or knowledge of the producer themselves”.
Winemaking and Sparkling Wine Production
The majority of the sparkling wine production in New Mexico takes place at Gruet Winery with the winery producing 275,000 cases of sparkling wine annually.[3] Founded in 1984, Gruet Winery specializes in Méthode Champenoise (Traditional Method) sparkling wines. Family owned and run, the New Mexico-based winery produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay-based sparkling wines and a small collection of still wines.[4] Grapes for traditional method sparkling wine should be harvested between 17 to no higher than 20 Brix.
It is highly recommended that the pH levels of any Cuveés intended for sparkling wine production come in between 3.0 and 3.2 after the first fermentation with alcohol at around 10.5%. While many smaller wineries in New Mexico are interested in sparkling wine production due to grapes that are suitable and available throughout the state, the expenses of the equipment needed to produce sparkling wine are oftentimes prohibitive.
Equipment for traditional method sparkling wine requires the following, at a minimum: bottling to tirage machines (to apply a bidule and crown capsule for the second fermentation in the bottle), riddling machines, neck freezer, and a disgorging, dosage, and labeling line. The equipment costs do not include the labor of manual transferring sparkling wines that are read to be transferred after aging from wood boxes or wire cages to riddling cages.
Traditional method sparkling wine production requires excellent winemaking and quality protocols to ensure there is the right combination of yeast and sugar added prior to the second fermentation in the bottle so that there is the correct amount of pressure in the finished product. Proper yeast cell counts prior to bottling to tirage and constant monitoring pressure of wines en tirage with such tools as an aphrometer help ensure quality traditional sparkling wine production. It is also key to ensure “clean” riddling of the base sparkling wines prior to disgorging and labeling to verify there is no sediment (dead yeast cells) attached to the side of the bottle and that the sediment moves clear to the neck of the bottle.
There are not many wine industry professionals in New Mexico or the greater Southwest that have the experience of making quality traditional method sparkling wine so the human capital is a challenge for New Mexican wineries that want to produce sparkling wine in the desert.
Marketing
Sparkling wine is one of the few sectors of wine that continues to perform well, even during the recent global pandemic of COVID-19. According to Wines Vines Analytics, off-premise sparkling wine sales value continue to grow as depicted by the chart below[5]:
Sparkling wines may remain one of the few wine segments that could sustain growth as off premise sales may offset losses from on premise sales. Consumer trends indicate the desire for sparkling wines, potentially due to the lower alcohol and unique taste. According to the Wine Analytic Database, “Wineries producing 1,000 to 4,999 cases annually account for 42% of sparkling wine producers, while producers of 5,000 to 49,999 cases annually comprise the sole segment where the number of sparkling producers continues to increase.”
Marketing research shows an opportunity for success to those small and mid size wineries that can successfully execute a sparkling wine program. New Mexico wineries, plus other areas throughout the American Southwest are well positioned in the vineyards due to a proven track record of growing quality Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Meunier, plus other varietals (such as Chenin Blanc) with high acidity that produce a high quality sparkling wine.
Conclusion
In spite of water, cold temperatures and occasional logistical challenges throughout the state of New Mexico, growing vinifera grapes for sparkling wine production can be successful. The state benefits from plentiful sunshine, low ambient humidity that minimizes fungal disease pressure, consequently most growers go the entire season without a single application of fungicides. With the careful selection of cultivars/clones and rootstocks, attentive vineyard management, and meticulous care in the cellar, quality bubbles in the desert are being made in New Mexico. Future articles will explore more technical elements of soil, water, and nutrient management in the vineyard, best practices for sparkling wine production in the cellar, along with some sound marketing practices with the focus on fizz.
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[1] New Mexico Wine website and introduction: https://nmwine.com/
[2] New Mexico State University Viticulture website: https://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/viticulture/index.html
[3] Ashley Hughes, “8 Things You Should Know About Gruet Winery,” https://vinepair.com/articles/gruet-winery-brut-guide/
[4] Gruet Winery website: http://www.gruetwinery.com
[5]Peter Mitham, “Sparkling Wine Sales Stay Strong Through Pandemic,” 4 November 2020, https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=237960