Champagne in New Mexico - To Do List

Gruet

From Snooth:

While I still rank Schramsberg as the best domestic producer they face increasing competition from many of their neighbors as the industry as a whole recognizes that vineyards that are best suited for the production of sparkling wines. While there are many great wines being produced in California, one producer vies for the tile of “greatest domestic sparkling wine producer” each year, and they hail from New Mexico!

Yup that’s right New Mexico, the mountains of New Mexico to be precise. During a visit to the States in the early 1980’s, Chapagne producer Gilbert Gruet found the mountains of New Mexico, and felt they offered great promise from the production of Sparkling wine. In 1982 Gruet planted vineyards of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at his 4300 ft high vineyard and thus began one of America’s greatest wine success stories.

The wine’s of Gruet are both affordable, delightfully so, and delicious with real class and elegance. They might not yet reach the heights of the best bottlings from producers like Schramsberg, but they do consistently best many producers products, and at half the price. No easy feat.