Hot desert like New Mexico growing grapes and making wine? New? No not really. New Mexico has had interested in wines from back in the 1600’s. In the 1590’s, when Spain began exploring and settling in the “Land of Enchantment,” (New Mexico’s state nickname), missionary work became part of the effort. With this, there was a need for sacramental communion wine. This wine was imported from Spain, which was a huge business. To protect that huge revenue generated by Spanish wine exports, Spain outlawed removal of any grapevines. (Recall in my other wine reviews how many cutting of vines, now planted in the New World wine regions, have actually originated from France.)
Rebel monks had other ideas in their head and began sneaking grapevine cuttings on their boat trips from Spain to New Mexico. These monks first planted the vines near Socorro, right near the Rio Grande River, in New Mexico around 1620. That “Mission Grape” varietal survives to this day.
By 1884, New Mexico Territory was among the top wine producers in America. Then New Mexico received yet another boost in the early 20th century-particularly in the southern part of the state-from the agricultural research provided by New Mexico A&M, now part of New Mexico State University.
As natural disasters tend to change industry, flooding of the Rio Grande in 1943 washed out vineyard statewide. In the late 1970’s, a few hardy vintners go things moving again. Rising popularity and obsession with wine in the past decade or two has fueled the industry to start picking up again.
Today, New Mexico Wine, an association of grape growers and wine makers has about 45 members and there is actually a Mesilla Valley Wine Tasting Trail in Las Cruces.
2017-2018 Visitor & Community Guide Las Cruces, New Mexico, The Las Cruces Bulletin
AND here are the wineries in the state
www.newmexico.org/places-to-go/true-trails/culinary-trails/wine-trail/
There are over 40 wineries in New Mexico as of 2017.