近距离内射合集

New Mexico is home to more than 50 wineries and 100 winegrowers 鈥� and yet, out-of-state visitors of Casa Ronde帽a Winery still frequently tell general manager Quin Hanrahan they had no idea the state even had a wine industry.

They鈥檙e even more surprised, Hanrahan said, when he tells them that New Mexico is the oldest wine-producing region in the 近距离内射合集 States. The Land of Enchantment started making wine in 1629 鈥� predating the start of California鈥檚 wine production by 140 years.

鈥淲e do have good soil out here,鈥� Hanrahan said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have the same rain as some of those places, but that just means we have to care a little bit more and maybe try a little bit harder. But not that it鈥檚 undoable.鈥�

New Mexico鈥檚 wine history 鈥� from the first grapes planted along the Rio Grande by Spanish missionaries to the launch of the Gruet family鈥檚 American operations near Truth or Consequences 鈥� is something nonprofit trade association New Mexico Wine is working to shed light on, especially as the industry nears its 400th anniversary in 2029.

But the milestone approaches as the alcoholic beverage industry faces a crossroads.

The industry is contracting nationally due to a mix of factors, including higher costs of doing business, tariffs and fewer people drinking as a result of emerging health consciousness among consumers.

The craft beer industry has been hit particularly hard. But the wine industry has also felt the squeeze, finishing 2025 with a roughly 2% decline in both volume and revenue compared to the year before, according to Silicon Valley Bank鈥檚 2026 State of the U.S. Wine Industry report. The total number of wineries in America also fell by 3% last year, according to data from Wine Business Monthly.

In New Mexico, the local craft beer scene has seen a pullback up close, with one of the state鈥檚 largest brewers, Bosque Brewing Co., closing all of its taprooms late last year. The local wine scene, however, has gone relatively unscathed, according to industry experts.

鈥淣ew Mexico is weathering the storm extremely well,鈥� said Jasper Riddle, president and owner of Noisy Water Winery. The Ruidoso-based winery has expanded in recent years, partly with the help of a state economic development grant two years ago, and is preparing to open a seventh location in Carlsbad.

鈥淚n the adult beverage category, things are definitely in flux,鈥� said New Mexico Wine Executive Director Chris Goblet. 鈥淏ut in that flux, there are winners and losers, and a lot of the smaller brands have fared well because those brands have high engagement with their clients. It鈥檚 the massive companies that have seen massive declines.鈥�

While home to popular wine names like Gruet and other expanding brands like VARA 鈥� which broadened distribution of its sparkling wines to five new states in October 鈥� New Mexico鈥檚 wine scene is still primarily made up of what Goblet would consider smaller, more 鈥渞elational鈥� wineries.

Wine is also a vastly different industry compared to craft beer, added Goblet, who got his start in craft beer before entering the wine business 10 years ago.

Unlike craft beer 鈥� an industry Goblet described as more urban and having experienced 鈥渆xplosive growth" and, therefore, oversaturation in recent years 鈥� the state鈥檚 wine industry is hundreds of years old and more rural due to the agricultural nature of winemaking.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have a big growth spurt, so we don鈥檛 have a contraction. And nobody is in anybody鈥檚 backyard. There鈥檚 tons of space for individual wineries to thrive, create their own brand and stand out as unique,鈥� Goblet said, adding that the local industry has been well-established by multiple generations of local families.

But the industry isn鈥檛 without challenges.

Regina Wilson, regional manager for Gruet Winery, said the industry鈥檚 biggest challenges are agricultural in nature, especially in New Mexico, which is facing an ongoing drought.

Climate change is also a concern. But New Mexico is no stranger to climate challenges and finding ways to make agriculture work, according to Albuquerque sommelier 鈥� trained wine professional 鈥� Zach Olson.

Olson 鈥� also an account executive for regional wine distributor Favorite Brands 鈥� works with winemakers globally and in New Mexico. He said part of what makes New Mexico wine unique is the state鈥檚 rich agricultural history and portfolio, as well as experts who know the ins and outs of water management, sustainability and land stewardship.

Costs are also a challenge for the industry. Wayne Moore, chief operating officer for D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro, said the cost of everything from bottles to cardboard boxes and pallets has gotten 鈥渟ubstantially more expensive.鈥� He added that the cost of shipping supplies from California to New Mexico has doubled in the past two weeks.

Another challenge the wine industry faces includes education, according to Goblet. He said finding a job in wine, learning the trade and launching a wine startup are 鈥渧ery hard,鈥� and costly. Goblet said he and New Mexico Wine have been working to expand wine programs at local schools like Central New Mexico Community College and New Mexico State University over the last several years. An incubator for wine startups would be Goblet鈥檚 dream, he added.

But overall, Goblet said he would characterize the local wine industry as stable.

In the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, Goblet said he saw at least one winery close per year. After the pandemic, closures continued, but new ones popped up in their place. Goblet estimates about three wineries closed last year, but four new wineries joined New Mexico Wine this year.

鈥淲ine is kind of funny like that. It鈥檚 not boom or bust, it鈥檚 just steady,鈥� Goblet said.

Wilson agreed, adding she is starting to notice a shift upward for Gruet.

鈥淚t feels like everything is coming back into place,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a really, really great (quarter one) to start off the year 鈥� so I think things are looking up.鈥�

Olson said he would also describe business for Favorite Brands 鈥� which sells wines from across the globe to stores, restaurants and businesses in New Mexico and Texas 鈥� as 鈥渕aybe flat to potentially up a little bit.鈥�

While wine sales are down industry-wide, the prices consumers are willing to pay for a bottle are up. Olson said he thinks this points to a rising demographic of young wine drinkers not necessarily abstaining from drinking, but being more picky about what they drink.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e seeing is the younger generation rejecting mass-produced, conventionally farmed and filled-with-additives bottles of wine, and they鈥檙e willing to spend a couple more dollars on something they trust,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淭here is an uptick in what it looks like to be an intentional consumer making intentional purchases.鈥�

For that reason, Olson said he views the current state of wine as a chance for the industry to recalibrate, which he thinks New Mexico is well-suited to do with its 鈥渋nsanely vast selection of very great wine and really tight-knit and small but mighty community of wine nerds.鈥�

For Casa Ronde帽a Winery, seizing that opportunity means leaning into the property鈥檚 lush landscapes, events and laid-back culture.

鈥淎lbuquerque has a very charming vibe, where it鈥檚 not uptight. We鈥檙e not holding our noses up at anyone,鈥� Hanrahan said.

Gruet is taking a similar approach, hoping to make wine less intimidating and more approachable through community partnerships, sweeter sparkling wine options, bingo and trivia nights, and fun labels like the winery鈥檚 new 鈥淏rut 66.鈥�

Some are embracing artificial intelligence as a resource for farming advice based on local weather and soil trends. Others are building their portfolios of sparkling and nonalcoholic wine, or leaning into the industry鈥檚 educational value through winery tours and tastings.

Education is the priority for Goblet, who said New Mexico Wine and the state are partnering to explore how to make New Mexico known for its title as the oldest wine-producing region in the lead up to the industry鈥檚 400th anniversary.

Notoriety isn鈥檛 necessarily the main objective, Goblet noted, and the Land of Enchantment will never grow enough grapes to rival California. But as the state鈥檚 wineries endure and continue their generational craft, he hopes more people will begin to take New Mexico wine seriously.

鈥淣ew Mexico wine is an underdog, and I鈥檓 a big proponent of rooting for the underdog and showing people what can be done,鈥� Goblet said.

While the rest of the industry is facing a downturn, local wine experts say New Mexico could be seeing its moment in the sun.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to face adversity, but with that, we still have this big beautiful opportunity in 2029 where we can celebrate our industry before any other industry in the entire nation gets to say they鈥檙e 400 years old,鈥� Riddle said. 鈥淭hat gets me excited about what we have in front of us.鈥�

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.