Looking Back on Our First Year

Though we planted our vineyard in 2015, we knew the real work (and fun) would begin in early 2018. As they say, time flies, and this March we will celebrate our tasting room's one year anniversary after opening on March 2, 2018.

First Awards

One spring afternoon in 2018, our winemaker called us with the news that we had won nine medals at the Fingerlakes International Wine Competition. We couldn't have been more thrilled with our first competition results! After only being open a few short months, receiving these esteemed awards from such a prestigious competition was incredibly validating and that our hearts were in the right place when we started this crazy vineyard plan. We hope 2019 will bring other medals!

First Harvest

Harvest season in August and September meant meeting new friends and neighbors, as we put together a few crews of vineyard pros and volunteers. Spending time with each and every vine gave us an intimate opportunity to hand-pick our grapes, tasting the fruits born from our Portales soil. Time-consuming? You bet. Worth it? Absolutely! Later this spring, we hope to give some wonderful updates on our grapes, how they're growing, and a look into some of the science before the bottle. By summertime, stay tuned for updates on Harvest 2019 if you wish to join us as one of our volunteers for a unique Portales experience!

First (Big) Dinner

In September, we hosted our very first Chef's Table event, which featured delicious foods from our friend Chef Jason Morse and 5280 Culinary. One hundred guests joined us for a beautiful evening outside, and we were grateful for New Mexico weather cooperation. Jason and his team not only served some truly delicious plates, but he also cooked in front of everyone with a serious repertoire of outdoor grilling and smoking equipment!  Come for the food and stay for the grilling education. Response to the event was tremendous and we look forward to possibly teaming up with Jason again soon. Stay hungry, Portales!

First Festival

We finally made our way to our first New Mexico wine festival in February 2019. Vines in the Pines was an exciting event that was full of wine making friends from around the state, as well as new customers from great cities like Las Cruces, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas.

Along with 13 other participating vineyards and wineries, we had an absolute blast sharing ten of our wines with ticket holders to this amazing event. Standout favorites for the festival included our Chambourcin, Rising Red table wine, as well as our award-winning Enchanted Moscato.

What's Next for 2019?

After learning so much and making new friends through wine, we hope the rest of 2019 is just as exciting. We're looking forward to hosting more events, new wine release parties, special pairing events, and dinners that celebrate wine. Stay tuned for the first of these events beginning this spring, with the return of our popular wine and cheese pairing event with local gouda and more!

As always, we love to hear your feedback. Get in touch with us on social media (Facebook, Instagram) or email us. From our family to yours, thank you for an amazing year one. Cheers!