Vineyards & Winemaking

With high elevation, sandy loam soils, and sweeping winds to naturally keep away pests and thin the canopy for greater flavors, New Mexico’s desert landscape proved the ideal starting ground for Gruet.

Our New Mexico Vineyards

  • 30 Planted Vineyard Acres
    Planted exclusively for Gruet

    The Tamaya Vineyard was planted in 2014 and first harvested in 2016, Tamaya Vineyard is a unique partnership between the Pueblo of Santa Ana and Gruet Winery. Grapes are grown to our winemaking team’s specifications, who oversees every step of the process, and vineyard maintenance and harvesting is managed by the Pueblo. The partnership is a true testament to Gruet’s commitment to its New Mexico roots.

    Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier

    Soil: Sandy Loam

    Elevation: 5,110 feet

  • 75 Planted Vineyard Acres
    Gruet contracted source

    Gruet purchased this vineyard near the Elephant Butte Reservoir in 1983 as the start of the legacy in the United States. Today, although no longer owned by Gruet, it is still a source of fruit for many of our cuvées.

    Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

    Soil: Sandy Loam

    Elevation: 4,245 feet

  • 300 Planted Vineyard Acres
    Gruet contracted source

    Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

    Soil: Sandy Loam

    Elevation: 4,335 feet

Regional Sourcing

In order to ensure outstanding consistency year after year, Gruet sources its grapes from various vineyards in different regions of the United States: New Mexico, Washington, and California. In Washington, a significant resource for grapes, we are able to take advantage of Gruet’s sister wineries’ estate vineyards in the Columbia Valley.

Just as in Champagne, France, where the grapes are often selected from multiple vineyards in the region, sourcing from several states leads to a more complex wine. Different terroirs bring different components to the final blend. For example from New Mexico, Gruet gets rich fruit flavors and from Washington, Gruet achieves bright acidity. This cross-state blending truly establishes Gruet as the genuine American Sparkling Wine.

Meet the Winemakers

HEAD Winemaker

Carrie Gurule

A stalwart hidden gem at Gruet Winery for years, Carrie has traveled widely, studying under French, Italian, New Zealand, and American winemakers. She brings specialized experience in vineyard and winery operations management, and has been responsible for Gruet’s cellar processes, quality control, and lab management.

In New Mexico, where Carrie was born and raised, she embraced the art of making sparkling wine in the Champagne-style method for which Gruet is beloved. Her favorite part of being an assistant winemaker: "Making new yeast babies and watching them grow."

“This is a delicate process which involves math, microbiology, chemistry, and lots of heart labor,” Gurule says, noting this career represents the ideal fusion of many of her interests.