Grape wisdom: CNM teams up with NM Wine, local wineries for Viva Vino boot camp

The future generation of New Mexico winemakers recently rolled up its sleeves and got down to business.

The Beverage Production and Management Program at Central New Mexico Community College teamed up with CNM Ingenuity and New Mexico Wine to offer the first Viva Vino Red Winemaking Boot Camp from Oct. 9 through Oct. 23.

Students who are part of Wine Production I took part in the boot camp. The three credit hour course provides theory and hands-on applications in ingredient selection, growing, harvesting, pressing and processing grapes to produce various styles of wine.

Grape wisdom: CNM teams up with NM Wine, local wineries for Viva Vino boot camp

CNM partnered with local wineries, predominately with Sheehan Winery in Albuquerque’s South Valley.

“We used their facilities to do some of the pressing and some of the processes where our equipment wasn’t large enough to process the amount of grapes that they took in this term,” explained Victoria Martinez, CNM’s associate dean of the School of Business, Hospitality & Technology. “We certainly have all of the commercial equipment, but our press is a little bit smaller. We wanted the students to really get that commercial experience.”

Students also traveled outside Albuquerque to accommodate those who reside outside the Duke City area.

“We’ve got one student that came down from Colorado for the duration of the boot camp,” Martinez said. “And I think that’s the magic of the boot camp is if you live in Colorado or you live in Ruidoso or you live in the San Juan Valley, it’s really hard to come to class twice a week, right? But if you have to come down for two weeks, you can come in for two weeks and really get that same experience.”

Martinez said students experienced the tail end of the wine harvesting season.

“Our students did get some hands-on experience harvesting in Nambe, New Mexico,” she added. “They got to pick some pinot noir grapes that’s going to turn into a beautiful rosé. At least that’s our goal.”

Students participated in hands-on harvesting at the beginning of the class. They also received instruction on safety, sanitation and regulations.

“By the second day we were in Nambe harvesting,” Martinez said. “It was amazing. And then, after that, we came back, (and) they started crushing and getting everything ready. By the end of this class, we will have that juice (and) that wine will be in a barrel. They’ve gone through the fermentation process. They’ll be barreling and then the next class, Wine Production II, in the spring, we’ll see the students kind of filtering, finishing and filling and bottling. It’ll be bottle-ready in the spring, which is very exciting.”

Sean Sheehan, winemaker and owner of Sheehan Winery, said he and his staff were “excited” to host the first winemaking boot camp at his facility.

“We crushed the grapes here at Sheehan Winery and pressed off more than four tons of grapes that should be the very first vintage made by CNM students, which is really exciting,” Sheehan said. “My goal is to help push the industry forward and get more young, enthusiastic people into the industry, first to start working for wineries and understanding the process, but eventually, we’re really excited to see the next generation of winemakers spring forward from this program with CNM.”

Winemaking in New Mexico dates back nearly 400 years. It is the oldest winemaking region in the country.

“The cornerstone of developing any legitimate wine region hangs on the ability to educate and inspire great winemaking, and that’s exactly the goal of the boot camp,” said Chris Goblet, executive director of New Mexico Wine, in a CNM news release. “Participants will leave with an expanded expertise that will elevate winemaking in New Mexico and have a lasting impact on the industry.”

Sebastian Martinez, director of business development for CNM Ingenuity, said in the news release that the boot camp enhances technical expertise in winemaking.

“(It) also reflects CNM Ingenuity’s commitment to providing accessible, industry-driven educational opportunities that empower both current and aspiring professionals,” he added.

CNM students interested in enrolling in the 2025 Spring Red Winemaking Boot Camp are asked to email Sebastian Martinez at smartinez309@cnm.edu for more information.