VARA selected as one of Wine Business Monthly’s Hot Brands of 2024

Sofian Himeur believes New Mexico wine is on par with — if not better than — anything offered in the rest of the country.

“One of the things I’ve never been shy about is going out to other states, showing my wine and doing the ‘Pepsi Challenge.’ Brown bag my wines against anybody else’s (in a blind taste test),” said Himeur, who is a winemaker at VARA Winery and Distillery. “And if it’s the same price and better, good for them, but it’s very hard to find. I don’t mean to sound egotistical. I think that New Mexico’s overlooked.

“People don’t understand that. It’s the oldest wine-growing region in North America. I just want to show people by our work and what we do that New Mexico should be respected, and that we can do great things here.”

VARA, which was founded in 2016, has received its fair share of national accolades in recent months. It was selected as one of Wine Business Monthly’s Hot Brands of 2024, an honor given to wineries in the U.S. for a “unique approach,” whether that be through “pioneering winemaking techniques, working with distinctive grape varieties, achieving remarkable growth or capturing the essence of a particular region.” In this instance, VARA was recognized for its New Mexico Sparkling Brut 2023, a creation from Himeur and his uncle, Laurent Gruet, using 72% chenin blanc, 18% listán prieto and 10% pinot meunier.

According to Himeur, there’s one particular aspect of the wine that really makes it unique.

“(It’s) the listán prieto grape that we use, the Mission grape. So that’s the very first grape ever planted in North America, back in 1629 by the Franciscan monks. Not a lot of people use it,” he said.

“It’s one of the heartbeats of VARA, using that grape in that wine and in our wines. I think that’s probably one of the most unique things I’ve come across in North American wines in my career.”

The New Mexico Sparkling Brut 2023 also earned 98 points and a Double Gold Medal at the 2024 San Francisco International Wine Competition, making it one of the most successful wines at the event and according to the VARA website, “highest-rated wine ever made in New Mexico.”

“All of our sparkling wines medaled in that competition,” Himeur said. “We came home with a double gold, two golds, a bronze and a silver … We hope to keep that momentum and keep pushing the envelope with innovation and packaging and marketing things that we’re excited to introduce to the public.”

Himeur and his uncle complement each other well when it comes to the winemaking process at VARA. Laurent Gruet learned under his father and Gruet Winery founder, Gilbert Gruet — who is also Himeur’s grandfather. They’ve all been immersed in the family business for quite some time now.

“We joke inside the winery and call each other the dream team,” Himeur said. “He’s got 40 years’ (experience). He taught me how to make sparkling wine and wine. And the great thing about us is he has that old world philosophy. I have kind of a new world philosophy, and we bounce ideas off each other’s heads. We’re a great team because we can use his experience and my innovation to create quality sparkling wines and try to make them better.”

While awards and national accolades are nice, the team at VARA also strives to make its wine accessible to the masses. In other words, drinking wine should be fun. Those who want to try the New Mexico Sparkling Brut — or any of VARA’s other creations — can visit one of three tasting rooms, two in Albuquerque and one in Santa Fe. There’s also a wine club that provides its members with access to a variety of wines and other perks throughout the year.

“I think how I grew up was we wanted to make a quality product that’s approachable, that’s affordable,” Himeur said. “… It’s something that my grandfather instilled in me — is creating something that everybody can enjoy.”

A good vintage: VARA selected as one of Wine Business Monthly’s Hot Brands of 2024