New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

The first grapevines in New Mexico were planted in 1629 at Senecu, a Piro Indian pueblo south of Socorro, within the Rio Grande rift. This was almost a century and a half before the first vineyards in California. By 1800 there was widespread wine production in New Mexico in two areas within the Rio Grande rift (1) Bernalillo to Socorro; and (2) Mesilla to El Paso.

By the 1880 census there were 3150 acres of vineyards in New Mexico with production of almost a million gallons annually. This production was principally in the Rio Grande valley. However, frequent flooding and higher water tables in the Rio Grande valley adversely affected vineyards. Wine production fell to 296,000 gallons in 1890, 34,208 in 1900, and 1,684 in 1910. The New Mexico wine industry was reborn in 1978, and today the state produces almost 350,000 gallons of wine a year.

Currently, there are about 23 wineries in New Mexico. The majority (16) are located within the Rio Grande rift from near Taos in the north to La Union in the south. These vineyards are located on Neogene basin fill of the Santa Fe Group or Quaternary alluvium. Three vineyards are located in the Tularosa basin, also on Neogene basin fill. Two of the largest vineyards are located on Neogene sediments of Basin and Range basins near Deming, presumably related to property values. The remaining vineyards are located in river valleys of different sizes from the Pecos Valley near Ribera to the Embudo valley near Dixon.