ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.,/PRNewswire/ — Award-winning winemaker Laurent Gruet marks his 40th year of harvesting and pressing grapes for making Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine – collectively pressing over 40,000 tons of grapes and making over 36,000,000 bottles of sparkling wine!
“This my first harvest here at Vara has a very special feeling,” says Laurent Gruet, now partner and sparkling winemaker at Vara Winery & Distillery in New Mexico. “It is truly a rebirth. It’s joyous, exciting and fun! I get to do it with all of my previous experience, and with great friends and peers who hold the same high standards for quality as I do.”
Laurent Gruet comes from generations of Méthode Champenoise winemaking. Like his father Gilbert Gruet, quality is Laurent’s top priority and it underscores his winemaking passion. After coming to the United States at 18 from France, not speaking a word of English, Laurent introduced Méthode Champenoise to New Mexico receiving the highest accolades.
“I have to admit, it’s tremendously gratifying to have the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition recognize me as their winner of the Sparkling Sweepstake Winemaker Award,” continues Laurent. “It is certainly no coincidence that the wine entered, 2012 Gruet Blanc de Blancs, happens to be my favorite of the 12 vintages I have declared so far. It has me inspired to do even better with my new brand.”
From Laurent’s first 6 harvests in Bethon, France where the foundations of his experience were developed, to the 33 harvests he presided over at Gruet Winery with great success — he now joins the winemaking team at Vara, bringing his decades of experience to set the standard for their sparkling wine program. Laurent joins Bob and Louisa Lindquist, Drake McCarthy, Scott Feuille, and co-owners Doug Diefenthaler and Xavier Zamarripa in Vara’s circle of artisans.
“In joining the Vara team as the sparkling winemaker and partner, it is a unique opportunity to fuse our collective passion for making wine,” said Laurent Gruet. “Working with such a dynamic team allows us all to better ourselves and make the most exceptional wines. You have to believe you can do it – and we have the energy behind us. Stay tuned for what’s coming next as we go back to basics and craft brand new wines.”
ABOUT VARA WINES
Vara is an international family of Spanish and American wines and spirits celebrating the origins of the American wine experience thanks to the historical connection of Spain and New Mexico. Some wines have a story, we have a history. Visit www.varawines.com
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