Harvest season has started Lescombes Family Vineyards! The winery has received its first few trucks of grapes and from now until about the end of September, all hands are on deck helping in any and every way possible.
Early Morning Harvesting
At 200 acres, we own the largest family vineyard in New Mexico. Each acre produces about 1,000 vines which leads to an average of 7-10 tons of grapes. Our Viticulturist, Emmanuel Lescombes, cares for the crop ofCabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Moscato, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Chenin Blanc, and dozens of other varietals. Caring for the vineyard is more than just watering – it’s keeping an eye on the weather, pesky animals, pests, flowering timing, and so much more. Fun Fact: Paper from the office at Lescombes Family Vineyards is used to make compost for the vineyard!
Emmanuel LescombesLescombes Family Vineyard
Sample grapes are pulled from the vine and taken to the lab to test for sugar, acidity, and more. Certain varieties are harvested at specific times, depending on the wine it’s going to be used for. Once the samples test at the desired numbers…the vineyard is given the green light to begin harvesting. The earlier grapes are harvested the more acidic, while later harvested grapes contain more sugar.
Though the New Mexico climate is ideal for growing grapes, the sun is harsh for grapes off the vine – which is why our mechanical harvester runs through the night until early morning. As grapes are collected, they’re then delivered to the winery to be destemmed and gently crushed. Then, red grapes are sent to New Mexico’s largest fermentation tanks and white grapes are sent to be pressed.
First Sémillon of 2022
Interested in seeing the vineyard for yourself? Click here for more info on our Vineyard & Winery tours!
DEMING – Rain or shine, Deming Animal Guardians held another successful Yappy Hour fundraiser hosted by St. Clair Winery in Deming this past weekend. Rain didn’t end up being a problem since St. Clair Winery offered its indoor tasting and event center.
“There was a little indoor dancing, pledging and shopping and a little outdoor visiting and tasting happening. It worked out perfectly.” says event coordinator Debbie Troyer.
The event brought in just under $1,400 to help support DAG’s no-kill rescues and spay/neuter programs. Money was raised through pledges taken in a contest that bid Crystal Pena of HELP-NM against Will Jansen of Mimbres Hospital. Each competed for a $100 prize to be given to their charity of choice. Congratulations to the winner, Crystal Pena, for playing along in her kitty costume and raising funds for Luna County’s Early Childhood Coalition.
Crystal Peña congratulated by Will Janson at Yappy Hour inside St. Clair Winery’s Special Event Center.
St. Clair Winery donated use of their spacious indoor special event center as well as $1 for every glass of wine/beer sold, vendors sold beautiful oil and acrylic paintings, hand cut stone jewelry, candles and engravings. Faces were decorated by Megan Lemcke, dancing was provided by EnJ Entertainment and everyone was entertained by the always fun MC Greg Morrow. Belle Pacheco gave away $200 GoodLife VIP gift cards.
“It’s not easy to bring these events together, but the support from our community and volunteers always amazes me. We have a great time at our fundraisers,” Troyer said.
DAG invites you to follow them on Facebook to keep up on all the upcoming and fun events. Next up, “Bowling for Fur-Balls” on August 12 at the Starmax Bowling Center, 333 N. Country Club Road. This will be a No-Tap Tournament for all ages. There will be a Blu-Ray DVD Player raffle, door prizes, music and handmade awards.
For more information, please contact DAG at 575-544-2209
(DEMING, NM) – St. Clair Winery of Deming is pleased to announce the 22nd annual Winefest, benefiting Cancer Support of Deming and Luna County, Inc. Festivities will begin on Saturday, October 1st from 12:00-7:00pm and continue on Sunday, October 2nd from 12:00-6:00pm. Enjoy a selection of food vendors on-site as well as arts & crafts vendors, live music, a silent auction, tours, fun activities for the kids and a wide selection of wines for sipping and sampling. Admission at the gate is $5 and includes a complimentary wine glass and tasting tickets. Free admission is offered to all active-duty military and law enforcement.
St Clair will donate all proceeds from admission, ribbon sales, vendor fees and silent auction to the local non-profit, Cancer Support of Deming and Luna County, Inc. for the sixth year in a row. Last year’s donation was just over $3,300, which helped offset the cost of travel for many local cancer patients who often attend treatments many miles away.
“We’ve seen an increase each year in the donation amount, and we’re always happy the community is willing to come together to help support this great cause,” said Lora Robinson, Tasting Room Manager.
While on-site, take advantage of a winery tour for a behind-the-scenes look at the largest, most award-winning winery in New Mexico. There will be 3 exclusive VIP tours ($15 per person or $25 per couple) as well as a free basic tour. The all-inclusive VIP tours will be held at 12:30, 2:00 and 5:00 pm with a winery tour, a complimentary commemorative glass, and will finish with a coveted four-barrel wine tasting. VIP tours are limited to only 15 people, so make your reservation today. The basic winery tour will be given to the first 20 people at 3:30 pm each day.
Following on from the tour and the festival, guests may feel inspired to try their hand at creating some of their own wine. If that’s the case, it might be worth looking for some equipment. It’s vital that wineries find some whiskey barrels for sale to help them create their own drinks. With some hard work and determination, some of these people might be attending this festival next time as wine suppliers.
St. Clair Winery has tickets available at their Tasting Room located at 1325 De Baca Rd SE, 3 miles east of Deming on NM Highway 549. Go to www.stclairwinery.com for a full schedule of festival activities.
To schedule your VIP tour reservations, or for further information, please call 575-546-1179. (Winery tours require closed-toe shoes and do not allow jewelry).
To enter the bottle opening contest or grape stomp contest, simply volunteer as a contestant during Winefest at the scheduled times. For the bra parade, bring a decorated bra along with you and be ready to display it by wearing it over your clothes or display on a hanger. Bra Parade and judging will be at 2:45pm on Sunday, October 2nd. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for the best bra.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Saturday, October 1st
12:00 pm – Winefest Day 1 Officially Opens
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Live Music by “Wait For What?”
12:00 pm – Silent Auction Bidding Begins
12:30 pm – V.I.P. Winery Tour
1:30 pm – Cork Pulling Contest
1:30 pm – Grape Stomp Contest
2:00 pm – V.I.P. Winery Tour
3:00 pm – Cork Pulling Contest
3:00 pm – Grape Stomp Contest
3:30 pm – Basic Winery Tour
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Live Music by “Smokin’ Mirrors”
5:00 pm – V.I.P. Winery Tour
6:00 pm – Grape Stomp Contest
6:00 pm – Cork Pulling Contest
7:00 pm – Firework Display
Sunday, October 2nd
12:00 pm – Winefest Day 2 Officially Opens
12:30 pm – V.I.P. Winery Tour
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Live Music by “Cadillac Kings”
2:00 pm – V.I.P. Winery Tour
2:30 pm – Cork Pulling Contest
2:30 pm – Grape Stomp Contest
2:45 pm – Bra Parade Contest (bring a decorated bra and be ready to either wear it over your clothes to display or display on a hanger. Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place!)
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