Medium straw-gold color; Meyer lemon, almond, grapefruit, green apple, honeysuckle, hint of honey, brioche, minerality-salinity on the nose and palate.
Brut; light body with very fine, very persistent bubbles. Excellent acidity (3.16 pH; 8.4 g/L; dosage 6.6 g/L). VaraxLG is a collaboration with Laurent Gruet, who joined VARA in 2020. The wine is 100% hand-harvest chardonnay grapes from Washington State’s Ancient Lakes AVA. Produced in Albuquerque, NM using classic méthode champenoise. Fermented in stainless steel. In February 2021, the cuvée was placed in final bottle to undergo tirage aging. Bottles lay in VARA’s cellar for 33 months, riddled and disgorged. The bottle received the final dosage and immediately was corked, caged, and labeled. 12.5% ABV
VARA Winery & Distillery is part of a renaissance of winemaking in New Mexico. New Mexico? Where did that come from? Well, as today’s state was the first to be settled by Spanish settlers and priests, there was wine grape growing and wine making beginning in the late 1500s, almost two centuries before colonization in Alta California and Father Junípero Serra’s mission building. VARA traces its roots to the collaborative vision of Bob Lindquist, Louisa Sawyer Lindquist, and Laurent Gruet who established a winery in Albuquerque in 1984. The winemakers founded VARA in 2016. The operation emphasizes artisanal wines and small-batch production. As the company name implies, it also includes spirit production such as its High Desert Gins.
Laurent Gruet—that’s the LG in the wine name—firmly established Gruet as an outstanding American sparkling wine producer, bringing his Champagne skills and techniques to Albuquerque. Laurent became part of the VARA group in 2020. I consistently review and praise his Gruet sparklings for their quality and sensible pricing. That now holds true for VARA. This is an exciting development. Just as Gruet is high quality sparkling for under $20—punching way above its weight—VARA appears to do the same for the next level for sparkling in the $40 range. Wine of VARA quality would cost two or three times as much if it bore a Champagne label. VARA also produces quality still wines.
VARA Winery VARAxLG Brut Blanc de Blancs American Sparkling Wine NV is a superb sparkling wine made in Albuquerque, NM in collaboration with Laurent Gruet of Gruet Wine fame. This is further proof that American sparkling wine made in New Mexico is an incredible value and easily matches sparklings made elsewhere—in France or the U.S. Meyer lemon leads the flavor parade framed by excellent acidity. $40
Pairing—Brilliant as toasting wine at an event, as an aperitif, or just enjoyed by itself. Suchi and sashimi; lightness does not overpower delicate raw fish flavors. Fresh oysters—a classic pairing. Scallops and shellfish. Smoke salmon, enhance with crème fraîche and dill. Crab, lobster. Roasted chicken, chicken empanadas; turkey with lighter preparations and herb-based seasonings. Fried foods, tempura vegetables, fried calamari. Fresh green salads, stuffed mushrooms, grilled root vegetables. Light pasta dishes with cream-base sauces. Cheese—triple-cream, soft-ripened cheeses, brie, brillat-savarin, Pierre Robert, Délice de Bourgogne; fresh goat cheese, crottin de chavignol, Sainte-Maure de Touraine; aged American cheddar, baby swiss, colby.
