(April 25, 2024; ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.)— JP Clement, CEO and general manager of Albuquerque-based VARA Winery & Distillery, is excited to announce the urban winery and craft distillery’s new partnership with the United Soccer League’s New Mexico United. The sponsorship, VARA’s first of a professional sports team, is for the 2024 and 2025 seasons and unites VARA and New Mexico United for various collaborations, including jersey placement, beverage partnerships, and community outreach with the team’s Somos Unidos Foundation. This partnership comes on the heels of exciting news of approved plans for a new stadium in Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta Park, which will further bolster the team’s presence in the local community.
“We are incredibly proud to have the opportunity to support and collaborate with New Mexico United,” says Clement. “Not only is United relentless in the pursuit of perfecting the beautiful game, but the organization and players are also committed to giving back to our home state, a goal we share here at VARA. This partnership is a natural fit, and we can’t wait for fans to experience VARA and New Mexico United together at the stadium and beyond.”
As part of the partnership, VARA’s logo will appear on the back of the NM United home jerseys, which will be available for sale in VARA’s tasting rooms. In addition, VARA will become the official gin and rum sponsor of New Mexico United, with the VARA High Desert Gin and Estrella Blanca Rum to be sold at the stadium for fans to enjoy during exhilarating home games. VARA will have the opportunity to introduce NM United fans to its line of locally made products before games in a designated tailgate space, and VARA’s logo and imagery will be displayed throughout the stadium, on the video board, and on NM United’s website. Additionally, VARA’s tasting rooms will host several NM United-partnered events and athlete appearances.
The VARA Winery and Distillery team is particularly excited to partner with the team’s Somos Unidos Foundation, which works to create positive outcomes for children across New Mexico through participation in the arts, sports, and community building. One dollar from every bottle purchased of Somos Unidos Gin and Rum, collaborative bottlings with special labels between NM United and VARA, will go toward the foundation. Additionally, one dollar from the sales of a soon-to-be-unveiled “Papas Unidas” menu item, available at VARA’s Nob Hill tasting room’s Public House neighbor, The Kitchen at Nob Hill, will also be donated to the foundation.
Further strengthening VARA and NM United’s new partnership, The Albuquerque City Environmental Planning Commission recently voted to approve New Mexico United’s proposal to build a new stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park, close to VARA’s Balloon Fiesta Park tasting room. The modern stadium will revitalize the area and strengthen NM United’s ties to the community.
“We are so excited about the new stadium, which speaks to both NM United and VARA’s shared goals of continuing to grow New Mexican pride and create spaces for lasting memories in our hometown,” says Clement. “This stadium will be a fun new space for local Albuquerque residents to enjoy and will provide welcome foot traffic for local businesses, including VARA’s Balloon Fiesta tasting room.”
New Mexico United was founded in 2018 and joined the United Soccer League (USL) Championship in 2019, serving as New Mexico’s only professional soccer team. The USL, headquartered in Tampa, Florida, was established in 2011 with 15 teams, and now, following years of continued growth, hosts 25 teams across the country, with five more scheduled to be added in 2025. The team plays out of Rio Grande Credit Union Field in Albuquerque.
About VARA Winery & Distillery
Founded in 2016, VARA is an Albuquerque-based urban winery and craft distillery that brings together a passionate circle of professionals who use innovative techniques to create wines and spirits that express a uniquely New Mexican point of view. VARA is inspired by New Mexico’s boundary-pushing culture and the state’s history of winemaking, which spans nearly 400 years and is as rich and storied as the region’s colorful landscapes. VARA Winery & Distillery produces still, sparkling, and fortified wines, along with brandy, gin, rum, and vodka. VARA has three tasting rooms in New Mexico: the Balloon Fiesta Park Micro-Tasting Room, located at 315 Alameda Blvd. NE; the Santa Fe Tasting Room, located at 329 W. San Francisco St; and the Nob Hill Tasting Room, located at 201 Hermosa Dr. NE. VARA’s tasting rooms offer wine and spirits flights as well as a curated selection of cocktails and tapas. Please visit for hours of operations and reservations.
For more information about VARA Winery & Distillery, please visit www.VARAwines.com and www.VARAspirits.com.
Follow on social media
- Instagram: @VARAwine and @VARAspirits
- Facebook: @VARAWines
About New Mexico United
New Mexico United, the state’s first professional soccer franchise, brings the most popular sport in the world home to the Land of Enchantment. Fueled by a passion for community, New Mexico United’s promise is to provide a platform that brings New Mexicans together for a unique sporting experience, celebrating the unity and excitement inherent in world-class soccer.
