(Aug. 21, 2023; ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.)—JP Clement, general manager and CEO of VARA Winery & Distillery in New Mexico, is pleased to announce that the winery and distillery’s award-winning VARA Silverhead Brut NV and VARA Silverhead Brut Rosado NV sparkling wines, crafted by legendary winemaker Laurent Gruet, are now available in distribution in California with Monterey Bay Wine Company.
VARA Winery & Distillery was founded in 2016 and brings together a cohort of winemaking luminaries—including Laurent Gruet, Bob Lindquist, and Louisa Sawyer Lindquist—to craft wines and spirits that bridge the shared viticultural histories of New Mexico, Spain, and California.
“At VARA, we tell the story of wine in the United States through a New Mexican lens,” says Clement. “Laurent’s sparkling wines are delicious, elegant, and full of New Mexican spirit, and we could not be more excited to work with Monterey Bay Wine Company to bring the wines to California.”
The Silverhead Brut Rosado NV (SRP $27) recently earned 93 points from Decanter, and the Silverhead Brut NV (SRP $25) recently earned a gold medal in the 2023 Sunset International Wine Competition. Both wines will be available for purchase at retailers across the state.
“Working at VARA gives me the opportunity to experiment and make wines that I wouldn’t be able to anywhere else,” says Gruet. “VARA has this creative energy that shines through in the Silverhead Brut, which blends grapes from across the world to add dimension and create consistent quality.”
Monterey Bay Wine Company has been committed to bringing handcrafted wines to discerning restaurants and retailers since its founding in 1980. A family-owned and operated business, Monterey Bay Wine Company prides itself on thoughtfully curating its portfolio of select prestigious wineries. They are based in Monterey County and are led by President Cindy Kaster. More information can be found at mbwines.com.
In addition to California, the VARA Silverhead Brut and Silverhead Brut Rosado are distributed in New Mexico (Fiasco Fine Wine), Colorado (Empire Distributors, Inc.), Georgia (Empire Distributors, Inc.), Michigan (AHD Vintners), and Illinois (Fine Vines).
About VARA Winery & Distillery
Conceptualized with the first release in 2016, Albuquerque-based VARA Winery & Distillery at once embraces and defies tradition, making it one of the most disruptive and exciting producers in the United States today. As a circle of professionals who are masters of their respective crafts and have witnessed and shaped the American beverage landscape, the VARA team is united and impassioned by the prospect of breaking boundaries and creating something entirely new. VARA is inspired by the wine history in New Mexico, which started in 1629 and is as rich, diverse, and storied as the region’s colorful landscapes. The road to American wine began with Spanish missionaries who came through New Mexico to California. Thus, VARA wines are sourced from all three places and are intentionally blended to create beyond-standard cuvées using a combination of traditional and innovative techniques. At VARA, a melding of varieties and sources focuses not on what wine should be but on what wine can become. The goal at VARA is to embrace diversity and make wines and spirits that are delicious and greater than the sum of their parts. VARA Winery & Distillery produces still, sparkling, and fortified wines, along with brandy, gin, rum, and vodka. VARA’s tasting rooms in Albuquerque and Santa Fe offer wine and cocktail classes and curated tapas.
For more information about VARA Winery & Distillery, please visit www.VARAwines.com and www.VARAspirits.com.
