How Vara Distillery is Using Grapes to Create Uniquely New Mexican Spirits
At Vara Winery and Distillery, located in Albuquerque, the team is doing a lot with a small space. The distillery side of the business got started in 2018, but Vara’s High Desert gin has already won a double gold in the 12th Annual New York International Spirits Competition in 2021, and the distillery was also recognized as New Mexico Distillery of the Year.
Background
Vara is deeply influenced by Spain, and co-founders Doug Diefenthaler and Xavier Zamarripa both travel to Spain regularly to meet with grape growers and producers. Doug explains that on one such visit, he was introduced to some Mediterranean-style gins, and fell in love with them. “It’s a different style than a London gin,” he says. Rather than packing the maximum punch from juniper, these gins tend to be bursting with light and fresh citrus notes.
High Desert Gin
The gins that Doug got to try when travelling heavily influenced his own approach for the High Desert gin, in which six of the thirteen botanicals are citrus. Another of the botanicals is sage, which grows abundantly in New Mexico. The High Desert gin is distilled from New Mexican grapes, including chenin blanc, moscato, and zinfandel. Doug feels that the grape spirit gives the gin a different texture and gentle mouthfeel, compared with spirits made from grain. “It’s a little rounder,” he says. Thanks to this soft finish, the citrus really shines through, and Doug notes that even tasting room visitors who tell him that they do not normally like gin have enjoyed it. Even with just ice and a slice of orange, the gin is easy drinking and fresh. For a longer drink, Doug recommends using a half and half mix of tonic and soda water, so that the sweetness of the tonic doesn’t overwhelm the subtlety of the gin.
Paso Uno Brandy
Vara also sells an unaged brandy, which is made using the same grape spirit as the gin, but without the botanicals, called Paso Uno. It’s distilled using a Spanish copper alquitara (pot still). Like the gin, it’s completely clear, and has a round mouthfeel and a gentle, smooth finish. The distilling team is constantly working on new spirits, and some of the dark spirits made onsite (such as the Rum Añejo) are produced using rapid maturation technology. Thanks to this, they can be ‘aged’ in less than two weeks. “We do our own milling,” says distiller Scott Feuille. “We mill, we toast, we char American white oak.” He explains that the spirit is exposed to the wood at the same rate that it would be in a 53-gallon barrel. “About a 50 square inches per gallon rate,” he says. The technology means that all sides of the oak can be used, so only a quarter of the wood is needed, compared with traditional barrel aging. “It’s really nice from a sustainability perspective,” says Scott.
Looking Ahead
In the year to come, the team hopes to get some extra exposure for their existing range, in addition to developing new products. “The pandemic knocked the wind out of us as far as advancing any kind of distribution,” says Doug, though adds that it provided plenty of R&D time to develop new products. The innovative method of maturation means that the Vara distilling team can produce their dark spirits despite limited space for traditional barrel aging: a huge benefit when it comes to experimentation. But despite this new-fangled technology, the team remains focused on sourcing high quality ingredients first and foremost. From the grapes to the botanicals from Europe and New Mexico alike, the Vara team feels that it is this careful selection of raw materials that helps their finished wines and spirits to shine.