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Juicy grapes flourish along the vines of Santa Ana Pueblo鈥檚 26-acre Tamaya Vineyard, where each cluster is monitored to achieve peak ripeness before being fermented into zesty, tart wine 鈥� the result of a recently established partnership between the tribe and Lescombes Family Vineyards.

In New Mexico, the nation鈥檚 first wine-producing region, the partnership marks a new chapter for an industry with roots stretching back centuries.

鈥淲e really want to make sure we embrace the New Mexico community,鈥� said Ryan Garcia, the pueblo鈥檚 agriculture director. 鈥淚 want to make sure that the New Mexico products stay in New Mexico, but also produce quality products for the people of New Mexico.鈥�

The local viticultural industry began when Franciscan monks vines out of Spain to produce ceremonial wine for church sacraments. They later planted the first grapes in 1629 along the banks of the Rio Grande to produce wine for the Catholic Church, where the beverage represents the Blood of Christ. Since the 1980s, Lescombes in southern New Mexico has been a leader in the local industry.

The pueblo vineyard name honors the Indigenous Tamayame people, as Tamaya is their traditional name for the pueblo in the native Keresan language.

The 70,000-acre Tamaya Indian Reservation along the Rio Grande has been home to the Santa Ana people since at least the 1500s. Following the of 1680, Spanish forces temporarily pushed the tribe out. The people successfully returned to the area in 1693, and today the community is home to hundreds of tribal members.

The new partnership will ensure quality and regional pride are tasted with every glass, Garcia said.

Since its founding, Lescombes has established five restaurants across New Mexico, in sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Santa Fe, Las Cruces and Alamogordo. Even though the primary grape harvest does not begin until August, Lescombes CEO Brandon Young said he looks forward to the new collaboration, highlighting the mutual advantages it brings.

As part of the collaboration, Tamaya will supply deep-hued, refreshing pinot meunier grapes that will expand Lescombes鈥� portfolio, he said. To help meet market demand, Tamaya will also sell chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, supplementing the crops already grown at the Lescombes vineyard.

Growing grapes and producing wine locally gives Lescombes a distinct advantage, Young said, allowing the winery to market their products as authentic New Mexican wine. Garcia said sourcing grapes in the state also cuts costs by removing the need to ship them in from out of state.

鈥淚t is difficult to become rich growing grapes,鈥� said Walter Dods, manager of the Tamaya Vineyard. 鈥淗owever, knowing what we are going to get per pound, per ton of grapes allows us to know what we are getting, and so we know what we need to do to get that. It is economically beneficial just by knowing that we will be able to sell them.鈥�

The five-year agreement will run through October 2031. The parties did not disclose financial details regarding the partnership.

Working with Lescombes sparked Garcia鈥檚 interest several years back, before he began his role at Santa Ana in 2023. While working as a farm manager at New Mexico State University, Garcia took a tour of the 200-acre Lescombes vineyard near Lordsburg, saying it 鈥渙pened my eyes up to a lot of the different varieties they had and what they were doing.鈥�

Since 2025, just before finalizing the deal at the podium with a handshake and signature, the pueblo and Lescombes had been intentionally discussing the collaboration, Garcia said.

鈥淭hey were very happy with our vineyard, but we were very happy with their production too,鈥� Garcia said of Lescombes. 鈥淚t just took a long time processing, going back and forth, talking about what we wanted with the partnership.鈥�

The initiative also uplifts the regional economy and respects the cultural landscape of Tamaya Vineyard through eco-friendly practices, Garcia said.

Throughout the growth process 鈥� from the vine鈥檚 initial planting to the final harvest 鈥� the vineyard employs an environmentally conscious approach, focusing on minimizing the use of synthetic chemicals, Dods said. Sustainable farming guarantees healthier soil and, by extension, healthier grapes.

The Santa Ana farm practices sustainability through cover cropping, mulching and the use of seaweed-based bionutrients. They also reduce their use of pesticides.

鈥淔rom the water to the land to the people, we want to make sure we produce a good-quality grape,鈥� Garcia said.

Young said the partnership could lead to a Santa Ana-specific wine. The custom beverage could then be sold at tribal venues, including restaurants and casinos, he said.

For Garcia, the partnership aims to reflect the pueblo鈥檚 ancestral roots.

鈥淲e pride ourselves at the Santa Ana Pueblo, especially within the agriculture department,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥�(We want to) do everything possible to make sure that everything is done in the most effective but also traditional way of farming.鈥�

Keelin Fisher is a business reporter for the Journal. You can reach her at kfisher@abqjournal.com.