Three Ways to Celebrate National Wine Day

May 25 is National Wine Day! You may be asking yourself, “What is National Wine Day?” The origins of this holiday are not clear, but the premise of the celebration is simple. It’s a day to honor our favorite fermented adult fruit drink! Here at Heart of the Desert, we celebrate Wine Day every day, but we love that a national holiday exists for everyone to join in our celebration! If you aren’t sure how you want to honor this particular day, here are a few ideas on how to celebrate!

1. Learn about the history of wine!

While it is difficult to find archaeological evidence of winemaking, residue from pottery shards in China dates some of the earliest evidence to 7000-6000 BC! More firm evidence of wine production in Western Asia dates to 5400 BC, and then later evidence from Greek caves was found about 12,000 years ago. Eventually, grapevines were imported to “The New World,” and then wine was preserved for shipping across the sea. Today the US has over 10,000 wineries, and Heart of the Desert is proud to represent our great state with different varieties of New Mexican wine! You can find lots of great information about wine history on the web, or you can check out a book from your local library and curl up at your house to do some reading… don’t forget to pour yhttps://www.heartofthedesert.com/wp-admin/edit.phpourself a glass of wine!

2. Visit a winery!

The process of winemaking is fascinating. The most basic explanation is that you extract juice from a specific fruit (grapes being the most popular) and let it ferment. The grapes used to make wine are different from those that we eat. They are typically smaller and sweeter. In fact, Heart of the Desert uses seven different varieties of grapes to make our wine, including Chardonnay, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Shiraz/Syrah, Riesling, Malvasia Bianca, and Gewürztraminer grapes. The grapes are harvested and then crushed to extract the juice. Next is the fermentation step, which turns sugar into alcohol. Typically, winemakers use a special wine-brewing yeast to help speed up the fermentation process, but it is possible to do so without yeast. Finally, the wine is aged in stainless steel and/or oak barrels to create a more intense flavor. Wine can be aged from a few months to years, depending on the flavor profile the winemaker is going for.

We love to share our wines those new to wine and with aficionados. You can visit our winery to do a wine tasting and even tour our ranch on one of our FREE farm tours! Come celebrate with us!

3. Have a wine tasting party at home!

Everything is better with friends. Celebrate National Wine Day by inviting some friends over and trying new wines! You’ll have lots to choose from because there are five classifications of wine!
They are:

– Red Wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot)
– White Wine (such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Blanc)
– Rose´ Wine (such as Grenache or Cabernet Franc)
– Sparkling Wine (such as Cava or Prosecco)
– Fortified Wine (“Fortified” with distilled spirits after fermentation)

To host a great wine party, we recommend trying one or two of each category! Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered! Check out our wine tasting guide for a detailed crash course in wine tasting for beginners! Enjoy the aroma and taste of the wine and be sure to pair them with some chocolate or gourmet foods from our shop. If you still need some guidance on how to host a wine tasting at home, check out our blog article on the topic!

No matter how you choose to celebrate wine day, we are here for you! We hope to see you at our winery soon! Viva La Roja is on sale in our stores through the end of May! If you cannot join us on this special day, please check out our wide selection online. We ship to many states so you can enjoy a glass of our award-winning wine from afar. Don’t forget we have a special Memorial Day Sale on pistachios and wine until May 30th, 2022!

Cheers!

Heart of the Desert is a working pistachio ranch and vineyard with four retail establishments in New Mexico. They are best known for their farm fresh pistachios and Award-Winning New Mexico wines. Each store offers wine and pistachio tastings. They offer worldwide shipping and produce attractive gourmet baskets that make great corporate and family gifts. The main store, on the ranch in Alamogordo, offers farm tours that showcases how pistachios are grown and processed as well as a stunning Tuscany themed patio that overlooks the groves and is available for weddings, private parties or enjoying a relaxing glass of wine.

References:
https://www.winepros.org/history-of-wine/#Wine-Making_in_the_20th_Century
https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/how-wine-is-made-in-pictures/