The Schweers family added “Heart of the Desert” wines to their product line in 2002. In May of 2003, 12,000 grape vines were planted. The yield of their first crop was encouraging and prompted the addition of another 6,000 vines, planted in 2005, and 6,000 vines, planted in 2011. The vineyard currently has 24,000 vines.
The Grapes
The seven different varieties of grapes vines harvested each year are Chardonnay, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Riesling, Malvasia Bianca, and Gewürztraminer, making the production of a wide variety of wines possible. Today, the array of choices that affect the way the wine tastes are unprecedented. Since introducing Heart of the Desert wines in 2002, we have continually produced award winning wines at events held by the Southwest Wine Competition, the NM State Fair, the NM Wine Society, and the American Wine Society.
New Mexico Wines
The demand for New Mexico grapes has been steadily increasing as the production of New Mexico wines increases. A required qualification for New Mexico wines is that at least seventy-five percent of the grapes used in the production of the wines must be grown in New Mexico. This is important because the “terroir” of the grapes reflects the soil type, geology, climate, patterns of cultivation, and other various factors that affect the production of grapes. The distinction of the grapes used in the wines influences their individuality, a characteristic which Heart of the Desert Vineyards is proud to exhibit.
