Vivac Winery

Winery Description

HOW IT STARTED:
Vivác Winery is the creation of brothers Jesse and Chris Padberg, along with their wives,

Michele and Liliana Padberg, respectively. In November of 1998 Jesse and Chris embarked on a new mission "to make the best wine possible and have a good time doing it!" This meant professionally crafted, world-ranked, dry red wines-a first for New Mexico.

Jesse and Chris found inspiration in France and Italy, and were especially drawn in by the Old World wine culture, where winemaking is a dance between art and science. The brothers began reading every publication they could find about grapes, winemaking, and the world of wine. Though extensive travel around the world and mentorships with other local winemakers, they learned about the wine business in general and more specifically about the wine business in Northern New Mexico; "At every turn people were there to help us out" say the brothers.

WHAT IS VIVÁC?

The word "Vivác" is a Spanish term meaning "high-altitude refuge," and Vivác Winery is just that. By choosing only the highest-quality products-from the best grapes, the most advanced winemaking equipment and processes, and real corks, to Riedel logo glasses in the tasting room-Vivác is a rarity. At every turn the Padbergs treat their wines with the utmost care; hand-harvesting and hand-sorting grapes, and even using a gentle bladder pump and gravity feed so as not to bruise the wines. Only high-quality French oak barriques and stainless steel barrels are used for aging. After bottling, these unfiltered, unfined wines rest for 12 months before they are sold. Every winemaking step is done meticulously by hand. The ever-expanding estate Fire Vineyard is farmed organically and keeps this area focused on agriculture. Each item in the tasting room that represents this boutique winery is one of elegance and refinement.

With record-breaking ratings in Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Vivác Winery has earned the title of "Highest Rated Red Wine Producer in New Mexico's History." Sunset Magazine has named Vivác "Notable up and coming wine makers" and "Winery to discover now!" With a commitment to excellence, the Vivác Winery family has pushed the boundaries of what New Mexico wine can be!

THE WINERY:

The winery facility is on the family property, tucked into the Dixon foothills, surrounded by apple orchards. The original building is a 500-square-foot Rastra-block space built by Jesse and Chris in 1999. This space was quickly outgrown. In 2004 the current facility, a 1500-square-foot metal building, was put up, insulated, and equipped with a full heating and cooling system designed to keep the wines at a constant temperature, from fermentation to oak aging and finally to bottle. The initial building is now used for storage of bottled wines awaiting release. The total winemaking facility is 2000 square feet, not nearly enough for the 20% yearly growth in production.

Everything in the winemaking process is done entirely by hand, from hand-sorting the grapes to hand-punch-downs and hand-bottling. The 100% French oak barrique collection is formed of both new and old oak barrels. Despite French oak's high price, the Padbergs insist on using only this top-quality wood because it imparts the sweet spices that are a hallmark of Vivác's Old World-style wines. When not in oak, Vivác wines are fermented and aged in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks.