Every vine has a story, and nearly four hundred years ago, New Mexico’swine journey began when the first Mission grapes were planted in 1629. Tastethis rich legacy, the oldest in the United States, in Donna Blake Birchell’saccount of the turmoil and triumph that shaped today’s burgeoning industry.Despite greedy Spanish monarchs, prim teetotalers and the one-hundred-yearflood’s gift of root rot and alkaline deposits, New Mexico winemakers continueto harvest the fruits of sun-soaked volcanic soils and clear skies, blendingtheir family stories with the vines and traditions of the Old World. Raise atoast and join Birchell on the trail of New Mexico’s enchanted wines as sheexplores the heritage of more than fifty wineries in four distinct wine-growingregions.