ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – People gathered Monday at a New Mexico Harvest Wine and Music Festival to sample wines made in New Mexico while winery owners and customers talked about the value behind each glass.
“Wine is necessary. I have a budget. I’ve been given certain other things. I have a nice cold glass or room temp of wine in the evening,” festival attendee Cheryl Coleman said.
Vendors said the industry also faces changes in who is buying wine and how much it costs to get bottles to customers.
“Shipping is not cheap,” Laurie Blackwell with Sheehan Winery said. “We can’t do that anymore.”
“Yes, these glasses of wine can be expensive to some people, but it’s also the experience you’re paying for, not just the glass of wine in your hand,” festival attendee Emily Pape said.
Coleman said local support matters even more when small businesses face tighter conditions.
“I think it’s really important to support our local businesses because there are a lot of investments made. We’re here for the community,” Coleman said.
