St. Clair Winery
A New Mexico wine brand produced by the Lescombes family and associated with the state’s regional wine industry.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
St. Clair Winery is an American wine brand based in Deming, New Mexico. It was established in 1984 by Swiss investors who had arrived in the region two years earlier, making it part of the modern development of commercial wine production in New Mexico. The brand produces wines from grapes grown in the state and is sold primarily through retailers in New Mexico. The winery experienced financial difficulty after a frost and subsequently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Lescombes family later acquired the winery and its land. The family has made St. Clair wines since 1991 and continues to own and operate the business through Lescombes Family Vineyards. As of January 2020, Florent, Emmanuel, and Rebecca Lescombes were identified as the people operating the company. A major production site associated with the brand is the Mimbres Valley vineyard in Luna County, roughly 50 miles west of Deming and east of Lordsburg. Covering approximately 220 acres, the vineyard was described as New Mexico’s largest-yielding vineyard. St. Clair’s Mimbres Red is made from grapes grown at this site, linking the brand to the state’s high-desert agricultural landscape and the Mimbres Valley appellation area. St. Clair offers a broad portfolio rather than a single flagship varietal. Its range includes red, white, sparkling, dessert, and specialty wines. One of its more distinctive products is a chile-infused wine made with Hatch peppers. The product reflects the brand’s New Mexico identity by combining winemaking with a locally prominent agricultural ingredient. In 2014, the chile-wine project received a $50,000 federal grant for value-added agricultural products. The Lescombes family has also developed a wider hospitality and retail network around its wine operations. In spring 2019, company-owned locations were rebranded under the D.H. Lescombes name. These locations include the D.H. Lescombes Winery & Tasting Room in Deming and D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro venues in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. A Santa Fe venue, Hervé Wine Bar, opened in 2018. Those venue names are distinct from the St. Clair packaged-wine brand, but they form part of the same family-owned wine business. St. Clair remains a regional brand rather than a globally distributed wine label. Its wines are available through various New Mexico retailers and are distributed within the state by National Distributing Company. The brand’s positioning combines accessible regional wine, New Mexico-grown fruit, and products that use recognizable local flavors. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate international market strategy, public listing, or corporate parent outside the Lescombes family business.
History
St. Clair Winery was founded in 1984 in Deming, New Mexico, by Swiss investors who had arrived in the area in 1982. Its creation occurred during the development of New Mexico’s commercial wine sector, where vineyards and wineries sought to demonstrate that the state’s climate and agricultural conditions could support a broader wine industry. The business later encountered serious financial pressure. A frost damaged the operation and contributed to financial difficulties, after which the winery filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Lescombes family subsequently purchased the winery and associated land. The family has made St. Clair wines since 1991 and remains responsible for the brand’s ownership and operation through Lescombes Family Vineyards. The brand’s production is tied to New Mexico vineyards, particularly the Mimbres Valley site in Luna County. The vineyard is located approximately 50 miles west of Deming, near Lordsburg, and covers about 220 acres. It was described in reference material as the largest-yielding vineyard in New Mexico. Mimbres Red is made at this site, giving the brand a clear connection to a named regional growing area and to the state’s desert agricultural environment. St. Clair developed a diverse portfolio spanning red, white, sparkling, dessert, and specialty wines. Its chile-infused wine, made with Hatch peppers, is among its most distinctive offerings. The product uses a flavor associated with New Mexico agriculture and cuisine and illustrates the brand’s emphasis on regional differentiation. In 2014, the project received a $50,000 federal grant for value-added agricultural products. The Lescombes family’s business expanded beyond packaged wine into tasting rooms, restaurants, and wine bars. Hervé Wine Bar opened in Santa Fe in 2018. In spring 2019, company-owned venues were rebranded as D.H. Lescombes locations, including the Deming winery and tasting room and winery-and-bistro sites in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. This change placed the hospitality network under the family name while leaving St. Clair as a wine brand sold through retail channels. By January 2020, Florent, Emmanuel, and Rebecca Lescombes were identified as the people owning and operating the business. St. Clair wines continued to be made by the Lescombes family and distributed in New Mexico by National Distributing Company. The available record supports the description of St. Clair as an active, family-owned regional brand, but does not provide enough information to establish detailed annual sales, a national distribution footprint, or a separately reported corporate structure.
- 2020
Mimbres Red is documented as a Mimbres Valley wine
[1]Reference material identifies Mimbres Red as being made from grapes grown at the family’s Mimbres Valley vineyard.
- 2019
Company-owned venues are rebranded
[1]The family’s winery and hospitality locations adopt the D.H. Lescombes name.
- 2018
Hervé Wine Bar opens
[1]The Lescombes family opens Hervé Wine Bar in Santa Fe.
- 2014
Chile-wine project receives federal grant
[1]A $50,000 federal grant supports the winery’s Hatch chile-infused wine as a value-added agricultural product.
- 1991
Lescombes family begins making St. Clair wines
[1]The Lescombes family is documented as having made the brand’s wines since 1991.
- 1984
St. Clair Winery is founded
[1]St. Clair Winery is established in Deming, New Mexico.
- 1982
Swiss investors arrive in the Deming area
[1]The investors who later established St. Clair Winery arrived in the New Mexico area.
Products and positioning
A regional New Mexico wine brand emphasizing state-grown grapes, broad varietal coverage, and locally distinctive specialty products.
Red wine
Mimbres Red
Mimbres Red is a St. Clair wine associated with the Lescombes family’s vineyard in the Mimbres Valley of Luna County, New Mexico. The site lies west of Deming near Lordsburg and covers approximately 220 acres. The wine represents the brand’s connection to New Mexico-grown grapes and to a named regional growing area.
Specialty wine · 2014
Chile-infused wine
This specialty bottling incorporates Hatch peppers, an ingredient strongly associated with New Mexico agriculture and food culture. It is one of St. Clair’s most distinctive regional products and received federal value-added agriculture support in 2014. The available sources do not specify a formal product name or current vintage lineup.
Red wine
St. Clair red wines
The brand’s red-wine range forms part of its broader New Mexico portfolio. Public reference material identifies multiple red offerings but does not provide a complete current list of varietals, vintages, or production volumes.
White wine
St. Clair white wines
St. Clair produces white wines as part of its general portfolio. The available reference material does not specify the full varietal range or individual current labels.
Sparkling and dessert wine
St. Clair sparkling and dessert wines
The winery’s range includes sparkling and dessert wines in addition to conventional red and white bottlings. These categories broaden the brand’s offer for celebratory and after-dinner occasions, although detailed product specifications are not available in the cited material.
Brand decisions
2019
Rebrand company-owned hospitality locations as D.H. LescombesStrategyBackground
The Lescombes family operated the St. Clair wine brand alongside tasting rooms, restaurants, and other hospitality venues.
Action taken
In spring 2019, the family rebranded its company-owned locations under the D.H. Lescombes name, including sites in Deming, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces.
Aftermath
The hospitality venues were presented under the family name while St. Clair continued as a retail wine brand.
2014
Develop Hatch chile-infused wineProduct launchBackground
The winery pursued a specialty product using a locally associated agricultural ingredient.
Action taken
St. Clair developed a wine infused with Hatch peppers and received a $50,000 federal grant for value-added agricultural products.
Aftermath
The product became a notable example of the brand’s New Mexico-focused specialty positioning.
Federal grant. 50000 (2014)
Recent events
- 2020
Mimbres Red remains associated with the Lescombes family vineyard[1]
Product generation
Reference material identified St. Clair Winery’s Mimbres Red as being produced from grapes grown in the Mimbres Valley vineyard in Luna County.
- 2019
Lescombes family wine venues adopt D.H. Lescombes branding[1]
Other
Company-owned locations in Deming, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces were rebranded under the D.H. Lescombes name in spring 2019, separating the hospitality identities from the St. Clair packaged-wine brand.
- 2018
Hervé Wine Bar opens in Santa Fe[1]
Other
The Lescombes family expanded its hospitality presence with the opening of Hervé Wine Bar in Santa Fe.
- 2014
St. Clair Winery receives federal support for chile-infused wine project[1]
Product launch · Other
The winery received a $50,000 U.S. federal grant connected with value-added agricultural products for its wine made with Hatch peppers.
Sources2 sources
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