Texas Wine Month Is Ending, But It’s Also Just The Beginning

The Lone Star State may be wrapping up its month of promotion, but offers a diverse portfolio of wines for all year ‘round

The Texas wineries are wrapping a month of activities and tastings geared toward promoting what is now a major agricultural business in Texas, a sector that generates close to $20.35 billion in total economic activity in the state according to new data in the Wine America report. With some 443 producers, the state is poised to be a major player offering a diversity of varieties and styles.

Amid the growth, in 2014, a small group of producers banded together to form an independent promotional body, Texas Fine Wine, based on the shared philosophy and mission of producing quality wines—not just those that showcase Texas but that can also compete on an international stage said Denise Clarke, spokeswoman for the group.

Those four, Bending Branch Winery, Duchman Family Winery, Pedernales Cellars and Spicewood Vineyards, represent producers of varied styles but with a single commitment to honor grapes grown in Texas. They shared their thoughts on the challenges, rewards and the unique proposition Texas wines offer.

As a winery, what has been your biggest challenge in past five years?

“Our biggest viticultural challenge at Pedernales Cellars in the last five years has been replanting Kuhlken Vineyards. The vineyard was discovered to be infected with several viruses about five years ago, probably brought there from the nursery. It has been a tremendous amount of work yanking out the old vines and their root systems, digging fresh holes, and planting anew. The pay-off is that we have learned a lot over the last quarter century (the original vineyards were planted in 1995) of growing grapes, and now have a much better sense which grapes thrive in our little patch of the Texas Hill Country.” — Julie Kuhlken, co-founder / co-owner.

Winemaker Dave Reilly cites “a changing climate” as a major challenge in his region and at Duchman Family Winery. “Everything from freeze events and severe hail to drought,” coupled with the Dicamba issue—possible contamination by an herbicide used to kill weeds in cotton fields—on the Texas High Plains. Reilly says though it will take years to replant and make productive the vineyard blocks affected by last February’s freeze, “[Despite] all of these challenges we are facing, we will adapt in ways needed to continue to produce top quality wine in Texas.” On the bright side, he says a major accomplishment has been “getting lesser-known varieties such as Vermentino, Aglianico and Montepulciano to the center stage of Texas wine.”

What distinguishes Texas wines in the market or what do you think is Texas wines’ unique position?

Bob Young, co-owner of Bending Branch Winery, renown in the region for his mentorship, experimentation and success with Tannat, says “the many macro and micro climates throughout this very large state” give Texas a unique advantage. “They allow us to grow a diversity of grape varieties that are proving to excel, such as Picpoul Blanc, Tannat and Petite Sirah.” Though he is a proponent of what the state can do with its wide portfolio of varieties, he says “when wines are evaluated for points and awards, I would like to see Texas wines have the opportunity to be compared to other regions versus evaluated against other Texas wines. Texas wines that are blind tasted against their international counterparts remove preconceived ideas and it never fails that people are always surprised by the quality of Texas wines.”

What do you think people would be most surprised by in discovering Texas wines?

Kuhlken, Reilly and Ron Yates, owner, Spicewood Vineyards, all cite range and excellence as the surprise factors when it comes to Texas. Says Yates, “No question: the quality and the diversity of wines here. People have expectations on what they will get when they visit other wine regions. When you go to Napa, you drink Cabernet. In Sonoma, it’s Pinot and Chardonnay… In Texas, you can go to four tasting rooms and probably taste 20 different wines. Every day in the tasting room, someone tells me they are blown away by the great wines being made here.”

Though Texas is its own unique laboratory, it borrows from regions and puts its own twist. What or who influenced your winemaking philosophy?

“Roger Corder [author of the The Red Wine Diet], for his extensive research on tannins, polyphenols and procyanidins. From my winemaking perspective, those components are important, especially procyanidins, which are the smooth-tasting tannins that are not bitter nor astringent. They are the sweet spot of tannins in red wines.” —Bob Young, Bending Branch.

“Unquestionably, the wines from Ribera del Duero and specifically Vega Sicilia. That wine made me want to drink and make Tempranillo in Texas. When in Spain, I saw the similarities between Texas and the Spanish wine world, which continues to inspire our winemaking.” —Ron Yates, Spicewood.

And, in the spirit of what brought these producers together, Reilly of Duchman Family Winery, says, “I never set out to produce wines that emulate another region; instead I wanted to make Texas wines from grapes grown 100% in Texas.”