Given that it is Texas Wine Month, I thought I would provide a bit of background about the Texas wine industry. Texas is the fifth-largest wine producing state, with some 400+ wineries and a statewide economic impact of $20 billion. Texas is a huge wine tourism destination with some 2 million tourist visits every year.
Texas has two of the country’s largest AVAs, including the Texas Hill Country AVA at 9 million acres (third largest in the United States) and the Texas High Plains AVA at 8 million acres. Of course, not all of this acreage is planted to wine grapes. There are 1,000+ vineyard acres in the Hill Country compared to more than 3,000 acres of vineyards in in the High Plains. More than 80% of the grapes for Texas wines come from the Texas High Plains.
What many don’t realize is the Texas High Plains AVA, located around Lubbock, enjoys elevations from 3,000 to 5,000 feet, which contribute to a significant diurnal shift (temperature swing from day to night). The hot daytime temperatures help grapes ripen and produce sugars; the drop in temperature at night allows the grapes to “sleep” and produce acid – both of which contribute to balanced wines.
Both AVAs also have different soils and climate differences that result in wines with varying nuances and characteristics. The High Plains has rich red sand and clay over alkaline-rich caliche while the Texas Hill Country has a variety of soils, including limestone, granite, clay, gravel, and sandstone – all of which can be found in a single vineyard, producing wines with different characteristics from row to row.
Several Texas wineries recently participated in a virtual tasting and explored how these differences impact what ends up in the glass. Here are the featured wines:
Texas High Plains
Duchman Family Winery 2017 Aglianico
Oswald Vineyard
Dried red and black plum, cherry, leather and spices
Texas Hill Country
Spicewood Vineyards 2019 Estate Tempranillo
Red berries, black cherry, fig and cinnamon
Pedernales Cellars 2018 Block Zero
Kuhlken Vineyards
This blend of Merlot, Cabernet, Sangiovese, Tannat and Malbec has notes of cherry cola, cherry kirsch, menthol and new leather
During the tasting, the winery representatives agreed that generally Texas High Plains wines tend to express more lush, fresh fruit and a pretty elegance, while Texas Hill Country wines tend to be more rustic with prominent earthy and savory notes along with the fruit characteristics.
Ron Yates, owner of Spicewood Vineyards, makes several Tempranillos from both Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country fruit. He notes that his Tempranillo from his estate vineyard in the Texas Hill Country has a mix of fruit and layers of savory herb and leather, similar to wines from Ribera del Duero in Spain. On the other hand, his Tempranillos from the Texas High Plains are more Rioja, Spain in style – elegant and fresh.
Similarly, Dave Reilly, winemaker at Duchman Family Winery, shared that certain grapes excel in each of the AVAs. He likes to get Aglianico, Montepulciano and his white grapes, such as Vermentino, Roussanne and Trebbiano, from the Texas High Plains, but he looks to the Hill Country for Grenache and Syrah.
Other grapes showing promise in the Texas Hill Country are reflected in Pedernales Cellars’ Kuhlken Vineyards, which has been replanted over the past couple of years to Graciano, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Teroldego and Sangiovese.
Never heard of some of these grapes? Yes, Texas’ climate is well-suited to warm climate, Mediterranean grapes such as these that you may not be familiar with – including Tannat, a big, bold red grape pioneered by Bending Branch Winery and now featured in many Texas tasting rooms. But that’s part of the fun when you explore Texas Wine Country – you can visit wineries along Highway 290 and probably taste wines from a different grape variety at each stop.
Want to learn more about Texas wines? Join me and Texas Fine Wine during our next Talk and Taste on Thursday, Dec. 8 where we will feature holiday wines. Details here.
Denise Clarke is an avid wine enthusiast who loves sharing and teaching people about wine. She is a Certified Wine Educator, Certified Sommelier, WSET Advanced graduate and an expert on Texas wine. Owner of Denise Clarke PR, she currently represents Texas Fine Wine and the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Wine Marketing Program. She has lived in Austin for more than 30 years and when she is not swirling and sipping wine, she can be found on her bike, climbing every hill she can find.
Follow Denise on IG at @deniseclarkeTX for more wine recommendations.
