Thursday, July 24, 2008

What are the grapes and wines for Texas?

The modern wine industry in Texas is only about 30 years old. There are now 160 federally permitted wineries in Texas. There is a severe shortage of Texas grapes and TDA is encouraging the development of commercial vineyards. Texas is a large state with several "mini-climates." The growers and wineries are trying to decide which grapes to grow and which wines we do best. In the whites, it appears that Viognier and Muscat are winners whereas the red wine favorites may be warm climate, Mediterranean varieties. What are your favorites?