Texas wines?

[hotwine]

Welcome to the board, Malarkey.

Texas wines are still struggling for identity. Too many producers have tried to replicate the Napa experience with French varietals, but the climate and soil conditions have not been favorable.

Take a drive out US290 West to Fredericksburg, and you'll be in the heart of the Texas Hill Coluntry..... there sre over a dozen wineries within 15 miles of there. There's a retail shop on Main Street, next to Fredericksburg Realty, that stocks most of the wines available in the region. There are other producers to the south, down US87 to Comfort, as well as to the northwest in the Lubbock area, on the High Plains. I've tried a lot of them, and have a number in my cellar, but I just haven't found any bell-ringers that can be highly recommended. A friend drives a tour bus on weekends, taking visitors around to several wineries so they don't have to drive themselves, and you could try to link up with that kind of group. Some, in fact, come over from Austin at least monthly.

The tanking economy was the reason I scrapped plans to grow grapes on my place north of Fredericksburg. I was leaning toward Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Syrah, after having the soil examined by the Texas Ag-Life Extension Service office in Fredericksburg. But that would have incurred a cost of about $10K/acre for soil prep, irrigation, trellising and root-stock, without any equipment, labor or buildings. I've not talked to growers in the area in the last year, but suspect most have pulled in their horns until the economy improves.

If you've not visited Becker Vineyards, suggest you do that. They're in Stonewall, east of Fredericksburg and just south of US290. Dr. Richard Becker and his wife Bunny have built quite an operation there since 1992, and they have an excellent tasting room and winery. I bought four cases there, on a visit four years ago.... two of a Barbera, one of Sauvignon Blanc, and the other ..... (duh).... nameless. The Barbera was sourced from a vineyard further north, above Mason, and that grower is now deceased.

Some producers are gradually adding warm-climate grapes to their inventories. There's resistance, because of the success of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot on the left coast, but a few are realizing that classic Bordeaux varietals just won't work well here, and they need to expand their horizons to include southern European grapes.

I'd also like to try Nebbiolo.... suspect the soil on my place just might work for that. Problem is, the wines from that grape take a bazillion years to mature and I probably wouldn't live long enough to enjoy them.