Is there anything as renewing as a fresh start? For the Texas wine industry every vintage provides the chance to start over, to embark on a new adventure so to speak. As winter comes to an end and spring begins, the vines wake up from dormancy and begin their journey to bring us beautiful Texas wines. The process is sensitive, and certain criteria must be met when it comes to quality grape growing. Many things are within the control of the grower, but obviously much rests in the cradling hands of mother nature. Sometimes nature is loving and maternal, and other times we are dealt a blow with devastating late freezes and potential hail throughout the growing season.
Here’s a quote from Katy Jane Seaton, Executive Director of the High Plains Winegrowers Association. Her words clearly show the emotion our growers invest in each and every vintage of Texas wine, even during the really amazing years. “The 2017 vintage was one for the ages. It will always be remembered for that famous “Easter Sunday” where we gathered with our families on a rare day off and out of nowhere came a storm that hailed-out an estimated 200+ acres of 5 large growers on the Texas High Plains. I held my son on my hip, my phone to video in the other hand and watched my husband Nicholas exclaim “it’s backin’ up” as he tore out of the driveway. It literally hovered over the 30 acre Farmhouse Block, planted in 2010, for hours. The fatal damage was sustained on the 22 acres in town at Whitehouse Parker. The storm eventually rolled out and blissful conditions resumed. It was a year of abundance and expansion. With growers seeking additional footholds in the marketplace building tasting rooms or crush facilities. Collectively the High Plains Winegrowers continue to work together to educate consumers of the premier AVA in Texas.”
Despite the gut-wrenching hail that occurred on that fateful day, Texas is coming off the 2017 vintage which was quite possibly one of the best harvests we have seen in some time. I think most growers and winemakers would agree the fruit in Texas came off the vine in stunning form. Like super models on the runway, grapes came off the vine and into our hearts with style and sass. The white wines and rosés from 2017 are undoubtedly ripe, aromatic and balanced. The reds should be complex, well extracted and delicious once they come out of barrel in the coming year(s). If you are a Texas wine consumer keep your eyes peeled for the 2017 releases as they occur, as it will surely be a year to remember.
At present time, the 2018 growing season is fully upon us. The vines are pruned, the soil is packed with compost and key nutrients, and the irrigation systems are poised and ready for what typically is a hot and dry Texas summer. We don’t ever seem to be out of the “trouble zone” when it comes to late spring frosts until at least early May, but as always everyone is optimistic that 2018 will be another solid year for Texas wine-growing. With more vineyard acreage coming online, and more mature vines settling in their soils, the future is very bright for the Texas wine industry.
As for the Texas Hill Country, we expect to see more visitors than last year, and with more Texas wineries popping up in and around the area, opportunities for guests to enjoy nature’s bounty are a plenty. Stretching from Lampasas to New Braunfels, the Texas Hill Country has more than enough wineries to keep you busy for a very long time. If you haven’t been wine tasting in a while, you should plan a visit soon. Come on out, grab a glass, and make that trip to the Texas Hill Country for a palate pleasing dose of Texas wine.
Cheers!
Jeremy Wilson first fell in love with wine in 2004 when, at a friend’s dinner party, an old magnum of Bordeaux wine was uncorked and decanted. That is what started it all! His passion for wine took him from aficionado to wine professional in 2013 when he decided to go “all in” and make a career out of wine. He is a Sommelier at a winery in the Texas Hill Country.
When he is not spreading the word of wine, he enjoys road cycling, playing the piano, antiquing, and flying airplanes. He is a licensed commercial pilot.
Jeremy and his wife, Robin, make the Texas Hill Country just west of Austin their home.
