October is Texas Wine Month
The last of the Texas High Plains grapes are coming into the wineries, culminating a most unusual growing season. The Texas weather and a herbicide used by cotton farmers has greatly reduced the grape harvest this year. The Texas heat, drought, and a devastating February freeze from a year past has cut down on the quantity of grapes, but the quality is outstanding. This year’s harvest will be one of the best quality on record so we should see some outstanding wines coming from Texas wineries. The grapes are smaller in sizer, but highly concentrated in flavor and depth of character, according to many vineyard reports. The bad news is that the government allows a super-herbicide to continue to be used for weed control in cotton fields. Those cotton fields are on the Texas High Plains where the wind constantly blows which can carry this devastating chemical for ten miles and further from point of application to kill vineyards. A Court Case in Beaumont is underway to settle the use of this dangerous herbicide.
The State of Texas has officially designated October as Texas Wine Month. The Texas Department of Agriculture designates the entire month of October for this celebration. The State Fair starts the festivities early on September 30th and runs thru October 23rd. A big emphasis at the Texas State Fair will be on Texas wines. A Texas Wine Garden will feature Texas wines daily throughout the Fair. Wednesdays will feature seminars and more on Texas wines. On Monday evening, October 3rd, 26 Texas Hill Country Wineries will host a wine sampling at the Hilton Hotel Hospitality College on the main campus of University of Houston. Tickets for this event are available online at www.TexasWineTrail.com. Most of the eighteen Texas Wine Trails will be hosting special wine trail events. The Texas Hill Country wineries host a special trail event all of October at 45+ wineries in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Each day your wine trail ticket provides you with four opportunities for an enhanced winery visit to enjoy the sights, sounds, and wines from some of Texas’ BEST wineries. Likewise, the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail in Houston’s Hill Country will host its famous wine trail for the entire month of October. Many of these wineries will be hosting outdoor concerts for your enjoyment while sipping on their wines in the wonderful Fall weather. These individual wineries have websites which provide information on winery activities. For Wine Trail Activities, go to www.TexasUncorked.com for downloadable maps and winery information on each of those trails. Texas’ wine industry has expanded since the first new winery in 1976 to almost a thousand wineries in Texas today. The wine industry contributes over eleven billion dollars annually to the Texas economy. Texas has a lot to celebrate during October. Raise a glass of Texas wine to celebrate.
Texas Restaurants Serving Texas Wines
Each week I feature a Texas Restaurant to show support for them and their selection of Texas wines on their wine lists. This week, the Glade Center in The Woodlands earns that spot. This art studio features live concerts, hosts numerous charity galas, and provides opportunities to try a wide assortment of wines including Fall Creek Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. Their extensive wine list continues to grow as they add additional Texas wines to their portfolio.