Saddle up, ya’ll! It’s Texas Wine Month!

It is hard to believe, but October is about halfway finished. As the skeletons and ghosts pop up on front porches, it is a good time to sit back and sip a glass of wine. After all, October is also Texas Wine Month.

Last September, I wrote about the state of the wine industry in North Carolina during the Tar Heel State’s Wine Appreciation Month. Now that I’m a Texan*, I figured it is as good a time as ever to talk about the Lone Star State Wine industry.

As many of the winemakers we’ve run into tell us, Texas wine is truly coming into its own. Wine is a $2 billion industry in Texas. According to a 2011 study by Texas Tech University, wine employs more than 11,000 workers. That’s up from only 1,800 a decade earlier. There are now more than 220 wineries in the state, producing 2.5 million gallons a year. Texas is the 4th largest wine producing state in the United States, although greatly shadowed by California.

Jay Knepp, vineyard manager at Salt Lick Cellars put it best: Texas is where Napa was 40 years ago. The rapid growth of the industry in Texas could eventually push the state into international recognition.

But that doesn’t mean everything is a yellow rose in Texas’ wine industry. Recent cuts from the state for grape development research is worrying some vintners. Texas’ unique climate means certain grapes won’t grow well here. Texas cannot be dependent on California researchers for grapes here. The cuts also mean an end to marketing and promotions funded by tax dollars. One of Kate’s and my favorite promotions, the Texas Wine Passport ended last October because of a lack of funding.

Another side effect noticeable since the state cuts: a lack of cohesiveness among wineries for data. The Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association does have some statistics but most are outdated. The Texas Department Of Agriculture’s wine web page  is also outdated with 2011 numbers only. It is difficult to understand the state of the Texas wine industry as a whole without some external connection.

Some Wine makers in the Texas Hill Country give anecdotal signs of growth. Flat Creek Estate  says it has grown from 5 workers in 2002 when it opened to more than 20 today. They have also expanded their production from about 8,500 cases a year to 10,000. There are also new wineries opening little by little. Kate and I visited one of the most recent to open and had a great time. More to come in a future post…

Some parting thought as we celebrate Texas Wine Month. Texas needs to think both globally and locally. Recently, Rabobank  released its study into the global wine market. 2012 is expected to be a turning point. Wine consumption is back up (after a dip during the recession) while wine production (mainly out of Europe) is expected to decline. American wineries, including those from Texas, have an opportunity to move in on this growing
international demand. It simply takes a forward thinking winemakers.

Cheers,
KK

*I’m still waiting for Kate to let me get a belt buckle and cowboy hat.

Strengths-based Wine-making

At my work, every new employee is responsible for completing a Strengths Finder assessment, which helps workers discover and describe their top 5 talents according to personalized assessment results. This management style encourages employees to not focus on their weaknesses, but instead to focus on and develop what they are naturally good at. I was reminded by this notion during a recent visit to the Falderal Winery in downtown Hendersonville, NC.

Decorated in tattoos, this alternative husband and wife duo admit their strength is not in viticulture and therefore don’t want to focus on creating a vineyard – but instead, focus their energies on developing delicious wines in their own winery. They named their winery Falderal, which playfully means  “a foolish nonsense”. While the majority of their grapes come from local vines, they also use grapes from California, and even wine kits similar to the one KK and I used, which they sell in the tasting room. I loved how frank and focused they were – instead of struggling with something they might never be good at or have passion for, they are perfectly content with sticking to what they know and further improving their skills in the wine-making arena.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Green Creek Winery – Reinventing Himself & Wine

In the rolling hills of western North Carolina, farming the land is a family business. You don’t have the massive hog or tobacco farms you see down east but rather much smaller establishments. Land is passed from generation to generation.

In Polk County, southeast of Asheville and hugging the South Carolina border, you’ll find plenty of families who can trace their ancestry back to the pioneers forging their way into the wilderness in the early years of the our country’s history.

Some 200+ years later, Alvin Pack is continuing that pioneer spirit at Green Creek Winery , and literally reinvented one of the most popular varietals of wine.  A 7th generation Polk County resident, Pack says some of his ancestors came before James K. Polk was even president, and many were even illed by Cherokee natives.

The road that brought Pack back to his hometown was full of adventure just as Packs in the past may have known. Alvin headed west, working in real estate near San Francisco before returning to Polk County to start his winery on land that was a vineyard until prohibition. By reinventing his career, Pack was even featured on NBC’s Today Show a few years back.

But reinventing himself wasn’t enough. A few years ago, Pack had an idea to add some color to one of the most popular varieties of white wine: Chardonnay.

In 2007, he told his winemaker to try and make a red Chardonnay. Knowing the process to make red wine, any winemaker worth his grapes would know you can’t do that. The red color of wine comes from the skins of the grapes pressed into the juices (most grape juice is naturally clear). Chardonnay grapes don’t have color even in the skin, but another grape does: the French-American hybrid, Chambourcin.

In fact, Chambourcins, which grow great in North Carolina, have red pigment naturally in the juice. That means you have skins left over after fermentation, unlike other reds. Pack’s idea was to use the leftover Chambourcin skins and press it into the Chardonnay. The result was the world’s first red Chardonnay.

We didn’t get to taste it during our quick visit, because all 120 cases sell out within hours of release. Pack told Kate and I it tastes exactly like a Chardonnay (Wine Spectator did a double blind taste test) but looks red. This isn’t simply red juice mixing in (you don’t get any of the Chambourcin taste), so Pack stumbled upon a bona fide hit.

News about his little winery in the foothills has spread across the country and around the globe. There have been articles about it printed as far as Australia, Italy, and Germany. But all that exposure doesn’t seem to go to this down-home Carolina boy’s head. Pack still gives tours of the 10 acre vineyard on his golf cart to anyone who buys a glass of wine. There are also little signs of Pack’s sense of humor ranging from the wine-derful (kitschy wine-related pins printed out on his office computer hanging everywhere) to the weird (a label on the handsoap in the bathroom that says ‘Not For Feet’).

Kate and I did the tasting of a Cabernet Franc, a semi-sweet Chardonnay, and a sweet white for $3. Unfortunately, despite the international interest, they don’t have a web site, but if you’re ever driving along U.S. 74, it is worth it to stop there and some of the other Polk County wine spots, and hopeful you will get the pleasure to speak with Alvin like we did!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Scenic Drives and Superior Wines

With an afternoon to kill on a recent weekend getaway to Asheville, NC for a dear friends’ wedding, KK and I planned out the perfect Sunday afternoon, complete with a scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway and visits to 5 wineries en route to the Charlotte airport. Typically when we have wine tasting adventures, we will have a couple disappointments and a couple favorites. This time, however, all 5 impressed us – each in their own unique ways. Even more, we were fortunate enough to meet 5 out of 5 of the owners, which is extremely rare, especially coming from the less mom&pop Texan wineries. Here are some short summaries from 3 of the wineries, with featured entries on the remaining two to follow.

Rockhouse Vineyards – A Larry David lookalike, winemaker Lee Griffin, certainly has a skill at producing exceptional wines – some of the best wines KK and I have tasted in the state. Although the tasting was short – with only 3 wines – what they lacked in quantity, they made up for in quality. The Petit Verdot would be amazing with a juicy steak, and the 2005 Merlot was extremely smooth and tannin-free. We’re not usually fans of Merlot, but this one was certainly an exception.

Overmountain Vineyard – Aside from the incredible views of the Tryon Foothills, the property also has an interesting history, dating back to the Revolutionary War. In 1780, American frontiersmen from the mountains, the Overmountain Men, passed through what is now the vineyard on their way to the Battle of Kings Mountain. This Revolutionary War trail was deemed the Overmountain Victory National Trail by the National Park Service in 1980. Up until the 1930s, the property was primarily used for tobacco and cotton, with the vineyard following in 2002. In addition to some of the standards (rose, cab sav), the winery also offers a number of 100% organic wines (blueberry, blackberry, and muscadine) – created with no chemicals, irrigation, or filtration.

Parker-Binns Vineyard – A husband and wife team (Parker is her maiden name and Binns is their married name) opened the vineyard in October 2011. Originally tree farmers from Florida, they made a 12-hour driving radius from their home to have a 2nd home, easily drivable in case of a hurricane – which is how they ended up in Mill Spring, NC. The wine flight was fairly standard – a chardonnay, rose, cab sav/franc blend, and blackberry wine. Although the winery is merely a few months old, it shows a lot of promise with its gorgeous gardens and charismatic owners.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

(Stay tuned for the other two wineries…)

Carolina in my Mind

Hi readers – it is KK again! On our TX wine adventures, Kate and I have traveled west toward Fredericksburg, south toward New Braunfels, and slightly north to Waco. On the 4th of July, we headed northwest toward Marble Falls and the highland lakes.

Our first stop, Westcave Cellars, ended up being a surprise in more ways than one.  The first thing we noticed was the art on the labels. The owners, Allen and Margeret Fetty held a contest among artists to design the labels. This combination of art and wine reminds me of Leeuwin Estate, a winery I visited while studying abroad in Western Australia back in college. In this case, the art sets a perfect tone for both the wine and the winery experience.

After talking with Margeret Fetty for a while, we asked how they got into wines. Margaret said she and her husband toured the West Coast and were inspired by Washington’s many wineries.  After moving to Texas, they started the winery to quench their thirsts. When she asked how Kate and I got into wine tasting, we mentioned that it developed from having so many North Carolina wineries right in our backyard. Immediately, one of the workers on the other side of the room exclaimed, “no way!” As it turns out, the Fetty’s were both Tar Heel State natives. She went to UNC Chapel Hill while her husband went to N.C. State (both around an hour from where Kate and I lived!). I drove past their first home every day on my way to high school. Small world.

While the Fetty’s come from North Carolina, they haven’t lived there in a while and never experienced the wineries Kate and I visited. However they certainly carried over their love of pork – barbequing North Carolina-style pulled pork on their massive pit at the winery a couple times a year.

While it was nice to talk with a winery owner and experience her passion, the wines were certainly not the super sweet NC wines we grew to love. The “sweet” White Merlot was tasty: a good wine for a hot summer day. The other wine that was interesting was the Blanc du Bois, which had a hint of pear and mint added – again, refreshing flavors for summer. Overall, Westcave is a winery I could see us going back to for a pig pickin’, bottle of wine, and time to reminisce about our former lives in the Tarheel State.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

From Stockholm to Waco

Howdy from Texas! It’s KK here! Nearly a year after Kate moved down to the Lone Star State, I finally got a job in Austin too, moving down in Early May. It has been a bit of a transition, having lived most of my life in North Carolina, but at least Kate and I are together again.

You may recall last year, Kate and I visited about 10 wineries during my first trip to see her in Austin. At that time we went west on Highway 290 toward the Hill Country. At that time we made a few observations about Texas wineries versus NC wineries: 1) Texas tastings cost more ($10 versus $5) and usually gave you less wine, 2) the wine was typically done in an Italian style with only a handful of varieties, and 3) we often felt more rushed in Texas and did not get the chance to meet the winery owners. During my move down this spring, we found a little winery the broke from most of those observations. We made a point of visiting Tehuacana Creek Vineyards & Winery since it was near our NC to TX route.

Tehuacana Creek (pronounced “to-walk-in-a creek”) is not what we expected, having been to some gorgeous locations in the Hill Country. This winery was focused on the wine, not appearance, with 3 or 4 prefabricated homes instead of a fancy venue. The first thing you noticed after stepping inside is the amount of cougar pictures on the wall and labels. Like a bar in Miami, up to 4 cougars prowl the grounds near the winery all the time (although sadly, we had no sightings). The owner told us the big cats were helpful, scaring away or eating the kinds of animals that would eat the grapes. Naturally, he worked the cougars into the branding, and even has collectibles sent to him from patrons all around the world.

Yet, unlike past Texas wineries, we got to meet the owner, Ulf Westblom. Ulf and his wife started the winery decades after he created his first wine in his college dorm room. Their wine story is different from most because they were originally from Sweden. As you might imagine, the cold weather in Scandinavia was not ideal for growing grapes, but Ulf did not give up on his passion. After immigrating to the US, the Westbloms moved to Missouri where their winemaking passion started to bloom. Looking to start their own vineyard they eventually purchased the land near Waco, TX in the late 1990s and started to create their wines. Unlike other wineries, we got to taste the entire collection for just $5 each.

They mostly grow Norton, Blanc-du-Bois, and Black Spanish grapes (all typical in Central Texas). The Heart Of Texas Red was very much an Italian style Chianti (observation upheld), but their other two popular wines break the mold completely. The first is called Mulsum, a recipe that dates back to Ancient Rome. Ulf says he found the recipe in a history book about Roman foods. It’s white wine sweetened with honey. Their other wine is the Glögg, a hot Swedish wine with spices usually served around Christmas. According to their website, Tehucana’s Glögg has been served in the Swedish embassy. Unfortunately, the Glögg is only sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas so we didn’t get to taste it, but I have a feeling Kate and I will have to make our way back up to Waco again to get our Glögg on.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

p.s. Glögg is an awesome word. I wanted to work it in as much as possible. Glögg.

Becoming CabSavvy – Part 3

Another 2 weeks later (and festively, on the Fourth of July!), our wine baby was born!  Typically, the entire process would take much longer, but since we are making a sweet summer wine, no aging was required. While we purchased a case of bottles, we also collected 2 dozen more so we could have a variety of shapes and sizes. KK diligently removed all the labels (which looked more like a crime scene) and sterilized all the bottles to make them our own.

Crime Scene?

First, we frugally filtered the wine using some funnels and coffee filters – although this process was not necessary, we wanted to take the extra step to eliminate the risk of sediment deposits in the wine.

Frugal Filtration

We then siphoned the wine carefully into each bottle, leaving just enough room for a cork.

Siphoning – 1 bottle down, 26 to go!

Corking gave KK quite the workout, and was probably the most difficult part of the process!

Stick a cork in it!

27 bottles later, we were finally able to taste the fruits of our labor. Our Strawberry Riesling was crisp and delicious – perfect for the hot summer days in Austin – and well worth the wait! Cheers!

Final product! (a very crowded fridge)

Becoming CabSavvy – Part 2

Two patient weeks later, KK and I started the next step in our wine-making adventure: Stabilizing and Clearing. We siphoned the wine from the primary fermenter into the glass carboy, which in turn separates the juice, alcohol, and water from the yeast and stops the fermentation process.

Siphoning from the fermenter into the carboy

After finishing the siphoning process, we carefully added a few chemicals (and delicious strawberry juice), then stirred vigorously to stabilize, de-gas, and clear the wine. This process would eventually convert our super cloudy concoction into a much more appetizing wine.

Clearing process – before

The challenge was keeping the carboy cool in the hot Texas heat. Since I didn’t want to crank my AC down to the recommended 60 degrees, we came up with a “wet t-shirt” solution to keep the liquid cool (and rooting on my alma mater) as it cleared.

Go Redhawks!

Becoming CabSavvy – Part 1

KK and I recently started a new hobby – making our own wine!  After purchasing a kit from Austin Homebrew, we dilligently read all the instructions and started the 3-step process. The first step entailed a great deal of glamorous cleaning and sanitizing all the supplies. We then combined water, grape juice concentrate, bentonite, and yeast to create a concoction big enough to fill 30 bottles. Needless to say, it did not look or smell very appetizing.

Becoming CabSavvy

Sad to say the most complicated part of the process was figuring out how to air-seal the bucket. After much ingenuity, we then stored it in a cool and dark location (aka my closet) for 2 long weeks. The gasses given off by the fermentation smelled horrible (to say the least), but the occasional CO2 bubbles escaping from the seal meant everything was working properly. And it looked kind of cute – our little winebaby.

Fermentation in action

An Oenophile’s Sweet-tooth

As some of you may know, I gave up candy for Lent this year. While it may not seem that challenging, it’s been surprisingly difficult since I’m surrounded with it at work all day every day. Needless to say, I was trying to think of what I would want my first candy to be after 40 long days, when it ended up finding me in a cute boutique candy shop in Atlanta – a chocolate-covered muscadine grape.

When I finally indulged, I anticipated biting into a grape, when in fact, it was more the oozing of sweet juices. While different than expected, it was the perfect way to end my candy-less streak and savor the memories of sweet Southern wine.