A Land of Limestone Ledges and Red Sandy Soil: Part 2

A Land of Limestone Ledges and Red Sandy Soil: Part 2

Continued from: https://vintagetexas.com/?p=790

In my search to define Texas terroir [the sense of place], I often stop to listen for voices of the human spirits that linger in the rustle of tall grass, the gush of spring water on slab limestone, or the rush of windblown sandy soil. These are the voices that tell of the land’s history, its potential, and the past and future trials that test the will of those that try to harvest its bounty. I also listen for the unsaid words that are held back when a grower contemplates his lost harvest produced by a late spring freeze. These are the words that define the Texas wine experience.

The Challenges of the Future

It has been a slow hard process to untangle legal obstructions to favor wine production and distribution from the growing number of smaller, family-run wineries, and to develop growing techniques in Texas to support the cultivation of classic grape varietals of Europe. Simply put, the “text book” on Texas grape growing and winemaking is still being written; the ink is still wet with many pages still blank. Many challenged that wine “grape farming” just could not be done in Texas…. the heat, humidity or soil just wasn’t right, or there were too many “critters” and diseases that would render the vines into dry sticks in the hot summer sun.

Read more about Texas winegrowing in Russ Kane’s new book, The Wineslinger Chronicles set for release in March 2012. Follow the progress as the manuscript enters its final stages leading to advance sales, readings and signings around the know wine world at:

http://www.wineslinger.net