Texans ready to show state is a whole other wine country

Nation's Restaurant News,  June 25, 2007  by Molly Gise

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

It may well be one of the best-kept secrets in Texas, but winemakers there are ready to uncork the truth: The Lone Star State can produce a quality bottle of wine.

Many quality bottles of wine, in fact. Texas is the No. 5 grape and wine producer in the United States, according to a 2007 report by the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association. The state boasts more than 220 family-owned vineyards that cover approximately 3,700 acres.

While most wine made in Texas is consumed there, winemakers have been busy promoting their products both in and outside the state. For example, representatives from Texas wineries held an event earlier this month in New York City at Hill Country Barbecue and Market, a new restaurant that features the city's first all-Texas wine list.

The event paired Texas wines with dishes from both the restaurant and from the new cookbook "Cowgirl Cuisine" by chef and writer Paula Disbrowe.

Hill Country's wine list was selected by Wes Marshall, whose book "The Wine Roads of Texas" was recently turned into a three-part series for the Public Broadcasting Service. Considered one of the foremost experts on Texas wines, Marshall has conducted blind tastings to help people overcome their misconceptions and to show that Texas wines can compete on an international stage.

Paul Bonarrigo, owner of Messina Hof Winery & Resort in Bryan, Texas, said: "The Texas wine industry is going to accelerate in its popularity. We're no longer a state brand. We are in our evolution. We've established Texas as a strong place to grow grapes, and we've made Texans aware of our wines and now we're going to make the nation aware."

Messina Hof's 2005 Sweet Riesling Late Harvest Angel was the top Texas wine at the fourth annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's International Wine Competition, held earlier this year. The competition pits Texas wines not only against one another, but also against wines from around the globe. And it does so in a decidedly Texas style, awarding leather saddles and shiny belt buckles in lieu of the traditional medals.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning