These Women Are Bringing Texas Wine To The Forefront

Even though Texas is the fifth largest wine producing region in the country, you would be hard pressed to hear it when rattling off some of the U.S. AVAs. While Napa, Sonoma, the Finger Lakes, Paso Robles and Willamette Valley may be some of the first to pop in your head, there is a strong community of women in wine down in Texas that are making sure Texas Hill Country AVA is getting the recognition it deserves.

“ Growing grapes in Texas is not for the faint of heart ,” says Nikhila Narra Davis, owner of Narra Vineyards & Kalasi Cellars located in Brownsfield, TX. “ Every vintage can bring various obstacles to grape growing such as late freezes, hail storms, and harmful sprays from neighboring farms. These issues create a challenge but also mean we never get bored; It is always an adventure .”

Says Claire Richardson, winemaker at Uplift Vineyards in Burnet, TX, “ Texas weather often gives you all the extremes. These types of weather patterns are not ideal for grape growing; however, adaptive and proactive farming practices allow us to grow quality fruit, despite the challenges ,” Richardson says.

However, not at all deterred by a challenge, the adventure of winemaking in Texas has captured the heart of Davis and Richardson, as well as Janet Miertschin, co-owner and winemaker at Johnson City, TX-based Portree Cellars . All three came to Texas Hill Country through unique and interesting paths; Davis cut her teeth on Napa Harvests and worked in the cellar at Cakebread Cellars; Richardson fell in love with fermentation in her food science program at Texas A&M University; and Miertschin, a painter and cook, used the skills she honed throughout her life to shift to winemaking. “ I fell in love with the Texas wine industry and with winemaking as I learned more about it ,” she says.

While weather may be the biggest deterrent, being an up-and-coming wine region is another. Working to change that has been a challenge in itself, but has an element of fun for winemakers. Miertschin says watching the surprise and delight when sippers realize that Texas is producing high-quality wine has been a reward for her, especially because she feels that wine drinkers don’t pay enough attention to Texas, even with the amount of award-winning wines coming from the AVA.

“ Texas wine quality has significantly improved over time and sadly there are many people in Texas and beyond that haven't recognized the strides that the industry has made. I would challenge anyone to try some blind tastings and see what they find ,” she says.

Richardson echoes this sentiment and notes that getting past the stereotypes hasn’t been easy; she encourages wine drinkers to keep their mind and palates open to what Texas has to offer now.

“ With so many different microclimates and soil types in Texas, we have the ability to grow many different grapes. With that, there are many high-quality wines being produced in the state. We have come a long way from the sweet red blends that many still attribute to Texas ,” she says.

In response to that challenge, though, Richardson has gone full-blown creative. She explains that one of her favorite aspects of making wine in Texas is the amount of freedom she has to try new things because of how young the area still is.

“ We are not constrained by rules or laws that limit what grape varieties can be grown or what winemaking techniques can be used. This freedom allows winemakers and grape growers to experiment and innovate in ways that will continue to develop our region ,” she says.

Italian varietals seem to be a fan favorite, with Fiano, Aglianico, Teroldego, Montepulciano growing well for Miertschin, while Davis likes to work with Sagrantino and Teroldego, as well as eight different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon.

“ Each clone brings a unique flavor and aroma to each wine that surprises many consumers - not all Cabernets are the same ,” says Davis.

Richardson says that she also works a lot with Italian varietals, as they work well with the Texas climate, but that she loves to work with Roussanne and Marsanne as well. However, there is one superstar grape coming out of Texas that everyone should be paying attention to, she says.

“ Statewide, I think Tannat is the rising star of Texas. It has no trouble surviving the extreme weather and always produces a standout wine, even in the most difficult years ,” Richardson says.

But no matter what challenges are faced, these Texas women in wine know that the community they have joined - and help develop - is there to help.

“ Women have a strong presence in Texas wine. There are numerous women owned and women led wineries, brands, vineyards, and organizations. We are fortunate that the Texas wine industry is a tight knit community. With that comes a lot of support, exchange of ideas and information, and opportunity ,” Richardson says.