Avas 10

[Totaly Pavlina]

Theproposed Llano Uplift AVA spans 1.3 million acres in the center of the Texas Hill Country AVA. While the surrounding area is primarily composed of ancient limestone, the Llano Uplift is a formation made of granite and metamorphic rock, explains Dr. Justin Scheiner, an assistant professor and viticulture specialist at Texas A&M University.

At Uplift Vineyard, in the heart of the AVA, winemaker Claire Richardson works with Italian varieties, creating a concentrated and supple Montepulciano with smooth tannins and a ros of Sangiovese that expresses red berries and medium acidity. Sangiovese is the most prolific grape at Uplift, according to estate manager Zinn Brown and vineyard manager Jose Alonso.

On the far west side of the state, the proposed Hidden Waters AVA is in the Chihuahuan Desert, east of El Paso. The region is in the shadow of Guadalupe Peak, the tallest in Texas. Though annual rainfall is low, water drains into the valley, creating a sub-aquifer that floats like an underground river. Heat can be extreme during summer, but the high desert cools down significantly at night, giving the grapes time to relax.

Danny Heredia, owner of Dell Valley Vineyards, explains that many older vines here produce complex wines from varieties like Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Chenin Blanc, Muscat and Tempranillo. He believes the proposed AVA will help cement a sense of place.

The ball is already rolling for Hidden Waters, Hickory Sands and Llano Uplift AVAs; however, another three AVAs are slated for 2024 applications with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).

The Brazos flows 840 miles across Texas, traveling toward the Gulf of Mexico. It informs growing conditions in a potential Gulf Coast AVA. Discussion about it is ongoing, backed by Paul Bonariggo, a second-generation owner and winemaker at Messina Hof, one of the largest wine producers in Texas, and Kimbrough Jeter, owner of Threshold Vineyards in Navasota and the president of Gulf Coast Winegrowers Association. Both believe that the region will ultimately be broken down into multiple AVA applications.

January Wiese, the executive director of Texas Hill Country Wineries, says that when the Texas Hill Country AVA was designated in 1991, just establishing the name was the goal. Now, following three decades of growth, more industry leaders are pursuing new AVAs.

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