One of the Best Harvests in Recent Years for Texas Wine Grape Growers
Overall, Texas wine grape growers have enjoyed one of their best harvests of the past five years, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Grape growers in most areas did face increased pest and disease pressure, and vineyards in multiple regions reported heavy hail damage to fruit and vines. But most growers around the state reported outstanding quality and above-average yields from harvests that started earlier than normal.
“This has been a good year for most wine grape growers across the state,” says Justin Scheiner, AgriLife Extension statewide Viticulture Specialist and Associate Professor. “Mother Nature cooperated with us for the most part this year.”
Expanding Texas Wine Industry
Despite a good year for grapes, wine sales in general in the U.S. are down.
That drop in consumption, in addition to a high yielding year, translates to some buyers not having the tank space to accommodate as much, especially after 2023, which was also an overall good year for fruit yield.
“Unfortunately, that is a challenge for some growers this year,” says Patrick O’Brien, AgriLife Extension viticulture specialist and Assistant Professor. “If they have nowhere to sell their fruit, they may have no choice but to drop some.”
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According to, Scheiner, there were around 200 wineries and 3,000 planted wine grape acres. In 2000, there were only 40 wineries. Today, Texas has an estimated 9,000 acres of wine grapes and 800 wineries, he adds. The state produces thousands of different wines with 70 different named grape varieties.
For more, continue reading at agrilifetoday.tamu.edu.
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