ROur vineyard was an idea born 19 years ago. The Rio Grande Valley grows fruits and vegetables for the entire United States and with the right grape varietal- wine was only an idea away. The Valley grows so many different crops and has had much success in expanding its portfolio over the past 100 years. Whether its citrus, onions or avocados- they all grow here very well. Why not try wine?
Grapes do not require a lot of irrigation, they tolerate heat and cold and generally are resilient to environmental duress. While there is some concern for disease (same as with many other food that is farm-grown) trying grapes in a small vineyard seemed like a great idea. Just the concept of grape vine with their woody trunks with the extended cordons (the horizontal arms) growing across an open field is the stuff movie scenes are made of in Hollywood! We had to try.
Wine and grape growing is one of the oldest farming activities of the human race. If humans could do it 8,000 years ago so could we today not to mention that for obvious reason, we love wine!
Fast Forward to 2018
Our family had been looking for a unique property to live and enjoy life. We thought about developing an organic farm, orchard or possibly even a vineyard. In 2018, we purchased a 30-acre parcel of land in south Harlingen which was surrounded by resacas and lakes. The soils seemed different, perhaps because of the thousands of years of sediment deposits from the naturally flowing resacas, so in March of 2019 we decided to plant 300 grape vines- 150 Blanc DuBois, 100 Black Spanish and 50 Convent- just to see what would happen. We had no idea what lay ahead.
The sun with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.
Galileo Galilei
2019
We nurtured and cared for our vines- listening to the old world winemakers and vineyard masters we did not spare the rod so to speak. We only watered when the vines needed it, we constantly trimmed and trained them and attempted to shape them into what they were destined to become. Long trunks with perpendicular cordons stretching across their wires. Trellises running across the land like well-trained soldiers always in line. Easier said than done- In this first year there was some tolerance for growth in all directions as roots took hold and the small little vines stretched out over their canvas. These little 2-ft, year old skinny vines showed promise even if some thought they were going to be shrubs- short, fat and running along the ground. In just a few months, we thought they could become the wine producers we hoped.
By mid 2019, the little vines were growing, running along their wires, some slow, some faster but all growing. Out of 300 vines, we lost 3. 99% success rate seemed incredible. Now if could only predict what kind and flavor of fruit they would produce…
