The Grapes -There are currently three grape varietals grown in the RGV in several vineyards. We have all three growing here at our vineyard. The most popular is Blanc DuBois, a light and airy white wine grape grown across the State of Texas. It is an early grape in that it arrives early in the season breaking bud in the middle of February. This grape can be harvested as soon as mid-June. It is flexible and popular with a fruity light scent which variates in color based on the soil it is growing in. Overall in color, it is generally a beautiful golden yellow.
-The second most popular varietal is known as Lennoir in France or Jaquez in Spain and Black Spanish here in the Unites State. It is a vigorous dark red grape which can yield as much as 40 pounds per vine in the Rio Grande Valley. This a workhorse of a grape! It makes a great table wine, sweet port wine and can be used as a blend with other regional varietals, so it is very flexible. It grows later in the season and is usually harvest in late July to early August in south Texas.
The other less known grape is also one of the oldest grapes in the entire United States. The Convent Grape, also known as the Mission grape, dates back 500 years when the Spanish brought this French-origin grape with them during the Spanish Inquisition to make wine for Catholic mass. Its that old!
We will explore each grape in more detail with future blogs, but for now, lets just taste the grapes in our estate wines!
