After a great career as a helicopter pilot in the Army, June Ritterbusch landed in Salado, Texas.  Upon evaluating the market and the busy tourist industry that Salado commands, she set her sight on becoming a winery owner in 2003.  She purchased land in 2004 and planted a vineyard in 2005. That same year, she →

Over the weekend I had a perfectly refreshing Vinho Verde. It was a perfect heat buster wine for a blistering August day in Texas. I got to thinking about this wine, where it comes from and how it came about in the first place. It is a unique style of wine originally created in the →

I am reposting a letter sent out by Bobby Cox, President-Elect, Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association regarding crop insurance, loss and filing your claims.  It’s been a hard year and many growers and farmers have had unprecedented losses.  Insurance can be a funny thing, so here’s a bit of information for you. Crop Insurance →

It’s no news most of the United States is in the midst of an ongoing heat wave.  But how has that affected harvest for the southwest? And what about that late frost that hit much of the south in early May?  Let’s take a look. Back on May 3, many of the southern states were →

This isn’t my typical blog, but perhaps a relevant opportunity for some readers.  Recently we’ve had several inquiries by customers and winery owners about similar blending challenges.  Either, they have a wine that has been successful in the past, but last year’s grapes aren’t producing the same results OR they have a wine with a →

Next stop on my Southwest Winery Tour was Arizona, the Grand Canyon State. With its mountains and deserts, Arizona’s wine industry faces interesting climate challenges. Most vineyards are located around Wilcox in the southeast corner of the state, with a few scattered around Flagstaff. With the high altitudes (Elevation: Wilcox 4168 ft & Flagstaff at →

What is Colorado wine? On my Southwest Winery Tour, I was really interested in seeing what Colorado wine was all about.  What I found is that the state has not defined what Colorado wine is actually (BTW, this is not unique to Colorado, and most states/regions are in the same boat).  By that I mean, as →

Typically in the wine industry, you have one or two out of every seven years where you lose over half your crop. Three to four years out of those seven, you have an average crop level. And one to two years out of every seven you have a bumper crop. That is pretty much the →

Building the Foundation for Your Winery I have found that one of the biggest stumbling blocks for people in starting a business is not asking enough questions. And if they’re asking questions, often they aren’t the right questions of the right people. Many times entrepreneurs are so lit up and passionate about their idea or →

The Fingers Lake International Wine Competition, held this past weekend in Rochester, NY, is the largest charitable wine competition in North America.  The 11th annual competition set a record for entries with 3,259 wines from 788 wineries.  The wines came in from 19 nations, 6 Canadia provinces and all 50 states! Congratulations to the Southwest →