Amid shortages, new grower contracts, and experimental varieties, Texas vintners hail the 2021 vintage as excellent.

—Kathleen Willcox

Texas vintners experienced a vintage filled with unexpectedly harsh weather patterns in 2021. Though harvest is only now winding down, vintners are reporting a significant decrease in grape yields.

In February, the state experienced a polar vortex, plunging several regions into below freezing temperatures for almost two weeks—the first mass freeze event in 150 years.

“We hit single-digit temperatures in the Hill Country and below zero temperatures in the High Plains … weather conditions we’re not really accustomed to from a viticultural perspective,” says Brad Buckelew, winemaker for Lost Draw Cellar, adding that, after the freeze, there was “nasty hail” in early May that hit his and a handful of other vineyards.

Read the article here: https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2021/10/26/texas-2021-harvest-report