Terroir 2010 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Texas terroir: gis characterization of the texas high plains ava

Texas terroir: gis characterization of the texas high plains ava

Abstract

The Texas High Plains AVA is one of eight officially recognized wine regions in Texas, established in 1993. Six local wineries, including the second-largest in Texas, are supported by approximately 50 vineyards, which are also major suppliers of grapes to Texas wineries outside the region. The distinctive characteristics of the Texas High Plains AVA have contributed to the region’s reputation for producing medal-winning red wines with excellent color and good tannins, primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The large region (3.6 million ha) is known for its semi-arid climate with hot summers and mild winters, and very deep, well-drained soils. However, little detailed information is available on the spatial variability of growing conditions within the region. The Texas AVA GIS was constructed with datasets describing soils, elevation, topography, and climatic variables of significance to grape production for all 8 winegrowing regions in the state. Growing degree-days (GDD) and ripening period mean temperature (RPMT) in the Texas High Plains AVA decrease from southeast to northwest as elevation increases. The range of GDD is 2028 to 2653. RPMT ranges from 23.8-26.7oC in August and 19.9-22.6oC in September. Precipitation ranges from 41.4-63.7 cm, increasing from west to east. High solar radiation contributes to vine fruitfulness and color development in red wine grapes. Vineyards are predominantly planted on the reddish-brown, deep fine sandy loam and sandy clay loam soils (Amarillo, Patricia, and the related Brownfield series). Patricia soils predominate in the southern portion of the AVA; Amarillo is overall more common and found primarily in central areas of the region. An interactive website was created for public access to the GIS – the Winegrowing Regions of Texas [txwineregions.tamu.edu]. Such data will be critical for vineyard site selection and matching grape cultivars to site as the region’s wine industry continues to expand and experiment with warm-climate cultivars.

Download the PDF

DOI:

Publication date: October 6, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2010

Type: Article

Authors

E.W. Hellman (1,2), E.A. Takow (3), M.D. Tchakerian (3), and R.N. Coulson (3)

(1) Texas A&M University, AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1102 East FM 1294, Lubbock, TX 79403 USA
(2) Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University
(3) Knowledge Engineering Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 USA

Contact the author

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2010

Citation

Related articles…

Leaf vine content in nutrients and trace elements in La Mancha (Spain) soils: influence of the rootstock

The use of rootstock of American origin has been the classic method of fighting against Phylloxera for more than 100 years. For this reason, it is interesting to establish if different rootstock modifies nutrient composition as well as trace elements content that could be important for determining the traceability of the vine products. A survey of four classic rootstocks (110-Richter, SO4, FERCAL and 1103-Paulsen) and four new ones (M1, M2, M3 and M4) provided by Agromillora Iberia. S.L.U., all of them grafted with the Tempranillo variety, has been carried out during 2019. The eight rootstocks were planted in pots of 500 cc, on three soils with very different characteristics from Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). In the month of July, the leaves were collected and dried in a forced air oven for seven days at 40ºC. Then, the samples were prepared for the analysis determination, carried out by X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry. The results obtained showed that in the case of content in mineral elements in leaf, separated by soil type, we can report the importance of few elements such as Si, Fe, Pb and, especially, Sr. The rootstock does not influence the composition of the vine leaf for the studied elements that are the most important in determining the geochemical footprint of the soil. The influence of the soil can be discriminated according to some elements such as Fe, Pb, Si and, especially, Sr.
Read More

Breeding grapevines for disease and low temperature tolerance: the U.S. perspective

Most grape scion cultivars grown around the world are derived from a single species, Vitis vinifera. Yet, the proportion of interspecific hybrids is increasing for a variety of reasons, including resistance to abiotic stresses such as low temperatures; societal, economic and environmental pressures to reduce pesticide usage; and to add a greater range of flavors to new table grape cultivars.

Read More

LIFE Climawin: impacts, risks and opportunities in the transition to sustainable viticulture

The LIFE Climawin project drives the sustainable transformation of the wine sector in response to climate change through the implementation of an innovative management model applied at the demonstrative winery, Bosque de Matasnos.

Read More

Key learnings about the chemical bases of wine uniqueness and quality, essential companions for future developments

This presentation aims to demonstrate that the value attributed to wine as we today know it is based on three factors: 1) sensory balance, 2) personality, and 3) bioactivity.

Read More

Volatile composition of base wines to obtain sparkling wines from seven autochthonous grape varieties from Castilla y León (Spain)

The aim of this work was to characterize the aromatic profile of white and rosé base wines for the elaboration of sparkling wines from seven autochthonous grape varieties of Castilla y León. The ‘Albarín’, ‘Godello’ and ‘Verdejo’ white grape cultivars contribute with more fruity notes than the ‘Viura’ and ‘Malvasía’ cultivars; and ‘Prieto picudo’ coloured grape cultivar has more fruity character than ‘Garnacha’.

Read More