The organic vineyard at Tablas Creek

I can't improve on this much:

"We believe strongly in wines of terroir -- the French term best translated as "somewhereness" -- and choose our vineyard and winemaking practices to maximize our chances of expressing our terroir in our wines."

Tablas Creek> Vineyard

Tablas Creek goes on to describe four core practices.  Since I've been working in and searching for calcareous soils, their first core practice grabbed me:

"To produce our wines, we use four core practices:
A Carefully Selected Site with Calcareous Soils"

Our location here in Glen Rose is, in large part, calcareous clay.  Given the limestone cliffs here, it should come as no surprise.  We are on the north bank of the Paluxy River, so we get maximum exposure to the sun.  I am constantly surprised by the variation in the balance of sand and clay.  Moving 10 feet can dramatically change the mix.  Parallels can be made between the Texas hill country and the southern Rhone valley, but Spanish parallels we have yet to discover are probably stronger.

On the importance of calcareous soil:
On the importance of calcareous soil:
Tablas Creek Vineyard Blog: Why Limestone Matters for Wine Grape Growing

The second core is a bit harder for me to accept: the importance of "authentic clones" from Beaucastel, France.  I can sympathize with the intent.  I'm not sure how 'authentic clones' provide 'somewhereness' for a California vineyard. In my view, the vines that are ideal for a given place are the result of being bred for that place.  Europe has achieved a certain degree of perfection in this when one considers what and where European varieties are grown.  Here in Texas, there is no way to make such a claim.  The only grapes that are perfect for Texas already grow wild here.  Plant a European vine here in Glen Rose and it will not be long for this world.  I doubt that I'll be around when Texas has bred a wine grape perfect for North Texas and the Hill Country.  It will take a hundred years.  Hopefully, we can contribute something towards that end, though.

The third core principle is 'Stressed Grapevines' (1600 to 1800 vines per acre).  That is approximately the density that has happen by accident here.  The idea is to enhance cluster size and characteristics by increasing competition for limited water and nutrients.  Add to this dry farming, and the 'time' and 'place' is bound to appear in the wine.  We are entirely on-board, here.

Last is hands-on organic farming.  This means cultivating beneficial insects and cover crops, not just grape vines. It means composting and compost tea.  It means the farmer is part of the ecosystem and will return to the dirt just as surely as last years canes. That is more than an individual issue, it implies something about the family, the neighborhood and the travelers that visit.  Just how this all relates to machines is something I've yet to work out, but this farmer has done enough trench digging by hand.

Local wine grapes, circa 1991

I came across a memorial post for Del Taebel by Les Constable.  Del Taebel passed away August 31, 2012.  He was from Eastern Europe, and taught at UTA.  In 1985 he planted a one acre vineyard in Wise County near Sunset, TX. He grew Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and tried very hard to grow Chardonnay. Vineyard was called Cross Timbers.

Sunset is about a 2 hour drive north of here..  He called it Cross Timbers which is also the name of this area.

In 1991, he and Les Constable made wine from Cross Timbers grapes.  Les was so impressed he went on to start the remarkable Brushy Creek Vineyards.  

Prior to the ban on commercial wine making during the Prohibition era (1920-1933), there was interest in grape growing and wine making, but the 'majority' culture was oddly puritanical.  Based on comments by Munson around 1910, North Texas teetotalers were already making wine makers hide their activities.  North Texas seems to have taken the lead in advocating Teetotalism between 1880 and 1910.  Between 1933 and 1985, 52 years, few in North Texas tried to do much with wine grapes.

 Del Taebel, thank you!

references:

K. Austin Kerr, "PROHIBITION," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/vap01), accessed November 25, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.

TOFGA's class at Rose Creek Farms

Yesterday (Nov 3, 2012), I attended Rose Creek Farms' "Farmer Education Series" presented by the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA).

Mark Chapin of Chapin Farms - Crop Rotation & Pasture Management
Pamela Klein Johnson of Rose Creek Farms  - Poultry Management and Farm Tour
Lynn Remsing - Equipment Demo - Gnismer Farm Equipment
Pam Klein Johnson - Certified Naturally Grown Program (CNG)
Jay Mertz - Soils and Compost - formerly of Rabbit Hill Farm
Trish Percy - Marketing and Land Availability and Resources - TOFGA

 Pam and Ronnie assist Lynn with the farm equipment demo.

 The demo continued with some actual weeding with the ECO-weeder

 and a little demo of running plastic liner.

Les Constable's Brushy Creek Vineyard was only a mile or two away from Rose Creek, so I stopped there on the way home.  We had a great conversation about grape breeding and organic growing.  

 It was inspirational.  Today, I took Trish Percy's advice and made a lot of changes to this website.  I also contacted CNG and asked for infomation about getting the vineyard certified.