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Un Ripe Fruit in North Texas
January 30, 2000
I have a problem with some of the
wine grape growers in North Texas. Some of these growers think that
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay grapes that are over 18° brix, are
ripe and should be harvested and sent to the winery.
There may be some varieties of wine grapes that are fully ripe at 17°
brix, but right now I am only talking about Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and
Chardonnay grapes that are grown in North Texas.
My experience with many grape grower
in North Texas, as well as with many winemakers from all over Texas, has been
one of disappointment.
Seems like way too many of these people are preoccupied with getting the
largest amount of wine production out as quickly as possible.
They don't seem to be overly concerned with producing any wines of higher
quality but they seem to be only interested in producing OK wine, and lots of
it.
The
point that I am trying to make is that
quantity is no substitution for quality.
Here are some examples of wine grape
growers in North Texas of three different sizes:
There are some folks that have a
beautiful little vineyard (only about 2 acres) who have harvested their
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at 16°, 17° and 18° brix in the past.
Now they are finally letting their fruit get to a more proper 22°
or 23°
brix before harvesting but what about the five years of raw fruit that is out
there? All
of that raw fruit was made into wine and it is out there and it is bad.
I told these people every year, for five years, that they needed to let their
fruit get ripe before harvest, but they never listened to me.
Another larger vineyard operator (28
acres) supplied me with some world class Merlot in 1999 that was at 23.8°
brix. This was excellent Merlot, but at the same time he was harvesting
all of his Cabernet Sauvignon that was barely 19° brix to go to a commercial
winery. Much
of that Cabernet Sauvignon was still green in color.
What a mess! I can't imagine how bad a wine those grapes made.
An even larger vineyard operator
in North Texas (65+ acres) always picks all of his grapes at 20° brix or less.
He supplies the same winery year after year. This winery never
wins any medals.
Never wins any medals?
Yes, but the winery’s official stance is that “buying sugar is
cheaper than buying tartaric acid”.
Most of their wines are really bad, as you might imagine.
Many of our Texas wines are bad to
just good. I’m
trying to change the mediocre Texas wine image by producing some “super ultra
premium” Texas wines that will beat anything from California or anywhere else
in the world, but I cannot do it with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay
that has been harvested at 17°
brix, it is just impossible to do.
Most of the great flavors
I am looking for, come with ripeness.
Have you really had a Cabernet Sauvignon that was harvested at 17°
brix that made a really great wine?
I don’t think so.
Yes, these great flavors we are talking about do come from ripe grapes.
After I first
started ranting and raving about this very serious problem I did hear from some
of my grower friends on the Texas High Plains and in the Hill Country that are
doing it perfectly right, and I applaud them and praise them for doing it
right. Unfortunately, most of these great Texas grapes are going to
wineries that are only interested in rushing out mediocre wines in huge
quantities.
So I must work
with growers in North Texas or bring in “perfect fruit” from California,
Oregon or Washington.
I often feel like I am battling a one-man war on under ripe grapes in North
Texas.
I would like to thank my friend and “jug
wine” maker who has publicly
stated that what I am saying here is “simply
wrong”
and “totally
false.”
He is ignorant of what is happening here in North Texas, so we shouldn't blame
him for looking so unintelligent. Plus I
would like to thank him for
taking time out of his busy schedule of making “jug wines” to lecture
me on the finer points of how to make “super ultra premium” wines.
I’m sure he has a lot of great ideas of how to do this, I just have not
seen or heard any of them.
I
hope he doesn't
forget to keep taking his medication.
Lee
Foster Fuqua
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