texas wine

Need some impressive small talk for your next dinner party? Allow me to help.

Did you know Texas is one the oldest wine growing states in the United States? Neither did I until I took a nice little trip to Fredericksburg this weekend… call it a business trip, if you will, with all the diligent “research” tasting I simply HAD to conduct!

The view from Becker Vineyards in Fredericksburg

Apparently, Texas vines “root”  back to a hundred years before California’s do. The first vines were planted in the 1650s but were left to dry when Prohibition hit. Luckily the vines were regrown in the 1970s, and my, how times have changed since then!

Now there are more than 160 wineries in Texas, producing about two million gallons a year! That’s a lot of grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay have the highest number of plantings in the state, which are actually A Fare Extraordinaire’s two favorite wines to send to a party, due to their vast popularity and mass appeal.

Here we are trayed up and ready for the first guest of the party!