Texas wine takes on the world

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Texas wine takes on the world

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By Beth Hallmark

On April 26, legislators and media gathered at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to celebrate a new star rising in the West: the Texas wine industry.

Led by Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, a delegation of Texas winemakers brought Texas taste to the table at a special wine tasting organized by the Texas Department of Agriculture to spotlight some of the state's finest vintages.

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Nice to see our ag commish can booze it up with the best in Washington.  Actually, I agree with most of this.  My totally unsophisticated palette can enjoy a Texas wine as well as the best of the French I have tasted, and I have tasted some pretty darn good French wine.

The Texas vintners are not at a loss for braggadocio.  As a matter of fact, they seem to be able to hold their own with the most well-known Texas caricatures - the oilman and the cattleman.  Here's Messina Hof's Paul Bonarrigo said of the impact of the wine industry.

"The Texas wine industry will be the largest tourist attraction in the state just by the sheer number of wineries and their locations," Bonarrigo said. "I think the country is looking for the next California, a new area that is producing world-class wines. Texas is at the point where we need to get our wines to a national audience. They're good enough. We're ready."

While I certainly hope this state starts heading toward being the next Califnornia politically, I wonder where he gets the idea it will be the "largest tourist attraction in the state"?  Bigger than the Alamo?  Bigger than the ever-growing Six Flags parks?  Bigger than the coast?

Well I am ready to do my bit for the cause.  However, let's not take on the world with simple claims to prizes, medals, taste and vintage.  Let's attack the French head on.

I offer my modest proposal here.  French bashing has been a sport in Texas long before our troubles over the failed Iraq war.  We claim the French as among us, so they are open to kidding like the rest. 

So, I offer the state agriculture department my ad campaign - "Annoy the French, drink Texas wine!"

T-shirts, caps, bumper stickers and other neat gear already are available at the WDYC Shop.  Big surprise, huh?

In the meantime, Texas' Department of Agriculture is offering a wine etiquette brochure (click here for a PDF file). Imagine, conservative Texas Republicans not only encouraging people to drink, but telling them how to go about it. My, how things have changed.

Of course, if Texas does not come to its senses and start leaning toward California, I have another plan.  "Annoy the Baptists, drink Texas wine!" Get the Texas Baptists angry, and you in a heap of trouble, boy.

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