News Releases

06-08-2011
Texas Department of Agriculture Launches New GO TEXAN or Go Thirsty Program

Initiative supports Texas wine industry, which creates jobs and provides an economic impact of $1.7 billion. Find the GO TEXAN or Go Thirsty Web pages here.

02-22-2011
Texas Sommeliers, Wine Experts Select Top Lone Star Wines

01-28-2011
Learn About Texas Wines 140 Characters at a Time by Joining Texas Twitter Tuesday

10-26-2010
Texas Wines Score High in Grape and Gridiron Classic
View award winners here.

07-19-2010
Texas Wines Win Top Awards in 2010 Wine Competitions
View award winners here.

04-28-2010
New Web Video Series Serves as Virtual Tour of Texas Wine Trails

03-04-2010
Texas Wine and Wildflowers - A Perfect Pair for Wine Trails

12-02-2009
Toast The Holidays With A 'Texas Two-Sip' Celebration

Go here for instructions on how to host a Texas Two-Sip.

09-14-2009
GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up Features Locally Grown Foods

09-11-2009
Texas Department of Agriculture Uses Social Media to Promote Texas Wine

08-05-2009
Celebrate Grape Harvest with a Texas Wine Trail Tour

06-12-2009
GO TEXAN restaurants encouraged to participate in statewide dine-out event Sept. 28 - Oct. 2

05-06-2009
Texas Department of Agriculture Uncorks First-Ever "GO TEXAN WineCast

Bringing Texas wines to multi-screens, TDA introduces a new online video series called the GO TEXAN WineCast to provide information about the Texas wine industry and some of our state's distinctive varietals.


To view winecasts click here.

05-04-2009
DrinkLocalWine.com to Host First Conference

04-07-2009
Wine Connoisseurs Give Texas Wines High Marks At First-Ever "Virtual" Blind Tasting

04-02-2009
Texas Wines Win Over International Counterparts At Wine Competitions Across The State

02-09-2009
Texas Department Of Agriculture Salutes The State's Winemaking Industry On Texas Independence Day

11-02-2008
$1.35 Billion Economic Impact Uncorked for Texas Wine Month

09-12-2008
Commissioner Staples Hosts First-Ever Statewide Dine-Out Day To Benefit Texas Food Banks

07-11-2008
Calling All Chefs To "Bring Texas To The Table"

06-23-2008
New Restaurant Program Off To A Sizzling Start

06-23-2008
Commissioner Staples Travels To DC To Help Kick-Off 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

04-01-2008
Texas Wines And Foods In The Spotlight At Dallas' First-Ever "Set A Course For Texas Wines"

03-07-2008
2008 San Antonio Wine Competition Proves Fruitful For Texas Wines

03-04-2008
Texas Wines And Foods Shine At San Antonio's "Set A Course For Texas Wines"

12-03-2007
Texas Wines Cowboy Up To Wines From Around The World In 2008 Houston Livestock Show And Rodeo International Wine Competition

 

Texas Winery Passport Program

The Texas Winery Passport Program took a leap forward in 2010, emerging as a national award-winning model for wine-tourism efforts. Starting in January, we expanded the rewards program and received unprecedented support from our winery partners. As a result, thousands of passports were filled during the past year as tourists discovered the abundance of wine destinations located in the Lone Star State.

New Wineries

Already the fifth-largest wine-producing state in the nation, Texas continued to expand its wine industry during 2010. Today, 217 wineries operate inside our borders creating an economic impact of $1.35 billion.

Texas Wine Grape Investment Grant Program

This year, we continued to build for the future by helping ensure greater grape-production in Texas. The Texas Department of Agriculture’s Texas Wine Grape Investment Grant Program provided opportunities for growers to expand operations, and TDA’s grower seminars introduced the vineyard concept to a new generation of farmers.

Texas WineCasts

For those who have never experienced Texas wine country firsthand, consider the next best thing — the Texas WineCast series. These online video presentations make it simple for anyone in the world to view Texas wine country, meet winemakers and get a virtual taste of wine.

Restaurant Round-Up

GO TEXAN’s popular Restaurant Round-Up program again offered consumers a sampling of the state’s best food and wines from more than 400 Texas restaurants.

Texas Wine Month

The month of October is filled with winery tours, wine festivals and special events spotlighting Texas wine. The event brought people together across the state in a celebration of this important agricultural industry.

Harvest

The 2010 Texas wine grape harvest was one for the ages. Throughout the state, growers reported record yields and exceptional quality — great news for Texas winemakers who rely on in-state grape production.

State Fair of Texas Wine Garden

Texas-produced wines have an exclusive showcase in the Texas Wine Garden at the State Fair of Texas. The Texas Wine Garden is a popular attraction at the nation’s largest state fair — an event that annually draws more than 3 million visitors and in 2010 generated a record $37 million. The Texas Wine Garden specifically created more than $100,000 in sales of Texas wines.

Grape and Gridiron Classic

In October, TDA hosted the inaugural Grape and Gridiron Classic, a football-themed wine competition featuring Texas and New York wines. The Dallas event provided a new opportunity to introduce Texas wines to consumers beyond our borders. Texas wines were preferred 8-3 in the friendly blind-tasting competition. It’s not bragging if it’s true.

Texas Wines Enjoy National Spotlight

A number of Texas wines were showcased at the inaugural National Wine Experience, presented by USA Today at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., in November. More than 1500 attendees sampled mainstream and regional wines from more than 25 states.

Texas Wine 2011 and Beyond . . . .

The new year also marks a new decade for Texas wine. With exponential growth in the number of wineries, Texas Wine Country visitors and economic impact from the industry, the prospects are exciting for the coming years.