Wine Facts
must and tannins, while some of us are left wondering whether to have red or white
with dinner. Here are some wine basics to give you a nose for wine. This section of the
Web is your guide to food and wine pairings, appellations, Texas varietals, vintage terms,
how to taste wine, how to buy wine, decoding the wine label and how wine is made.
You can also learn about the health benefits of wine, or read on for some fun Texas
wine facts and trivia.
Good things to know about great Texas wine.
Texas is America's No. 5 grape and wine producer, according to a 2007 Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association report.
Texas has more than 220 family-owned vineyards covering 3,700 acres, according to a 2007 Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association report.
Talk about impact! The Texas wine industry contributes more than $1 billion a year to the state’s economy and supports about 8,000 jobs for Texans, according to a 2007 Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association report.
Texas grapes include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Merlot. Texas wineries are also doing great work with grapes such as Sangiovese, Syrah, Riesling, Blanc du Bois and Viognier.
WINE TRIVIA
Talk about well-aged! The art of wine making is believed to have been originated by the Mesopotamians around 6000 B.C.
A case of wine holds 12 bottles.
The overwhelming majority of Texas wine is consumed by Texans.
The use of cork as a seal for wine bottle dates back to the late 17th century – the corkscrew is a different story. This wonder of the wine-age was developed in the mid-1800s.
Ever wonder how many grapes you have to squeeze to get a single bottle of wine? On average, about 800.
The oldest winery in Texas, by far, is Val Verde Winery in Del Rio. It first began operation in 1833.
There are exceptions of course, but the standard wine bottle holds 750ml of wine.
If you’re planting a vineyard, use this formula: one acre of grapevines equals about 800 gallons of wine.
In France, they like their wine – and their statues. In fact, there are several statues in France honoring Thomas Munson, the brilliant Texas viticulturist who developed a phylloxera-resistant rootstock – some say single-handedly saving the European wine industry.
Think you’ve tried every wine out there? Doubt it. There are more than 10,000 varieties of wine grapes.
If you like the taste but are watching your waist, be aware that a glass of wine (about 4 oz.) contains about 85 calories.
You don’t want to break a wine barrel. It’s quite a spill – each barrel holds 60 gallons of wine.
The roots of the Texas wine industry date back more than three centuries.
Dom Perignon, the namesake of one of the world’s most noteworthy champagnes, was a blind monk.
When the Viking Leif Ericcson traveled to America, the first things to catch his eye were all the grapevines. In fact, he named the place “Vinland.”
Texas is the fifth largest wine producing state, behind California, New York, Washington and Oregon.
Americans import more wine from Australia than any other country. It finished ahead of Italy and France.
Want to know what’s hot in Texas? At least one winery here makes a jalapeno wine.
To Discover the History of Texas Wines, Click Here.