Texas Wine Events
August

August

In Texas vineyards in the warmer regions of the state such as the Hill Country, verasion has completed and harvesting begins. In south Texas harvesting may have begun as early as mid-July. In cooler areas of the state, harvest may begin in September or even October. Farmers have been busy fending off birds and insects to allow the grapes to achieve ideal ripeness. Grapes are picked by hand or with mechanical harvesters, often in the coolness of the night to best preserve the character of the fruit.

In the winery, this is the most grueling time of the year. Vintners work around the clock to prepare the winemaking equipment and additives such as yeast, acid, sugar, sulfur dioxide, etc., to receive the new harvest. Grapes are crushed. Red grapes are put into fermentation tanks with their skins. Grapes for white wine have their juice pressed off and the skins discarded so as not to take on the color of the skins before fermentation.