Episodes

Jeff Cope founded Texas Wine Lover website in 2011, and this year he celebrates 10 years. Hear the origin story of the website and Jeff's top 5 moments in Texas wine. Plus, I've got two book recommendations for you: Texas Wine Pioneers by Gretchen Glasscock and Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy by Kris Clink. Spring wine festivals and new wines and restaurants dominate the #txwine news. Cheers!

Wondering about the new winery being constructed next to Lewis Wines on 290? Barbara Lecuona is my guest, and she explains the who, what, and why behind Siboney Cellars. Plus lots of Texas wine news including the proposed wine labeling laws that the state legislature is considering, medal winners from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, a new #txwine tasting room, new food and wine tasting experiences and more!

Episode 18 is all about the winter weather that just walloped Texas. What are vineyard managers and winery owners saying about the 2021 harvest after a long, deep freeze? I'll review which grapes are considered most cold hardy and what signs of hope are evident in the vineyard.

My guest John Rivenburgh is the new president of the Texas Hill Country Wineries association. I’ll talk to John about his history in the Texas wine industry, the wine incubator he’s running at Kerrville Hills Winery, his passion for the Tannat grape, and more. I’ve also got a rundown of everything you need to know about Tannat, one of the top 10 red grapes grown in Texas.

Happy New Year! In this episode, I’ll share what we might expect in the Texas wine industry in 2021. I’ve got Texas wine new year’s resolutions to share, and several wineries join me in sharing their Texas wine-related goals, plans and predictions for the new year. Cheers!

William Chris Vineyards and Lost Draw Cellars announced a plan to merge in October of this year. Today you’ll hear from the founders of those two wineries about the new William Chris Wine Company and its plans for the future. Plus, I’ve also got a round-up of the 23 biggest Texas wine stories of the year.

We are a week out from Thanksgiving, a time of year when we’re thinking about family. Today I’m talking to David and Julie Kuhlken, the dynamic brother/sister duo that co-owns and runs Pedernales Cellars. We had a great conversation about the history of their family winery, what’s going on in the Texas wine industry, and even the confusion over the pronunciation of Pedernales. I’m drinking a Pedernales wine. It’s the 2018 Pedernales Cellars Texas High Plains Viognier Reserve.

What happens in the vineyard when the weather turns cold? How cold is too cold for Texas vineyards? My guest is Daniel Pate of Apical Texas, and he breaks down cold weather viticulture in Texas. I’m drinking the 2018 Dead Flowers rosé from the Texas High Plains. It’s produced and bottled by Texoir.

Happy Texas Wine Month! I’m continuing my month-long celebration of Texas wine. On this episode, I’ve got an interview with Jessica Dupuy about her impressive new book The Wines of the Southwest: A guide to New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and Colorado. Jessica lets her wine opinions be known! PREACH! And then I’m getting political. Well, not really. I’m just reviewing the book Wine and the White House: A History and looking for clues about how U.S. Presidents with ties to the Lone Star State drank wine (or didn’t) in the White House. Which Texas wines have been served at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? What did LBJ drink? How about the Bushes? And let’s not forget Denison-born Dwight D Eisenhower. Finally, I’m drinking the Llano Estacado Winery 1836 Red that is part of the State Fair of Texas Blue Ribbon Selection case.

October is Texas Wine Month! I’ve got the scoop on how to mark the occasion in 2020. I'll share the history of Texas Wine Month, and you’ll find out how some familiar names in Texas wine are celebrating. I’m drinking the inaugural release from Cheramie Wine, the 2019 Riesling.

Episode 10: I’m talking with Jason Hisaw, the Texas Wine Ambassador and Texas Portfolio manager at RNDC. He’s busy promoting Texas wine across the state. Jason talks about his deep love for Texas BBQ and why he thinks wine is a worthy beverage for this traditional Texas delicacy. We share our excitement over the State Fair of Texas mixed case of Texas wine. Then I take a deep dive into Texas Vermentino. I’m drinking the Duchman Family Winery Vermentino.

Chuck Tordiglione, owner of Bull Lion Ranch & Vineyard, is the president of the Cross Timbers Wine & Vineyard Association. Cross Timbers has big plans including publishing another glossy wine and travel magazine, new wine, food and art events planned for 2021, and new partnerships with local chefs. Chuck has more enthusiasm for Texas wine than most anyone I’ve ever met, and I know you’ll enjoy his interview. I’ll also talk about wine trails in general: what they are, what they do, and how they’re organized. In my new People In Wine segment, I introduce Tony Coturri, a California natural wine winemaker who inspired two popular Texas winemakers you’ll recognize. Tony is also a partner in Texas winery himself. Finally, I’m celebrating national Cabernet Sauvignon day with the 2017 Brennan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.

In the News: Chris Brundrett of William Chris Vineyards and Yes We Can Wine named a Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 Tastemaker for 2020, Landon Winery will open a new tasting room in Grapevine, and Texas Hill Country and Carter Creek Resort & Spa make 10Best lists. I interview Roxanne Myers of Lost Oak Winery, President-Elect of TWGGA, about Save Texas Wineries, a newly formed Texas winery PAC. I'm drinking the C.L. Butaud Ramato. Cheers, y'all!

Ever wonder how wine gets from the Texas winery to a wine shop or restaurant? And who decides which wines appear on the store shelf? In this episode, I interview Derek Rogers from Serendipity Wines and Eric Sigmund from Reddy Vineyards to get perspectives on distribution from a wine distributor and from a winery. I share my recent Texas Hill Country harvest experience at Ab Astris Winery and talk about the William Chris Vineyards 2019 Wanderer Series Relief Project Red Blend. There's plenty of Texas wine news too!

On today’s episode, I’m looking for Texas wine in Grapevine and talking about the 2020 harvest that's getting underway in the Texas High Plains. There's news about a harvest investor opportunity at Kerrville Hills Winery, award winning Texas wines from the Finger Lake International Wine Competition, and the sale of Haak Winery. Texas wine women are joining forces to amplify Black women's voices next week in #ShareTheMicNowTX, and I’m drinking the 2018 Cloudburst from Bingham Family Vineyards.

On today’s episode, I’m giving advice to people who are just getting started on their Texas wine journey. I've got a plan for shopping for your first case of Texas wine. There's news about the wine department at H-E-B, the highest elevation vineyard in Texas, GrapeFest, and Kim McPherson's appearance on another wine podcast. And I’m drinking piquette from Southold Farm + Cellars.

Episode Summary: On today’s episode, I’ll review the latest news about winery tasting room closures, a Texas Senator who’s hosting wine tasting fundraisers with a California winery, and a cruise for Texas wine lovers. Then, I'll share my list of 12 of the most important wines ever made in Texas. Ambitious? You bet! Finally, have you wondered how a winemaker decides when to harvest grapes? We’ll take a closer look at Brix.

On today’s podcast, we’ll cover the latest Texas wine news including Lescalo, the new Fall Creek Vineyards wine with fewer calories. I’ll share the top 10 tips for planning a wine trip to the Texas Hill Country, focusing on the area between Johnson City and Fredericksburg along the 290 wine road. In our education segment, I’ll talk about wine serving temperatures. Finally, I’m drinking the 2018 Lost Draw Counoise from Farmhouse Vineyards.

Give me 10 minutes, and I'll give you a thorough overview of Texas wine. Then you'll want to go drink some. Verasion is happening in the Hill Country. In the education segment, we'll learn what that is. But first, we'll hit the highlights in Texas wine news. To wrap up, I'm drinking a red blend from Perissos Vineyard and Winery in Burnet, Texas.

Texas needs a wine podcast, and I'll tell you why. Texas wineries are in the news. I kick off the inaugural episode with a sparkling wine from a Texas wine pioneer.

Introducing This Is Texas Wine podcast