Aug. 4, 2011

Here's Randy's Weekly KTRH GardenLine Tip:

Issue #223

If you love growing grapes, and you have some extra land, maybe you can be an official Texas wine grape grower! With a few spare acres, you could make some serious extra bucks.

Is it really worth it? Well, in the mid-1970s there were only three known wineries in Texas. Today, there are over 200, and they just can't grow all the grapes they need. So they look to independent grape growers throughout the state for help.

Here's the simple math. One acre can produce six tons of Lenoir red wine grapes. Six tons of grapes can produce 1,000 gallons of wine — about 5,000 bottles. Grape growers average $1,000 a ton, or $6,000 per acre. Starting a vineyard costs $10,000-$15,000 per acre, so, you could expect payback in as few as 4 or 5 years.

While that sounds simple enough, it is actually a bit more complicated. So Texas A&M viticulture experts are holding a prospective wine grape growers workshop 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Fri., Aug. 26, at the Bear Creek Harris County Extension office, 3033 Bear Creek Drive. The educational program will provide an overview of the unique requirements and economic risks associated with the establishment and operation of a commercial vineyard in Texas. Dr. Fritz Westover, AgriLife Extension viticulture advisor for the Texas Gulf Coast region, will run the workshop, and you can register in advance at agriliferegister.tamu.edu.

Westover says the workshop will address common concerns potential commercial grape producers may have. Topics will cover necessary expertise, site selection, risk factors, labor requirements and economics.

The workshop fee is $150 per person or $250 per couple, and it includes educational materials and lunch. The workshop is also a prerequisite for application to the Texas Viticulture Certificate Program offered by Texas Tech University and AgriLife Extension. For more information on the certification program and other prospective grower and advanced educational programs, go to winegrapes.tamu.edu or call Westover at 281-855-5608.

---

Exclusive for GardenLine Listeners and E-mail Tip subscribers:
The new book, 1001 GardenLine Questions with Randy Lemmon
is available NOW at a discount!
It covers how to grow and kill things in the garden,
especially those in the Houston area and along the Gulf Coast.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Back to top