Texas Wine Regions (AVAs)

Texas Hill Country

The Texas Hill Country is a diverse and fascinating grape growing region. Situated to the east of the Edwards Plateau in central Texas, the region is defined by its rolling hills, fertile soils, and varied climate. It home to a number of different soil types, which contribute to the region’s diverse winemaking potential. The limestone soils found in some areas of the region impart a minerality to the wines, while the clay soils found in other areas help to retain moisture in the soil and provide a bold structure to the wines.

This region benefits from several winds coming from Mexico and the Chihuahua Desert that pool in the valleys between the hills at night, cooling the vineyards. Threats to the vineyards in the Texas Hill Country include hail, spring frost, humid conditions that increase disease pressure and the risk of grape rot. The hot days and warm nights call for red grape varieties with the ability to handle disease pressure well. Some of the most award winning varieties grown in this region include Tannat, Petite Sarah, Tempranillo, Aglianico, and Syrah.

The Texas Hill Country is a popular tourist destination, and there are a number of wineries in the region that offer tours and tastings. The region’s winemakers are experimenting with a variety of grape varieties, and there are a number of exciting new wines being produced in the Texas Hill Country.

Texoma

The Texoma AVA is the most recent AVA to be established in Texas, in 2005, along the Texas-Oklahoma border. It is a historic center for grape research, notably by world-renowned horticulturist and grape breeder T.V. Munson. The region is defined by three large hills that are mostly Northern facing, which keeps the vineyards cool and protected from disease conditions that are prevalent east and south of the AVA. The most award winning varieties that thrive in this region include Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Grenache, and Chardonnay.

Mesilla Valley

The Mesilla Valley AVA is situated almost entirely within the state of New Mexico, and historically, the grapes grown on the Texas sides of the AVA are used in New Mexico wines. This region is situated in the little Rockies and is incredibly dry, with 10 inches of rainfall on average yearly.

The soils in the Mesilla Valley AVA are predominantly sandy loam and gravel. These soils are well-drained and have good air circulation, which helps to prevent diseases. The gravelly soils also impart a minerality to the grapes that is not found in grapes grown in other regions.

Escondido Valley

Escondido Valley AVA was created for a single vineyard and producer located in the small area just East of Texas Davis Mountain AVA. The terrain includes a series of mesas and valleys, and this is the reason for the Escondido Valley name, which translates to “hidden valley.” The AVA is not currently widely used for viticulture or wine production, though up to 250 acres of grapes have previously been tended there.

Texas Davis Mountains

The Texas Davis Mountains AVA with the highest elevation of the state, the Texas Davis Mountains are located in the “Little Rockies” to the West of the state nearest to the city of Fort Davis. This range and ridges beyond were formed 35 million years ago when a volcanic thrust pushed ancient granite, volcanic rock, and limestone upward to heights of 8,300 feet. This region is an oasis with relatively plentiful rainfall, particularly in comparison to the Chihuahua desert that spans around it for hundreds of square miles. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are notable high-quality examples from this AVA, creating intense, age worthy wines of distinct character.

Bell Mountain

Situated entirely within the Texas Hill Country AVA, the Bell Mountain AVA was the first AVA established which falls entirely within Texas. It is drier, sunnier, and breezier than the surrounding area, giving power and longevity to the wines grown there. Bell Mountain has a high average rainfall and is defined by well-drained ancient granitic soils that are in the way of the Colorado River Basin, which begins in the southern half of the Texas High Plains to the Northwest. Bordeaux varieties and select green white varieties have proven success here.

Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country

The Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country AVA is situated entirely inside of Gillespie County and within the Texas Hill Country AVA, with enough notable differences to be considered its own AVA. Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country is similarly drier and sunnier than the surrounding area but is centered around the major city in a type of bowl formation with steep sides. The soil type is an alluvial stem of the Pedernales River Basin, which is part of an ancient seabed with a high concentration of flint. Other parts of the AVA are defined by iron-rich clay. Other particularities of this region include cooler temperatures on average compared to surrounding areas, less humidity, and less harsh winters. No other region in Texas has as high a number of both vineyards and wineries located in the same place.

Llano Uplift

The Llano Uplift is currently under consideration to be a new AVA. It covers about 1.3 million acres in the Northern half of the Texas Hill Country AVA, and entirely encompasses the small Bell Mountain AVA. What defines this unique area is the erosion of limestone and sandstone that had formed over millions of years, exposing a hard core of a billion-year-old granite below. The resulting terrain is a sloped, slightly elevated dome in the path of the Colorado River basin, which has deposited well-drained alluvial topsoils in its way. The wines grown from the many vineyards that are already planted here have a distinct character in comparison to the larger Texas Hill Country, with a richness present in many wines grown from old granitic soil around the world.

Hickory Sands District

Situated in its entirety on the Western borders of the proposed Llano Uplift AVA and on the edge of the Edwards Plateau, the Hickory Sands District is also under consideration to be a new AVA. Growers in Mason and surrounding counties define this area as iron-rich soil with granite and sandstone, water that is well-integrated into the soil from the Hickory Aquifer, and a high concentration of land that is well-suited for viticulture or already planted to vineyards. Grapes that are planted here include many of Spanish and Italian origin.