Sustainable Texas Wine Can be a Reality Even in the Face of Climate Change

In a place where oil derricks loom in the distance, automobile missions get you ranked number one, and the rationale is “bigger is better,” it’s been interesting, if not surprising, to see the Texas wine industry begin to embrace sustainability. And while I’m surprised, I love to see it. “All of us agree that we need to be good stewards for the environment,” says Mike Nelson of Ab Astris Winery. “Let’s take care of our land. Let’s take care of our soils. Let’s not do more harm than we need to the land we farm.” I couldn’t agree more and am thrilled that sustainable Texas wine is becoming a thing!

Winemakers on the Front Lines of Climate Change

Why more in the wine industry don’t grasp the importance of sustainability is beyond me. Well, I guess I get why – there’s effort, expense, and uncertainty involved for sure. People need to make a living. But it is happening more and more. And the more climate change rears its head, the more important these efforts become for survival.

With the rest of the world trying to figure out how to deal with increasing temperatures, heat spikes, and climate change, the Texas wine industry may for once, have the upper hand. “We’ve been doing this since the beginning,” says Karen Bonarrigo of Messina Hof Winery. Texas grape growers have no shortage of experience mitigating heat-related issues. They are used to employing efforts to limit sun contact and shade the fruit on the vines so that the grapes can hang long enough to attain phenolic ripeness. “We’ve been using these techniques for many years,” Bonariggio says. To be sure, when it comes to learning, Texas has often been on the receiving end. “It’s really exciting that this may be something we can share with the rest of the wine world. In this case we actually have a few things that are normal to us, but that actually may be of use to others as they deal with situations.” As a person that has been bullish on this industry, it is indeed great to see that Texas growers and winemakers have the ability to be a resource for the larger wine industry.

In addition to heat, Texas has always had issues with hail, and in an unexpected twist, the hail netting employed by farmers has also helped with the heat. “We’re realizing that the hail netting is helping with shading the canopy,” says Nikhila Narra Davis of Kalasi Cellars and Narra Vineyards. “First and foremost, we’re getting better as growers. We’re working on canopy management, thinning out fruit, especially if we know a heat spike coming in. And I think it’s played a big difference.”

Beyond heat and hail, Texas growers and winemakers have also become accustomed to the other extreme of climate change – dealing with freezes. “For a long time, we just worried about hail and early freezes,” says Narra Davis. “Now, we’re worried about freezes during harvest which started up about five years ago.” Collectively, these challenges have made the wine industry more keen to do their part to embrace the concept of sustainable Texas wine.

Growers and Winemakers Begin to Lean Into Sustainable Texas Wine

Whether it’s grasping the lower hanging fruit like converting to solar or decreasing water usage, or reaching a bit higher and converting to organics or biodynamics, every effort counts in a place not known for being kind to the environment. But winemakers get it. They see first hand the benefits of being stewards of the land and they are on the front lines when it comes to dealing with the curveballs that climate change presents. What’s more, they are listening to what their consumers are telling them they want.

Narra Davis says it was the growing importance to both consumers and the environment as a whole, that put her on the track to converting her over 140 acre Narra Vineyards site to organic several years ago. And at first, it was enough to be practicing organic without the official ‘certified organic’ designation. But now the goal is bigger. “We never actually went through and did the paperwork and just figured it would be ok,” says Davis. “But now, we have the time to sit down and do the paperwork and start applying.”

Being all in on organics, Narra Vineyards has even brought sheep into their vineyards – along with a couple of Great Pyrenees to protect them. Whether for natural weed control, thus reducing the need for mowing or herbicides, or for fertilization to enrich the soil, sheep in vineyards provide a multitude of benefits. And they’re usually small and careful enough not to damage the vines themselves.

With the help of the sheep, Narra Vineyards has been diligent about limiting sprays, even organic sprays. “We remove weeds and till them back into the soil rather than spraying with them with organic matter,” Narra Davis shares. And they’ve had good results. “Organic vineyards aren’t perfect and they’re not pretty. But it’s about keeping the soil and the health of the vines in balance,” she says. “Hopefully we’re growing great grapes because of it.”

Beyond Narra Davis and her Kalasi Cellars and Narra Vineyards, there are others taking sustainability by the proverbial horns. Paso Robles’ Halter Ranch, which opened a gorgeous tasting room and restaurant in Fredericksburg, TX in May of 2024, and is well-known for its commitment to organics in California, became the first-ever vineyard to be certified organic in Fredericksburg, TX. A significant milestone indeed! The vineyard was certified by California’s Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) organization. The first organic grapes planted were Blanc du Bois grapes, which is native to the southern U.S. and grows beautifully in Texas.

Additionally, both the Y Knot and Desert Willow vineyards in the Texas High Plains, the heart of grape growing, are certified organic vineyards. And there’s more on the way. Bending Branch Winery, located in Comfort, TX, is in the process of applying for organic certification for its estate vineyard in the near future and is also about to release a new wine made from organic grapes.

Pedernales Cellars in Stonewall, TX is also on a path to doing its part. With efforts to minimize water use through ground cover management and rain collection, promoting natural pest management through the use of local species, and composting by-products of the winemaking process back into the vineyard, they know that every step counts. And they just released their first wine made with organic grapes, their Aletheia rosé wine. Aletheia is a philosophical term referencing “truth” as well as the Greek goddess of veritas. Pedernales Cellars’ goal with this wine is to highlight its commitment to truth in sourcing, a minimalist winemaking approach, and also celebrate being a majority female-owned business. 

Sustainability in Practice Certification

Beyond efforts at its own estate, Pedernales Celllars, along with Ab Astris Winery, Becker Vineyards, Meusebach Creek Vineyards, Michael Ros Winery, and William Chris Vineyards have come together to work with Dr. Colleen Myles of Texas State University on a “Roadmap to Sustainability in Texas Wine” project. Recognizing that to do a thing, one must first understand it, the wineries and Dr. Myles are working to define what sustainable Texas wine actually means and what it should look like. “It’s certainly an important topic that we need to discuss and investigate,” says Ab Astris’ Mike Nelson.

The group began its work by analyzing and understanding baseline data on the industry’s current practices and outcomes so there would be a benchmark against which to measure progress. Understanding what the industry is currently doing was essential to setting sensible and attainable goals. To help in drafting sustainability metrics, the group looked to a number of respected sustainability certification programs throughout the U.S. After extensive research, the group decided to use the framework established by the Sustainability in Practice (“SIP”) Certified sustainable certification program for winegrowers and winemakers. I’ve written on the work of this amazing organization and could not be more thrilled that Texas is using this program as a basis for the state’s wine sustainability work.

While the Roadmap to Sustainability project is based on the SIP Certified program, there is a recognition that there is no “one size fits all” model for sustainability. To that end, the wineries are working on a model that makes sense for Texas. “When you look at different parts of the world, there are all sorts of different issues that affect each region,” says Nelson. It’s entirely possible – and highly likely – that things that work for France or California may not work for Texas.

Texas has a significant problem with Pierce’s disease, and any sustainability model needs to take that reality into account. “We have lots of issues with Pierce’s Disease,” shares Nelson. “Lots of fungal and microbial issues crop up after heavy rains in the spring.” But he says that working with Dr. Myles and seeing what works for Texas has been eye-opening. The group has submitted a recommendation to the SIP Certified organization and are awaiting input to see where they would feel comfortable in certifying Texas vineyards and wineries. “It’s definitely exciting times and a big step forward for the industry,” says Nelson. “I’m happy that they are receptive to us needing some form of modification for the realities of the region and the climate and the terroir that we are farming.”

The Future MUST Include Sustainable Texas Wine

However the certification process with SIP Certified turns out, it’s been wonderful to see that a small, but growing group of farmers and winemakers understand the growing importance of sustainability in Texas wine. They absolutely understand the assignment! It’s what consumers are asking for – particularly the newest generation of wine drinkers that producers are hoping to sway. Quite frankly, it’s hard to imagine a future for the industry that does not embrace sustainability – both from a consumer standpoint and from an environmental standpoint.