07.02.21
Texas Wine Growers (TWG), a trade association of winery and vineyard members throughout the state of Texas, is celebrating what it says is the next significant milestone in the Texas wine industry. Governor Abbott recently signed into law House Bill 1957, which provides for new regulations for the labeling of wine produced in Texas.
Current TWG President Chris Brundrett of William Chris Wines says, “We know in our heart of hearts this is the next step as an industry to becoming a world-class wine region.”
Consumers of Texas wine may not realize the wine they have been drinking is not always a real Texas wine. Texas currently follows the federal standard where a wine can be labeled as Texas so long as at least 75% of the grapes used in the bottle came from somewhere within the state. The remaining 25% could come from outside of the state. The new law, which goes into effect on September 1, 2021, requires any label that includes a county, American Viticultural Area (AVA) or vineyard designation follow more stringent requirements. The breakdown is as follows:
Current TWG President Chris Brundrett of William Chris Wines says, “We know in our heart of hearts this is the next step as an industry to becoming a world-class wine region.”
Consumers of Texas wine may not realize the wine they have been drinking is not always a real Texas wine. Texas currently follows the federal standard where a wine can be labeled as Texas so long as at least 75% of the grapes used in the bottle came from somewhere within the state. The remaining 25% could come from outside of the state. The new law, which goes into effect on September 1, 2021, requires any label that includes a county, American Viticultural Area (AVA) or vineyard designation follow more stringent requirements. The breakdown is as follows:
- County designation – 75% of the grapes must come from within that county. The remaining 25% may come from anywhere within Texas.
- American Viticultural Area (AVA) – 85% of the grapes must come from within that AVA. The remaining 15% may come from anywhere within Texas
- Vineyard Designation – 95% of the grapes must come from that vineyard. The remaining 5% may come from anywhere within Texas.
- If a wine is labeled as Texas only, it is still able to follow the federal standard of 75% of the grapes from within Texas and the additional 25% from another state.