What is wine? Other than being handcrafted delicious juice, what really goes into making such a timeless, delightful beverage? 

Wine has been around for several thousand years. Dating back to 6000 B.C, wine presses, and fermentation jars have been found in caves in Armenia. The world's earliest non-grape wine is believed to have been made in 7000 B.C in China, where honey, rice, and fruit were fermented into an alcoholic beverage. Wine as we know it today stems from the species of grape called vitis vinifera. With a massive array of between 5,000 and 10,000 different varieties of this vinifera, there is no shortage of wine to be had.

Today, winemaking is practiced all over the world, the majority of which takes place in Europe. France, Italy, and Spain account for 51% of all of the world's wine production. To put that into perspective, in the U.S, we account for 12% of the world's wine production, 89% of that coming from California. The United States is relatively new at winemaking but has taken the industry by storm. Some of the most sought-after wines in the world come from the likes of Napa Valley in California such as the beloved Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. 

How does Texas fit into the mix? As the fifth largest state for wine production, Texas houses over 400 wineries. Split into eight different AVA’s (American Viticultural Area) the Texas High Plains spans just south of Amarillo. Amarillo and Canyon are still graced by the presence of Bomb City Wines, and Bar Z wines just a few minutes south in Canyon. Texas is slowly becoming one of the top dogs in the American wine scene, and for good reason. Production has increased steadily and so has quality over the past few years. In 2019 alone, 14,180 tons of grapes were produced bearing from over 5,000 acres of land. Texas has a bright future in the world of wine!