Wine region | |
Type | American Viticultural Area |
---|---|
Year established | 1991[1] |
Country | United States |
Part of | Texas |
Other regions in Texas | Escondido Valley AVA, Mesilla Valley AVA, Texas Davis Mountains AVA, Texas High Plains AVA, Texoma AVA |
Sub-regions | Bell Mountain AVA, Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country AVA[2] |
Climate region | Humid subtropical |
Total area | 9,000,000 acres (14,062 sq mi)[2] |
Size of planted vineyards | 800 acres (324 ha) |
Grapes produced | Alicante Bouschet, Aglianico, Barbera, Blanc du Bois, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Colombard, Malbec, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Norton, Petit Verdot, Pinot noir, Primitivo, Riesling, Sangiovese, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo, Tinta Madeira, Touriga Nacional, Trebbiano, Viognier[2] |
Varietals produced | range from Bordeaux blends to Italian varietals[2] |
The Texas Hill Country AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the Texas Hill Country north of San Antonio and west of Austin, Texas.[3] The appellation is the third largest American Viticultural Area in geographic area behind the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA and Ohio River Valley AVA, covering an area of over 9,000,000 acres (14,062 sq mi). Established in 1991, it is the southernmost AVA. Today, there are around 80 wineries/vineyards. Despite the cultural influence of the local Texas German population, most of the grape varietals grown in the Texas Hill Country originate from France, Italy, or Spain rather than the cooler climate of Germany.[2][4]