In the March 14 2025 edition of the WineAmerica newsletter, President Jim Trezise published a profile of the Texas Wine Industry, with helpful and solid information on the economic impact of our growing wine region. But one point in the newsletter caught my eye, the Texas Wine Harvest: “Due to the hot climate, [Texas] harvest typically begins in July, two months before California and three months before most other regions.” I wrote a reply to Mr. Trezise, sending the our iconic harvest photo from the Merlot Harvest at Newsom Vineyards, from late September 2019 as a reference. He replied with courtesy, offering to publish my letter in the next issue of the WineAmerica newsletter. Here is the published exchange, from WineAmerica newsletter March 21, 2025, Entitled “Mea Culpa”.

From the President of WineAmerica, 3/21/25: “Mea Culpa: Last week when I profiled the Texas wine industry, I vastly oversimplified the huge state’s growing conditions by saying the hot climate meant harvest begins and ends a couple months earlier than most other states. Fortunately, WineAmerica member Miguel Lecuona fromSiboney Cellars took the time to politely correct and educate me. With his permission, I am including his email to help spread the word. I stand corrected, and educated. Thanks, Miguel. ~ Jim Trizese”

Our email to the story published 3/14/25 in WA:

Hello!  Thank you for the State Profile of Texas Wine Country in this email newsletter 3/14/25.  Regarding the reference to the growing season: “Due to the hot climate, [Texas] harvest typically begins in July, two months before California and three months before most other regions.”  While it is true that some Texas harvests begin in July, we are talking about white grape varietals in the Hill Country AVA, and small vineyards well south of the Texas High Plains.  This accounts for a tiny fraction of all Texas harvests.  The more on-point comparison would be the Texas High Plains, near Lubbock, altitude 3400 feet. More than 90% of Texas Vineyards have a High Plains zip code.  And here, the growing calendar is in line with “most other regions.”  Two Points to illustrate: 

1. Bud Break – when the clock starts on Total Hang Time, ending with harvest – should be considered when referencing Harvest. In the Texas High Plains AVA, Bud Break is in April, usually near or after Easter, and about 30 days later than the Hill Country. In fact it snowed in Lubbock last week.  Battling Spring frost is the more common challenge, as it can be in Burgundy and other regions.
2. Fall Harvest:  To relate just one story about Harvest in the Texas High Plains AVA, where 90% of Texas grapes are grown, I attach a photo from September 27, 2019, of a Merlot harvest interrupted by an intense autumn thunderstorm.  This harvest was worked by the Grower, and by no less than 3 winemakers, traveling up from the Hill Country, under intense weather conditions where the temperature dropped 40 degrees in a few hours, and lightning swirled around the vineyard. My wife, our winemaker, built two exceptional single varietal Merlots from this harvest, including the 2019 Newsom Merlot “Storm Breaker.”  This photo is on that label.  
3. Okay 3 points:  Notably, when looking at our harvest logs from 2019, we took Merlot on Sept 27, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot on Oct 13, Mourvèdre on October 15, and Tannat on October 16, all from the High Plains AVA.  

I’ve participated in Merlot harvests in Pomerol and St Emilion taken before September 27. Sauvignon Blanc from Graves and Entre Deux Mers comes off much earlier, while in Sauternes, it is harvested in October. Even in the most prestigious and mature vineyards of Bordeaux, Reds are routinely harvested from mid September to mid-October. 

To believe that “Texas harvests three months before most other regions,” you must ignore the full calendar of harvest dates —  in Texas, and in other wine regions — that are largely determined not by “hot climate,” but by geography, varietal, and wine style. While we don’t expect everyday journalists to understand this basic idea, here we are talking about WineAmerica. We wouldn’t want your readers to get the wrong impression.  After all, your Treasurer is from Texas!  

Miguel Lecuona
Founder, Siboney Cellars
Johnson City, Texas

Note: Siboney is a Member of WineAmerica, the only national wine industry association in the USA, “an organization that encourages the growth and development of American wineries and winegrowing through the advancement and advocacy of sound public policy.”