New wine labeling law signed by Governor Abbott is a step forward for the industry
June 28th – Fredericksburg, TX: Texas Wine Growers (TWG), a leader in the movement of honest labeling, is celebrating 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:
- 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.
This is the third legislative session where Texas Wine Growers has helped to introduce legislation providing for consumer confidence in what they are drinking. Carl Money, past President of TWG and owner of Pontotoc Vineyards, says of the new law: “The consumer will know that at least all of the grapes are from Texas, previously we didn’t have that.” https://www.fox7austin.com/video/944611
About Texas Wine Growers: Texas Wine Growers is a trade association of winery and vineyard members throughout the state of Texas whose mission is to promote and protect the integrity of Texas Wine by making wines solely from grapes grown in the Terroir of Texas. TWG is a 501(c)(6) foundation devoting resources to research and education to advance the agricultural processes of winemaking within Texas and educating consumers and policymakers about the importance of location to winemaking. Ticket sales and wine bottle purchases from our events help us raise money to spread the word and promote Texas wine through honest labeling.
