Winegrape Growing in Texas

Andrew LabayViticulture Program SpecialistTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Fredericksburg, Texasajlabay@ag.tamu.edu

Texas Wine Industry• Franciscan monks first brought

winegrapes to Texas in the 17th

century1

• Significant growth during the last 10 – 15 years

• 2012 USDA Census: + 7,000 acres3

• 700 growers; 350 wineries4

• Currently estimated to contribute nearly $2 billion to Texas economy2

• Texas Hill Country is #2 Wine destination in the U.S. behind Napa

• Growth of wineries outpacing production acreage

• Disease, Weather, Labor remain challenges

Photo credits: Texas Hill Country Wineries Association

William Chris Vineyards

Pedernales Cellars

Hill Country Varietal Survey - 2014

• Results from 56 vineyards (estimated 65 – 70 total)• 585 acres (estimated 650-700 total acres)• 80% of acreage is red varieties; 20% white varieties• 29 different red varieties; 20 different whites• Average vineyard size: 10 acres

Hill Country Varietal SurveyVariety Acres Number of Vineyards

Tempranillo 76 23Cabernet Sauvignon 71 22

Merlot 59.8 15Syrah 56.92 18

Sangiovese 30 11Malbec 22.5 8

Mourvedre 19.45 12Petite Sirah 18.85 9

Touriga Nacional 17.5 8Grenache 15.2 11

Tannat 12.3 7Lenoir (Black Spanish) 11.9 6

Petit Verdot 10.75 5Aglianico 8.65 6

Montepulciano 6.64 5Alicante Bouschet 5.25 3

Barbera 4.85 3Nebbiolo 3.4 2

Others (14.7 acres): Graciano PrimativoNero d’AvolaSouzaoTinta cao, CharbanoSagrantinoRuby Cabernet Tinta AmarelaCinsaultDolcetto

Hill Country Varietal SurveyVariety Acres Number of Vineyards

Chardonnay 19.8 7Sauvignon Blanc 18.4 4

Pinot Gris 14.92 6Riesling 11.2 1Muscat 10.66 7Viogner 8.35 6

Rousanne 4.95 4Chenin Blanc 4.75 4Blanc du Bois 4.4 4

Piquepoul Blanc 4 1Albarino 3.4 3

Vermentino 3.4 2Semillon 3.25 3

Arinto 2.3 1Pinot Blanc 2 1

Gewurztraminer 1.2 1Marsanne 0.65 1Scheurebe 0.6 1

Trebbiano Toscono 0.5 1Muller-Thurgau 0.4 1

Image credit: Dr. Greg Cobb

Texas Wineries (2010)

Texas Wine Grape Growing Regions

1. High Plains2. North Texas3. Gulf Coast4. Hill Country

Region 1 - High Plains• Vitis vinifera• Climate and soil:

• Dry, windy summers and relatively cool summer nights

• Good soil – deep sandy/loam over calcareous fine textured base

• Risk of hail and severe freeze/frost injury

• Relatively inexpensive land • Abundant farming experience• Lowered disease risks• Not close to wineries Photo credits: Jim Kamas

Region 2 – North Texas

• Vitis vinifera and hybrids• Proximity to Dallas/Ft. Worth• Diverse soils – alkaline to acidic,

coarse to fine textured• Similar conditions/challenges as

compared to Hill Country• Disease, Frost/Freeze, Hail, Salty water

• Defining characteristic for the region?• East Texas – high rainfall greatly

increases disease risks, though good soil and great water quality

Photo credits: Michael Cook

Region 3 – Gulf Coast and South Texas• Climate and soils:

• High rainfall• Deep, fertile soils• Warm, humid summer nights• Lower freeze/frost risk• Long growing season

• Increased vigor, disease and difficulty ripening certain varieties

• High Pierce’s disease risk – only tolerant varieties used

• Blanc du Bois (white)• Black Spanish / Lenoir (red)

• Tropical rain risk – disease and risk of berry split

Photo credit: Lorri Jones

Region 4 - Hill Country• Vitis vinifera and some hybrids• Climate and Soil:

• Variable weather – between the humid Gulf Coast and dry West Texas

• Shallow, alkaline clay. Limestone

• Travel destination - within 1 hour drive of 3 million people

• Proximity to wineries• PD and CRR Risk Now

Appears Somewhat Manageable

• High Cost of Land• Very Limited Labor Pool• Frost & Freeze Still a Risk

Challenges in Grape Growing

Photo credit: Jim Kamas

Frost Injury

Nutrient Deficiencies

Pierce’s disease

Cotton Root Rot

Fruit and Foliar DiseaseFungal Trunk

Disease

Image source: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r302100611.html

Challenges to Growing Grapes in Texas1974 - A Feasibility Study for Grape Production in Texas

Photo credit: Jim Kamas

• Risks• Disease:

• Pierce’s disease - #1 limitation• Cotton root rot• Foliar and trunk fungal disease

• Soil variability• Climate variability• Freeze/Hail Probability• Water Quantity & Quality Ron Perry, Instructor & Research

Associate in Hort. Sciences Department

Pierce’s Disease

• Causative agent: Xylella fastidiosa, a gram negative xylem-limited bacteria

• Endemic to the South Eastern U.S.• Vectored by xylem sap feeding insects (i.e. sharpshooter,

leafhopper insects)• Pathogen forms biofilms and occludes vascular tissue• In order to manage PD in Texas vineyards:

• Understand the pathogen and disease cycle• Know your risk of PD • Follow recommended practices per region

(discussed in the following slides)Photos: Electron MircroscopyLaboratory, U.C. Berkley

Cuerna costalis

10 mm

Oncometopia orbona

12 mm

Over 36 species of competent vectors identified in Texas, though the number varies by area of the state

Homalodisca vitripennis

12 mm

Paraulacizes irrorata

10mm

Proconiini

Graphocephala coccinea

10 mm

Draeculacephala navicula

8 mm

CicadelliniXyphon flaviceps

6 mm 4 mm

Ciminius harti

Photos: L. Lauziere

Pierce’s Disease Vectors

Pierce’s Disease Cycle Overview

Acquisition and Transmission via xylem sap feeding insect vectors

Colonization of X. fastidiosa via cell-to-cell movement within xylem tissue

Xylem occlusion in susceptible plants via biofilm formation and/or tyloses

Photo credit: Jim Medley

Concepts and diagram from: Chatterjee (2008)

Marginal Scorching of LeavesLeaf blade abscission while petioles retained: ‘matchsticks’

Photo credit (bottom left and right): Jim Kamas

Irregular Periderm Formation: ‘green islands’

Late season collapse of clusters/shoots

Confirmation via laboratory testing: plantclinic.tamu.edu

Pierce’s Disease Symptoms

July 05

August 04

July 03

Maps of Disease Progress in a Viognier VineyardDuring 2003 -2005

David Appel, 2006Texas PD Symposium

Pierce’s Disease Risk

Image source: R. Perry (1974) A Feasibility Study for Grape Production in Texas and Kamas et. al. (2012) Pierce’s Disease Overview and Management Guide

• Susceptible– V. labrusca, V. vinifera, Certain

French/American Hybrids • Resistant

– M. rotundifolia , V. arizonica…• Tolerant

– ‘Black Spanish’, ‘Blanc du Bois’, ‘Victoria Red’, ‘Miss Blanc’, ‘Herbemont’, certain Munson varieties, and wild Vitis species native to the southeastern United States

Grape Variety Selection

In areas of extremely high PD probability, the use of disease tolerant/resistant varieties is strongly recommended

Pierce’s Disease

• Site selection – choose sites without perennial vegetation and away from riparian zones

• Create a buffer zone and remove supplemental hosts• Monitor for insect vectors• Use neonicotinoid insecticides (Imidacloprid)• Have excellent vineyard floor management• Learn PD symptoms and use laboratory testing for confirmation

(plantclinic.tamu.edu)• Rouge infected vines

Reference: Pierce’s Disease Overview & Management Guide (http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/files/2010/10/Texas-Grape-Growers-PD-Management-Guide.pdf)

Pierce’s Disease has been effectively managed in areas of moderate to low disease probability by following recommended practices:

Pierce’s Disease Management

Pierce’s disease has become manageable and Vitis vinifera is the dominant grape grown from the Hill Country to the High Plains,

but…

Now, the But…..

• Pierce’s disease is a cyclic disease

• How much do environmental factors affect the decrease in PD

• Neonicotinoid insecticides implicated in colony collapse

• Have we found the long-term solution???

Figure 12: Mean number of insects caught per year for vineyards which did not use Imidacloprid insecticide versus those that did. Error bars represent the 95% confidence interval.

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Mea

n #

Inse

cts /

Tra

p Da

y Insecticide

No Insecticide

Grape Breeding as a Long-term Strategy

Thomas Volney Munson• 1843 - 1913• Classification of American

grapevine species• +300 grape cultivars• Supplied France with

phylloxera tolerant rootstock material

Grape Breeding as a Long-term Strategy

From: T.V. Munson (1909). Foundations of American Grape Culture. Pg. 6.

Grape Breeding as a Long-term Strategy

Images source: USDA Forest Service

“Native species from areas where PD is severe appear to be most resistant to disease…”Jonathan J. Ruel and M. Andrew Walker (2006) Resistance to Pierce’s Disease in Muscadinia rotundifolia and Other Native Grape Species. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 57:2.

Vitis mustangensis Vitis arizonica Muscadinia rotundifolia

Biotechnology and Grape Breeding

• Identification of resistance gene in Vitisarizonica (accession b43-17)

• Genetic mapping and SSR marker development for PdR1a and PdR1b

• Marker-assisted selection to backcross resistance gene with V. vinifera

• Selections of 88, 94 and 97% V. viniferaexpressing PD resistance genes developed

• Not GMO, traditionally bred with the aid of molecular techniques for selection

Photo credit: Micheal Barnes; http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.org/

Dr. M. Andrew WalkerGeneticist, U.C. Davis

Objective: Evaluation of existing and newly-bred PD tolerant grape varieties

PD Tolerant Variety Trial

Photo credit: Dr. George Ray McEachern

• T.V. Munson (Texas): ‘Bailey’, ‘Ben Hur’, ‘Carman’, ‘Delicatessen’, ‘Lomanto’, ‘Nitodal’, ‘Wine King’

• G. Alleweldt (Germany): ‘Phoenix’, ‘Orion’, ‘Sirius’• J. Moore/J. Clark (Arkansas): ‘Victoria Red’ (Ark.

1475, Ark 1400• J. Lu (Florida): D16-16-4, D16-13-1,D6-12-4, O44-

6-5, O47-3-7, A14-8-1, A24-6-6, C30-5-1, C30-7-1• A. Walker (California): U0502-10, U0502-20,

U0505-35, U0502-38, U0502-26, U0502-1, U0501-12

DATA COLLECTION:• PD tolerance: symptoms & bacterial titer• Vigor: pruning weights• Phenology: budbreak, flowering & veraison• Yield: No. clusters, harvest weight• Fruit chemistry: degrees Brix, pH & TA (g/L)• Wine quality: wine sensory panel• Additional observations: other disease

sensitivities, viticultural considerations etc.

OBJECTIVE:Evaluation of existing and newly-bred PD tolerant grape varieties (32 total)

PD Tolerant Variety Trial

Industry, TX

• Only minor scorch detected • Molecular testing via ELISA/PCR

Dr. Lisa Morano (University of Houston-Downtown)Dr. David Appel (Texas A&M AgrilifeExtension)

PD Tolerant Variety TrialPD Tolerant Variety Trial

PD Tolerance

Vict

oria

BD

B 35 26

NO

R 38 10 20

(-) C

ontr

ol

0.00

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0.25

0.30

0.35

Grape Varieties

Abs

orba

nce

(650

nm)

PD Tolerant Variety Trial

Wine QualitySmall-scale (5 gal) representative lots

PD Tolerant Variety Trial

Sensory Assessment• U0502-38, U0502-10,

U0502-26, U0505-35• All 4 varieties have high

potential of providing an alternative to Lenoir

• All 4 red varieties scored low to moderate hybrid characteristics.

U0505-35June 15, 2012Industry, Texas

• Breeder: Dr. Andy Walker (UC Davis)• Parentage: A81-138 x ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’

U0505-35

Recommended: MicroVinification by Murli R. Dharmadhikhiri

Home Winemaking

PD Tolerant Varieties

Reds‘Black Spanish’ (‘Lenoir’, ‘Jacquez’)

‘Favorite’

Whites‘Blanc du Bois’

• Breeder: Munson (1902)• Parentage: Salado (V. champinii, V. labrusca,

V. bourquiniana) x Pense (V. vinifera?)

Lomanto

Victoria Red

Thank you!

• Jim Kamas• Dr. Justin Scheiner• Dr. Larry Stein• Dr. David Appel• Sheila McBride• Jacy Lewis• Beth McMahon• Yessica Garcia• David Smith

Austin County Grape Growers Association