Sometimes you are just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Preston Alison began driving the dusty roads in the Texas Panhandle looking for the perfect spot to start a vineyard back in 2017. Hundreds of hours talking about just the right slope or the just the right soil. During this time he made friends with Andis Applewhite, a Houston artist and vineyard owner in Lockney Texas and Bobby Cox, proprietor of Pheasant Ridge Winery in New Deal Texas and founding father in the Texas Wine industry. It was through these contacts that he found out about Martin’s Vineyards becoming available.
The past couple of years had been difficult for the vineyard, with the Martin’s being involved with more pressing matters in Houston and the situation developing into a group of like minded people all working to keep the vines producing as ownership switched hands September 1, 2020.
Irrigation systems needed repair and equipment needed to be replaced but the harvest did and is happening as of this post. Many of the local vineyards suffered from a late freeze but Martin’s managed to bring in some early Chenin Blanc and Savignon Blanc for Rae Wilson Wine for the People, and there is a good crop of Mourvedre going to Calais Winery in Austin.
Totally unexpectedly there is enough Sangiovese, Viognier and Pinot Gris to satisfy any hobbyist wine maker so I guess maybe the Alison family will have to pick it themselves, roll up their pants cuffs and get to stomping.
