Growing grapes in Texas is always challenging, but 2023 really puts the industry to the test. In June of 2023, hail plagued the Texas High Plains and some vineyards lost up to 100% of their entire crop for the year. Those that weren’t affected by the hail were subjected to extreme temperatures and drought. The quality of the vintage has quite the variation from vineyard to vineyard. Many locations had trouble ripening with the elevated temperatures (100+) for a sustained amount of time, resulting in wines with lower ABV. However, many of the wines with lower alcohol did achieve phenolic ripeness and will surely be remarkable as they keep aging. The white wines and roses produced this year have increased expression of thiols and esters, allowing a truly delectable bouquet to be showcased.