We met Dan Gatlin of Inwood Estates Vineyards yesterday. Dan first planted grapes in1981 but did not release his first wine until 2006. During those twenty-five years, Dan experimented with grape varieties and winemaking searching for the best wines to make in Texas. Now Dan has two vineyards in the state. He grows Palomino and Chardonnay on a vineyard in Hunt County and Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon on a vineyard in Yoakum County. Are these four grapes the best varieties to grow in Texas?

One of the seminars at the Drink Local Wine Conference held at Le Cordon Bleu Institute in Culinary Arts in Dallas was titled “Not cabernet or chardonnay: What grapes work best in Texas?” Cabernet Sauvignon grows but yields are not as high as elsewhere in the country and the Cab can be finicky. Growers are planting Syrah, Tempranillo, Malbec, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Vermentino, Blanc du Bois, Pinot Grigio, Orange Muscat and Viognier.