Category Archives: The Other 46

A Case Study: You CAN Start Small

After a great career as a helicopter pilot in the Army, June Ritterbusch landed in Salado, Texas.  Upon evaluating the market and the busy tourist industry that Salado commands, she set her sight on becoming a winery owner in 2003. … Continue reading

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What Do Your Customers Want?

Over the weekend I had a perfectly refreshing Vinho Verde. It was a perfect heat buster wine for a blistering August day in Texas. I got to thinking about this wine, where it comes from and how it came about … Continue reading

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Crop Losses: File Your Claims Now

I am reposting a letter sent out by Bobby Cox, President-Elect, Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association regarding crop insurance, loss and filing your claims.  It’s been a hard year and many growers and farmers have had unprecedented losses.  Insurance … Continue reading

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2011 Southwest Harvest Outlook

It’s no news most of the United States is in the midst of an ongoing heat wave.  But how has that affected harvest for the southwest? And what about that late frost that hit much of the south in early … Continue reading

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Winemakers: Got a Challenging Wine?

This isn’t my typical blog, but perhaps a relevant opportunity for some readers.  Recently we’ve had several inquiries by customers and winery owners about similar blending challenges.  Either, they have a wine that has been successful in the past, but … Continue reading

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Arizona: A Budding Wine Frontier

Next stop on my Southwest Winery Tour was Arizona, the Grand Canyon State. With its mountains and deserts, Arizona’s wine industry faces interesting climate challenges. Most vineyards are located around Wilcox in the southeast corner of the state, with a … Continue reading

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Blaze the Trail, Colorado!

What is Colorado wine? On my Southwest Winery Tour, I was really interested in seeing what Colorado wine was all about.  What I found is that the state has not defined what Colorado wine is actually (BTW, this is not unique … Continue reading

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Don’t Let A Freeze Get You Down

Typically in the wine industry, you have one or two out of every seven years where you lose over half your crop. Three to four years out of those seven, you have an average crop level. And one to two … Continue reading

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Asking The RIGHT Questions

Building the Foundation for Your Winery I have found that one of the biggest stumbling blocks for people in starting a business is not asking enough questions. And if they’re asking questions, often they aren’t the right questions of the … Continue reading

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Southwest & Midwest Wineries Show Off at International Competition

The Fingers Lake International Wine Competition, held this past weekend in Rochester, NY, is the largest charitable wine competition in North America.  The 11th annual competition set a record for entries with 3,259 wines from 788 wineries.  The wines came … Continue reading

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