Writer: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, adam.russell@ag.tamu.edu
Contacts: Randy Reeves, 903-236-8429, randy.reeves@ag.tamu.edu
Michael Cook, 940-349-2896, michael.cook@ag.tamu.edu
HARLETON – The first Northeast Texas Wine Grape Growers Field Day and Tour will be July 14 at Enoch’s Stomp Vineyard and Winery,871 County Road 4312 in Harleton.
The event begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. followed by discussions by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists and winemakers and a tour of the vineyard, which ends a little after 3 p.m.
There is no cost to attend but RSVPs are requested by July 7 for an accurate lunch count. Call the AgriLife Extension office in Harrison County at 903-935-8413 or in Gregg County at 903-236-8429 for more information and to RSVP.
Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units are available for attendees.
Randy Reeves, AgriLife Extension agent in Gregg County, said interest in winemaking continues to grow in East Texas. He said the field day and tour will provide established winemakers, novices and people interested in learning more about the wine industry access to a wide range of information from knowledgeable speakers.
Reeves said Enoch’s Stomp Vineyard and Winery is a good location for the first wine grape growers field day because it is an impressive operation that features grapes for both red and white wines.
“People are realizing wine grapes grow in northeast Texas and that they grow well,” he said. “Our speakers will cover the grape varieties best suited for the climates and soils here as well as insects and diseases growers need to be aware of.”
Speakers and topics will include:
- Dr. Allan Knutson, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Dallas, insect control.
- Dr. Justin Scheiner, AgriLife Extension viticulture specialist, College Station, fungal pressure management.
- Michael Cook, AgriLife Extension, viticulture program specialist, Denton, harvest indices.
- Altus Koegelenberg, owner and operator of Enoch’s Stomp, facility tour. The tour will follow the discussions.
Cook said the specialists will bring needed, research-based information to wine grape growers to help them build and maintain successful operations. He said the information will be geared toward commercial growers but anyone is welcome to attend.
“The goal is to provide information they need to develop a strong management program throughout the season from now into the future,” he said. “East Texas growers face challenges to bring in one crop a year and so it’s critically important they have the most current research-based information available.”
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