The fruits of our labor.
The Lonesome Vine vineyard is located in the western half of the Texoma AVA (American Viticulture Area), among the Eastern Cross Timbers vegetative sub-region at ~1,200’ elevation. The soil is composed of sandy-clay-loam that is well drained, acidic and ideal for grape vines. Originally cultivated farmland, the 8-acre vineyard area was abandoned during the dust bowl and sat untouched for 100 years. This led to erosion of much of the topsoil requiring soil remediation in order for the land to be adequate for grape production.
Holistic and Sustainable Viticulture Approach
When we had this grand idea of becoming grape farmers in 2018 we had no experience cultivating grapes. The logical path was to implement widely known conventional agricultural techniques. Once we realized all the inputs these techniques require (fungicides, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers in a never-ending cycle) we decided those techniques didn’t align with our fundamental beliefs of being good stewards of the land and preserving it for future generations in a way that has more benefits than detriments.
Since 2019 our vineyard philosophy has grown toward holistic and sustainable management of the land with methods that benefit the entire ecosystem. Holistic farming considers the social, economic and environmental impacts of the operation. Much to our chagrin, this process doesn’t happen overnight. The foundation of the ecosystem is a healthy soil and to foster a healthy soil, most, if not all of the conventional techniques must eventually be abandoned. We are proud to say we are well on our way to removing most of these inputs with no herbicide spray since 2020, a 75% reduction in fungicides with only one spray in 2022, our first harvest year, with what is considered a green fungicide. In fall of 2022 we incorporated legumes in our cover crop along with native grasses to reduce or eliminate fertilizer altogether in the future. We hope to be relatively input free by 2023-2024.
Here at Lonesome Vine “We don’t rent pigs” but we do rent sheep. It is practically a necessity to incorporate grazing animals onto the land for healthy soil and plants. Research has shown grazed plants are healthier than mechanically cut plants due to enzymes in the grazing animals’ saliva and soil biology is more diverse from their excrement. We have also become worm farmers! We harvest their castings which harbor many of the organisms plant roots require to obtain nutrients. We extract these organisms from the castings into water and spray the vines and soil to incorporate them into the ecosystem. Once the soil and plants are at optimal health, the ecosystem takes care of itself with beneficial organisms balancing non-beneficial organisms thus eliminating external inputs.
By promoting a robust ecosystem with little to no non-natural inputs our vines are healthier. They are more resistant to environmental changes, disease and predation which provides higher quality fruit from the vineyard. Higher quality fruit allows less preservative in the winery and more robust, balanced wines, thus completing our holistic circle with what we hope is a positive social impact. We find great satisfaction in working with our environment and creating a product, start to finish, from the earth that has value to others.
Texas has a rich history of growing grapes including a major grape research program conducted by Texas A&M very near Lonesome Vine in Montague, Texas. From 1939 to 1963, Uriel A. Randolph tested hundreds of grape varieties with research projects on pruning, fertilization and pest management. Our goal is to continue building on this research with more modern, sustainable and environmentally beneficial methods and to pass our knowledge on to new wine grape growers in our area.
Through our research we have found that Rhône Valley and Spanish varieties flourish at Lonesome Vine. We currently have nearly 6 acres under vine consisting of Tempranillo, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, Petite Verdot and Picpoul Blanc that we know you will enjoy.