McPherson Winery - Changing the Landscape

It was a warm summer afternoon and I remember thinking to myself that I always thought Lubbock would be scorching hot in July, I was a bit wrong in this assumption. But, I had been living in the very humid South Texas area of South Padre Island for the past 12 years so I am not accustomed to dry climates. The temperature was in the low 90s, but with no humidity and a little breeze every now and then, I was quite comfortable. The low humidity explains my experience that morning when I stepped out of my hotel room and actually felt “cold.” It is dry here so at night the temperature drops dramatically. The significance to this revelation was soon discovered, as I was on my way to McPherson Cellars where I would have privilege of spending some time with Kim McPherson, the owner and winemaker of McPherson Cellars.

Once a Coca-Cola bottling facility, the McPherson winery is located in downtown Lubbock, Texas along very straight, very flat, brick streets. Their use of zero scape is fitting, there are plenty of native plants adorning the entrance and the decor is very modern with a hint of the past. This urban winery is a treasure trove of wonderful old world styled wines made from almost exclusively Texas grown grapes.

I must admit, shamefully, that I never gave Texas wines much consideration. Even as a wine buyer in Texas the idea of Texas wines never appealed to me, maybe because there is such a limited amount of it and suppliers simply are not interested in them. Today, however, I have a much different attitude. This change occurred while tasting through McPherson’s wines. These wine were lovely. Each one complemented the others with complexity and purity of style. This is exactly what Kim wants to create. He is a proponent of the old way of doing things. He makes his wines the way they are supposed to be made, the way the old world makes them.

The McPherson winery story began in 1976, the year the Napa Valley wines proved themselves on the world stage. Kim’s father, Clinton “Doc” McPherson, a Chemistry professor at Texas Tech University, started growing grapes in what would become the premier growing district in Texas, the Texas High Plains. Along with a partner, Bob Reed, they established Llano Estacado. Kim completed the viticultural program as UC Davis along with Doug Shafer of Shafer Winery and worked in Napa Valley before returning to Texas. He worked at Llano Estacado and Cap Rock Wineries. While at Cap Rock, he started the McPherson Cellars label to honor his father.

In the fall of 2008, Kim McPherson opened this urban winery, and tasting room in Downtown Lubbock. An old wooden winepress greets visitors at the entrance of the converted Coca-Cola bottling facility. The tasting room has plenty of room and open spaces for wine lovers to spend an afternoon. There is a patio out back that nods to the facilities past by utilizing round metal artwork and a fountain made of three steel pipes.The suns rays are tempered by the trees planted in the open squares of earth and a triangle canopy reminiscent of the old world Roman design.

His winery is within 15 miles of the vineyards his grapes grow in so when harvest comes, the grapes arrive within minutes of being picked. They are promptly pressed and the juice placed into tanks, inoculated and start fermentation all before noon. There is no need for any cold stabilization. He prides himself on the efficiency of his winery. This efficiency certainly pays off in the quality of the wines he is making. He has won over 450 awards for his wines, including two Double Golds at the San Francisco Fair and recently a Gold/Best in Class at the Pacific Rim Wine Competition, not bad for a “Texas Winery”. The tasting room is filled with his wonderful wines, many of which are adorned with medals they have woe in competitions around the country. Among a few of my favorites are the 2012 Albariño, the 2012 Reserve Roussanne, the 2012 Dry Chenin Blanc, and La Herencia, a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mouvedre. I must admit, none of the wines disappointed in any way, and is was difficult to pick favorites.

Kim McPherson is a world renowned winemaker (recently named #20 in the top 100 most influential U.S. winemakers by intowine.com) so it is only fitting that those seeking knowledge seek out Kim. Over the years, Kim has hosted many interns who come to Texas to learn how to make great wines in places that do not offer the easiest of terroir. Among his interns of years past is René Barbier Jr. of Clos Mogador. It seems a fitting internship as both believe in the old ways of making wines and the climates in Priorat and Texas High Plains are both difficult at best. “To be a good winemaker, one must be able to manipulate the process”, Kim told me. According to him, in Texas it is 85% winemaker and 15% vineyard and in California, it is 85% vineyard and 15% winemaker. (not to ruffle any feathers in California)

There are some advantages to growing grapes on the flat plains of Texas. There is limited humidity so the risk of fungus and mildew is low. The glassy-winged sharpshooter is nonexistent in this area as they have no place to live, they live among tall grasses and creek beds, none of those here. The two problems they have are freezes, 4 in the spring of 2013, and a weed killing chemical used by other farmers in the area called 24D. It blows over the vineyards and kills the vines along with the weeds. Today, the Texas High Plains has 4000 acres of planted vines. The Sagmore Vineyard, planted by Doc McPherson, is still producing. It is planted to the Antinori clone of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The only thing certain in this world is change and a change of attitude towards Texas wines is on the horizon. I was truly enlightened by my visit ad inspired to find out what else winemaker and growers are doing in the Great State of Texas. I have a suspicion that Texas is at the beginning of becoming a serious force in the wine industry. Doc McPherson was the man who started it, and his son Kim McPherson is a driving force that will help propel the appreciation of Texas wines worldwide.

#texaswines