Texas High Plains AVA

The Texas High Plains AVA ( recognized since March 2, 1993) is an American Viticultural Area in the U.S. state of Texas. The area is located in the Texas Panhandle. The defined area of the appellation is the second largest American Viticultural Area in Texas. The theoretical area is more than 3.2 million hectares. A majority of the vineyards are located on a flat terrain at an altitude between 910 m and 1220 m above sea level. NN. Since the annual rainfall is usually not sufficient for the cultivation of vines in the semi-arid climate, the wine growers are dependent on irrigation of the soil. Is fed irrigation system that was primarily created for the cultivation of cotton, from the underground Ogallala Aquifer.

Currently fill six resident wineries wines under the name Texas High Plains from. There are also a number of companies that are outside the defined region and buying grapes from there and market under the designation of origin. These companies are usually located near the city of Lubbock.

Geology

The oldest layers of the plateau have emerged towards the end of the Paleozoic Era around 251 million years ago. Was completed towards the end of the Mesozoic than the Rocky Mountains began to form about 70 million years ago, and during the Cenozoic as the elevation of the Rocky Mountains before about 30 million years ago formed the overlying strata of the Llano Estacado.

While the erosion of the Rocky Mountains due to weather conditions, more and more debris was carried into the plains east lying. By erosions and new rivers canyons and rock formations that limit the Llano Estacado emerged.