Wild Stallion Vineyards held their Harvest Day on July 7th, and I was glad to be able to go get my hands a little dirty harvesting grapes that will soon be Texas wine. I arrived around 7:30 a.m., right when things were supposed to get started, and found their event space to be a packed house! Wild Stallion had a huge turnout of folks wanting to help. It was great seeing so many people out early on a Saturday morning eager to help a neighborhood vineyard and have some fun along the way. Wild Stallion Vineyards is located in Spring, immediately south of The Woodlands, so it’s an easy visit for those in the Houston area.
Wild Stallion’s Harvest Day started with a breakfast for volunteers of breakfast tacos, muffins, and fruit. As breakfast wrapped up, owner Larry Cress provided instructions on how to harvest the grapes and an overview of how the whole harvest process works. Larry shared that they were hoping to harvest about 15,000 pounds of grapes. Wild Stallion Vineyards planted their first Blanc du Bois vines back in 2008 and now has over three acres of producing vines.
Larry Cress
After Larry’s orientation, we all walked from the event center over to the vineyard to pick up our grape sheers, harvesting bin, and our row assignments.
The harvest crew moved at a fast pace and the quality of the Blanc du Bois grapes looked excellent.
Bins filled quickly, and the folks at Wild Stallion did a great job helping the volunteers stay on track.
After seeing many full 1,000-pound bins, I bet they hit or exceeded their harvest expectations.
The harvested Blanc du Bois grapes were then loaded onto a refrigerated truck and taken to Brownfield in the Texas High Plains where they are currently being made into Wild Stallion’s estate Blanc du Bois wines. I’ll definitely be making a stop by their tasting room once the wines are back and available for tasting. Judging by the quality of the fruit I bet they are going to be top notch.
Grape harvests are ramping up at Texas vineyards, so be on the lookout for opportunities to lend a hand at your favorite Texas vineyards. It’s a great way to learn about vineyards and better appreciate the work that goes into making Texas wine.
The activities at Wild Stallion didn’t end with the harvest as they make their harvest a full day event. Along with the harvest they have a grape stomp, and after harvest they had a lunch and wine tastings. Wild Stallion Vineyards recently extended their tasting room hours and has a spring and fall concert series with a lot of great bands, including a personal favorite blues guitarist Hamilton Loomis. Check out Wild Stallion Vineyards social media for the latest event listings.
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