April 09, 2006  Hill country wine   But oh those fractured
soils, limey and delicious.       WINEGUY said...  I actually
worked for Fall Creek Vineyards back in the mid-80's. The wines
were palatable and at times skillfully made but never above
average. The chief problems lies in the volatility of the Hill
Country Climate. The heat, humidity and rain/thunderstorms at
inopportune times conspire to make fruit chemistry less than
ideal. Some years the fruit is high in pH AND high in acid while
low in sugar. At times, fruit splits due to heavy rainfall and
molds and fungi abound. The better wines have always been the
vinifera hybrids like Carnelian and Emerald Riesling which
tolerate the heat better than the Chardonnay, Merlot and
Cabernet the owners want to be known for. That square peg just
doesn't fit the Hill Country's round hole. If FC were to grow
more Carignane, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvédre and keep the crop
levels down, they might home in on a reasonably good product.
Vincent Fritzsche said...  Thanks f