Bell Mountain is a small AVA of central Texas in the southern United States of America. At only 3200 acres (1204ha) it is entirely contained within the Texas Hill Country AVA, which is three thousand times larger. This disparity starkly illustrates the variability in the scope and scale of US AVAs.
The Bell Mountain appellation was declared official in November 1986, making it the first Texan AVA (the larger Texas Hill Country AVA was not introduced for another five years). Mesilla Valley was created earlier, in March 1985, but is essentially an AVA of New Mexico, with only a small portion crossing into Texas.
The south-western slopes of Bell Mountain, while far from steep, have yet to be planted to any notable levels of vine density, although there are reportedly nine vineyards producing Bell Mountain wines. Very little is widely distributed, with even less making it out of the US and onto international markets.
The thin, well-drained topsoils in which Bell Mountain's vineyards are planted consist largely of sandy loam and clays with limestone and granite below. The altitude varies only slightly, from 1640 to 1970ft (500m–600m).
In terms of climate, Bell Mountain is affected by the surrounding Hill Country, leading to low precipitation and changeable temperatures. High diurnal temperature variations are standard throughout the winter here, leveling out slightly as the land warms up in summer. As in many Texan viticultural areas, Bell Mountain is subject to spring frosts, which can severely disrupt budburst and flowering – particularly in earlier-budding varieties such as Merlot. The owners of Bell Mountain Winery have been investigating ways of combating this problem,with the best solution to date proving to be a large, tractor-towed fan, used to displace cold air upwards to prevent frost forming on the vines. (© Proprietary Content, Wine-Searcher.)
The Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec are the most commonly planted varieties here, along with Syrah. Experimentation with Viognier and Riesling is in its early stages, although the latter is generally only successful in the state's very coolest sites further north.
