© Wikimedia/Zereshk
Texas Davis Mountains is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the west of the southern US state of Texas. Comprising 270,000 acres (110,000ha) of the Trans-Pecos region, the AVA covers the Davis Mountains, a green, rocky oasis rising up from the arid, brush-strewn Chihuahuan Desert. Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are the key grape varieties grown here and are used to make both dry table wines and port-style fortified wines.
The Davis Mountains are mostly located within Jeff Davis County (for which they are named) and reach altitudes of 8000ft above sea level. Viticulture starts at the slightly lower altitude of 4500ft (1400m) above sea level, where the vines still benefit from good diurnal temperature variation and increased air flow. The peaks capture a significant proportion of the area's rainfall – the only reason that viticulture is possible here – and create a markedly more complex biodiversity than anywhere else for miles around.
The Davis Mountains are the result of tectonic and volcanic activity millions of years ago. The soils on the mountain slopes are rich in granite, overlaid with loose loam and fine, mineral-rich volcanic debris, plus a quantity of limestone. The high porosity of these rock types (except the granite, of course) provides excellent drainage, but also sufficient humidity retention to allow the vines to survive during drier periods.
The area of land under vine in the Davis Mountains amounts to less than 100 acres and currently the only producer making wines in the appellation is the Pleasant Hill Winery, which is based in eastern Texas. The majority of wine produced here is consumed locally, meaning that only very small quantities of Texas Davis Mountains wine are ever seen outside the state.
Texas Davis Mountains is the highest appellation in Texas and was the most recent to be designated as an AVA, in 1999.
