Bar Z Wines

Bar Z Wines
19290 FM 1541
Canyon, Texas
USA 79015
Phone: 806.488.2214
http://www.barzwines.com/

Contact: Perry Dixon
Email: [email protected]

Once just the dream of a Panhandle native and his wife, the contemporary, state-of-the-art Bar Z Winery is now a beautiful reality. Featuring Texas wines made from Texas grapes, Bar Z is the result of careful planning and thoughtful design.

The relaxing ambiance, coupled with the delectable BarZ Wines, make Bar Z winery a unique location specializing in corporate events, board meetings, catered dinners, parties or any event that calls for a touch of sophistication. From cozy nooks for intimate tastings to a spacious room with a glorious view of the canyon, Bar Z offers the perfect setting for a captivating experience.

It begins with the grapes.
All Bar Z wines are made with Texas grapes, coming from the Texas High Plains AVA (American Viticultural Area). Once the grapes are crushed, Bar Z uses the time-honored method of fermentation. This is called hand cap management. This involves pushing the solids (skins, seeds and stems) that rise to the top, back down into the juice to get the maximum extraction of color, flavor and aromatic compounds. During active fermentation, this is done many times every day.

When fermentation is complete, the wine is pressed to separate the solids from the wine. This is where we begin to let gravity and time do their part. The solids that cause wine to be cloudy or hazy, settle to the bottom of the tanks during storage (gravity). The wine is pumped off of the settling solids and into a clean tank. This process is repeated until the wine is completely clarified. This process is called, racking.

It is now ready for French Oak barrels where it will rest and age until it is ready for bottling (time). The time it takes is not set by a calendar, but by the wine itself. It takes longer to make our wines, but this hands-on process yields wines that have an Old World style and quality.

Those who may have tried a Texas wine 20 - or even 10 - years ago and were not happy should know Texas wines have changed! Yes, the industry may still be a child when compared with other wine regions of the world, but it is not in its infancy. Texas wines have evolved. For the most part, they have grown into something of consistent quality and unique character. This is due in large part to having an in-state source of education - both in degree programs and continuing education.

Another factor contributing to success is the experience of the past three decades in growing grapes in Texas. When Texas producers first started out, they had to look at the experiences of growers and winemakers in California, New York, or France. These places have had hundreds - even thousands - of years to find the right spots to cultivate and then fine tune those locations to the right grape.

The Texas High Plains provides great conditions for growing grapes - deep, well-drained soil, low humidity, warm daytime temperatures and high altitude, which gives us cool nights.

We can’t forget about the other side of our weather being a factor. Texas has lost some growers and vineyards along the way. Today, some of the early growers are left because they learned and adapted to our conditions, manipulating and changing things like pruning methods and irrigation schedules.

We also have next generation growers, fresh to the business and others right behind them who can build on current experience, taking Texas grapes and wines to the next level.

Winemaker: Monte Dixon

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