2024 wine grape harvest comes early with good quality, quantity

Overall, Texas wine grape producers have enjoyed one of their best harvests of the past five years, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.

Grape growers in most areas did face increased pest and disease pressure, and vineyards in multiple regions reported heavy hail damage to fruit and vines. But most growers around the state reported outstanding quality and above-average yields from harvests that started earlier than normal. 

“This has been a good year for most wine grape growers across the state,” said Justin Scheiner, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide viticulture specialist and associate professor in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences, Bryan-College Station. “Mother Nature cooperated with us for the most part this year.”

Expanding Texas wine industry

Despite a good year for grapes, wine sales in general in the U.S. are down.

That drop in consumption, in addition to a high yielding year, translates to some buyers not having the tank space to accommodate as much, especially after 2023 which was also an overall good year for fruit yield.

“Unfortunately, that is a challenge for some growers this year,” said Patrick O’Brien, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension viticulture specialist and assistant professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Lubbock. “If they have nowhere to sell their fruit, they may have no choice but to drop some.”

Just a decade ago, Scheiner said, there were around 200 wineries and 3,000 planted wine grape acres. In 2000, there were only 40 wineries.

Today, Texas has an estimated over 11,000 acres of wine grapes and 800 wineries, he said. The state produces thousands of different wines with 70 different named grape varieties.

AgriLife Extension viticulturists shared their assessments of the 2024 grape harvest across the four main growing regions.

North Texas grapes

For North Texas grape growers, this season was a complete 180-degrees from last year, said Michael Cook, AgriLife Extension viticulture program specialist, Denton.

With fewer days of 100-plus temperatures, a milder summer and enough moisture to avoid drought, North Texas growers were in far better shape than they found themselves in 2023.

“The summer wasn’t too cruel to the vines in most cases, so we even started harvesting whites a little earlier than normal this year and then the reds started a week or two earlier than normal,” Cook said. “The 2024 North Texas vintage will be excellent.”

However, the spring moisture did mean growers had to be on their “A-game” when it came to pest and disease management, he said.

“Those growers that didn’t have a really good management strategy started struggling from the get-go, but most growers were able to manage pests and disease very well,” Cook said.

Hill Country grapes

Early rains also helped vineyards in the Texas Hill Country set a nice crop, Scheiner said, and many locations were able to harvest slightly early.

Disease pressure, including Pierce’s disease, was above normal. Rains later in the season led to some vineyards having a downy mildew fungus problem in the summer as well as black rot. The quality of the Hill Country harvest was exceptional for growers able to mitigate impacts to vines.

Cook said that many growers in the Hill Country are now utilizing hail netting in their canopies, which helped to save some crops.

Crop hail nets are one of the big purchases vineyards in various regions are investing in to protect their crops from extreme weather events.

Gulf Coast grapes

Overall, grape harvests in the Gulf Coast resulted in good quality fruit despite a wet spring.

The humidity and high vegetation of the Gulf Coast region can translate to heavy disease pressure, and this year’s load was greater than 2023, when drought kept fungal diseases and some pests at bay, Scheiner said. The Gulf Coast region also has some heavy clay soils, which can be problematic with too much rain since they can stay wet for months.

Most wine grapes in the Gulf Coast are hot climate varieties that fare well in the Texas heat but can struggle with too much rain or extended cold spells. This year’s weather was ideal for optimum quality and quantity.

“Blanc du bois is a really common grape in the Gulf Coast area because it is well suited to grow in these conditions,” Scheiner said. “Texas is actually the largest producer of blanc du bois to the world.”

After the winter weather of 2021, producers feared they’d lost a high percentage of their blanc du bois vines. That freeze was then followed by two years of drought, adding another stressor to the plants.

Retired AgriLife Extension Gulf Coast region viticulturist Fran Pontasch, who is now growing her own grapes, couldn’t be happier about this year’s harvest in both quality and quantity.

“This year really felt like a victory,” she said. “All those blanc du bois vines we’d been so worried about for years not only came back but produced a ton of fruit.”

High Plains grapes

The High Plains, which accounts for 80%-85% of the state’s wine grape harvest, is nearing harvest completion, O’Brien said. Yields were slightly lower compared to last season, but still above the five-year average for the region.

“This year the fruit set was good, as was the canopy development,” O’Brien said. “As we approach the end of the harvest, I have to say overall the harvest was very good, the quality was very good.”

Hot weather at the end of the season sped up ripening and some producers reported their earliest harvests ever.

Last year was also very good for High Plains grapes with high yields and O’Brien said the yields were high again this year although perhaps a little bit lower yet still higher than the average yield for the last five years.

The relatively mild winter made for minimal cold damage. The season did, however, start with below-average temperatures, which concerned growers. Early season rain also caused some increased weed pressure. There was some high insect pest pressure in some areas, and leafhoppers were a challenge for some growers.

AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:

Central

Hot and dry conditions prevailed over most of the district, with some scattered showers in various areas. Lake and tank levels remained acceptable, and livestock were in good condition. The corn and grain sorghum harvests were winding down, while the cotton harvest began with average to above-average yields reported. Field preparations started for small grains and winter forage planting. Late-season hay baling operations were underway. The peanut crop was nearing maturity, while the pecan crop potential improved. Armyworms were problematic in some areas. Bermuda grass stem maggot was also an issue in areas that received rain.

Rolling Plains

While most counties stayed dry, some of the southeastern counties received a few bands of rain from Hurricane Francine as the system moved inland. Despite the summer heat, most cattle still looked good. Farmers started tilling to prepare for wheat sowing, and a few counties reported some farmers started planting early in hopes of catching favorable rains.

Coastal Bend

Warm, dry weather continued. Topsoil moisture declined. The cotton harvest was completed, though some bales remained on turnrows awaiting transport to gins, which were still processing a large volume of lint. Fieldwork, including stalk chopping, disking and fertilizer application to hay fields, was in full swing. Preparations for winter pastures began, though fewer acres were planted due to good hay supplies and standing grass. Rangeland and pasture conditions were slowly declining. Hay production resumed after a wet spell in some areas, with reports of exceptional yields but reduced quality. Most hay inventories were replenished for winter. Pecan production was expected to be low. Livestock were doing well, with producers working cattle and calf sales underway.

East

Much-needed rain fell across the district, and pasture and rangeland conditions were good. Subsoil and topsoil conditions were adequate. Hay production continued, with producers in some areas already having met their hay supply needs and beginning to stockpile forage for winter grazing. Armyworms remained a problem. Livestock were in fair to good condition. Wild pig control efforts continued.

Southeast

Parts of the district experienced drought and excessive temperatures. Soil moisture levels ranged from very short to adequate. Montgomery, Hardin and San Jacinto counties received some moisture, which benefited growing conditions in forage production around the district. Corn and sorghum harvests were complete, and cotton harvest neared completion. Rangeland and pastures were poor to excellent. Ryegrass was planted, but pastures were showing signs of drought stress. There were reports of fall armyworm damage. Some hay producers started a third cutting, and there was an abundance of round bales and standing pasture for winter. The rice harvest was delayed due to rain and a bottleneck at the commercial dryers but restarted later in the week.

South Plains

The district experienced cooler temperatures after record-breaking heat in August. Farmers were busy cutting corn and sorghum. Cotton bolls started to open. The weather was expected to continue to be hot and dry, which should help the cotton defoliation. Peanuts were close to digging. Cattle were in good condition, and grazing remained plentiful.

Panhandle

Dry weather and heat continued. Wheat planting progressed slowly, with most producers waiting for moisture. The corn harvest was more active, and the soybean and sorghum harvests started. Rangeland and pastures went dormant, and late haying continued. Overall soil moisture was very short to short. Pasture and rangeland conditions were very poor to fair, and overall crop conditions were poor to good.

North

The subsoil and topsoil moisture levels were predominantly adequate, with the rest of the district divided between very short and short soil moisture. There were reports of rain over 4 inches in parts of the district and sporadic rains of up to 1 inch across many counties. Temperatures reached the upper 90s and the vegetation in areas that had not received rain continued to be stressed. The pasture and rangeland conditions were fair and good. Livestock were in good condition. The hay and grain sorghum harvests continued, and most of the summer crops had been harvested. Producers prepared for winter pastures with wheat and grain plantings underway. Armyworms were reported. Additionally, nuisance flies increased due to periodic showers.

Far West

Temperatures climbed back into the mid to upper 90s, which was above normal for this time of year. Cool nighttime temperatures were reported, and recent rains improved soil conditions. Most cotton began to open, but bolls were smaller than desired. Yields were still expected to be higher than the previous year. The corn harvest was completed, and a couple of late-planted sorghum fields were drying down and nearing harvest. Wheat planted before the rains emerged, while wheat planted afterward was expected to shortly. Many farmers were in the fields preparing land for small grains. Cantaloupe and watermelon were slowing down while pecans were growing well. Pasture and rangeland conditions looked better over the past few weeks with more grass growing than at any time this year. Livestock were in fair condition. Beef cattle producers continued fall shipping season and hoped for additional moisture before the end of the growing season.

West Central

Cooler-than-normal temperatures persisted through mid-week. The weather then turned sunny and warm with temperatures rising near or above 100 degrees. There was no rain reported, but warm temperatures allowed some grass growth after the prior rains. Soil conditions improved with the recent moisture, though some cotton was negatively impacted by extreme heat and heavy rainfall. Topsoil began to dry out, but conditions remained suitable for plowing fields and small grain planting for fall and winter grazing. Fall weed control started. Pasture and rangeland conditions improved due to recent rains, with warm-season forages greening up and growing again. Insect pest issues, such as grasshoppers and armyworms, continued. The pecan crop looked promising, though it was still some time from harvest. Livestock conditions benefited from the green grass, helping cattle maintain good condition as they approached the fall and winter months. Stock ponds were in good shape heading into fall.

Southwest

No precipitation was recorded, but earlier rains improved rangeland conditions. Temperatures increased slightly, but not enough to cause heat stress. Sudan grass hay continued to grow and was expected to be ready for a fall cutting soon. The corn and sorghum harvests were complete, and the cotton harvest was underway under excellent conditions. Producers began planting winter wheat into good subsoil moisture. There was some pressure from armyworms. Pecan production looked favorable and was expected to be ready for harvest soon. Overall, soils and crops were still benefiting from the widespread precipitation from the previous week, and river flows increased compared to recent weeks. Livestock markets were slightly up from the previous week. Producers continued to wean calves early, and livestock grazed with minimal supplemental forage. Migratory birds continued to move through the area.

South

Conditions remained favorable due to recent rains, leading to an improvement in overall rangeland and pasture conditions. Most of the district reported rainfall of 0.5–3 inches, while other areas reported no rain. Pastures and rangeland continued to improve in areas that received rain and decline in drier areas. Livestock were in good condition, but some producers with overgrazed pastures were supplementing with hay, cubes and tubs, as well as molasses, protein and mineral. Cattle prices declined due to heavier harvest weights and a large supply. Feed prices remained high at local feed stores. Local ranchers began planning for fall sales of their weaned calves as they prepared for deer season. Irrigated forage was making good quality hay, and producers were optimistic about a possible second or third cutting if they received rain. Hay producers were baling hay, with some applying fertilizer after the previous week’s rain. Pastures looked good with adequate rainfall. Most row crop farmers were busy doing fieldwork. Cotton defoliation started, and early planted cotton was harvested. Peanut crops continued to mature under irrigation and digging was expected to begin in the coming weeks. Bermuda grass hay fields were cut and baled. Sesame harvest started but most fields were still too wet. A few vegetable producers planted cool-season crops, and citrus trees were sprayed. With the cooler temperatures, wildlife became more active and remained in good quantity and decent quality, with strong populations of whitetail deer, quail, and other game for the upcoming hunting seasons.