One Texan’s Journey From Earth to Grape to Glass: Learning More About Reddy Vineyards

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It was a natural progression for Dr. Vijay Reddy to take his soil chemistry and farming background and parlay it to a grape grower and then a wine maker with the launch of Reddy Vineyards.

Reddy is a fifth-generation farmer who has a background in soil chemistry and farming produce and grain, first in South India and then cotton and peanuts in the High Plans in West Texas.  He came to the U.S. in 1971 to pursue a graduate degree in soil and plant science and obtained a doctorate in 1975.  Along with his wife Subada, Dr. Reddy established and ran a soil consulting laboratory while continuing to farm.

In 1997, his local friends Neil Newsom and Bobby Cox, talked him into planting 5 acres of grapes.  He knew he had the right sandy loam soils with limestone and an elevation at 3,305 feet.  His experiment paid off with the expansion of this vineyard to more than 200 acres and wineries buying more than 32 grape varieties.  Reddy Vineyards has been recognized as a leading source of premium grapes by wine producers now for more than 20 years and is considered a pioneer in the Texas Wine industry due to their willingness to experiment with different grapes.

Eric Sigmund, Chief Operating Officer, CS and CSW

I had the chance to sit down with Eric Sigmund, the Chief Operating Officer of Reddy Vineyards, at Urbano a few weeks ago to taste through the estate wines of Reddy Vineyards.  Eric has a fascinating background of being a former lawyer who realized that he had a love of wine and decided to go back and pursue his passion. He also holds the Certified Sommelier and Certified Specialist of Wine titles.  He originally wasn’t looking to join a Texas winery and actually was working as a French buyer for Total Wine, but loved the fact that Reddy Vineyards had their own grapes, was a pioneer in the Texas wine industry and shared Dr. Reddy’s vision of where Texas wine can be on the international wine stage.

 

 

We tasted through several wines, which featured one white and four reds and were very different stylistically with very small production:

  • 2017 Reddy Vineyards Marsanne – this wine had such a great floral nose with a nice acidity.  I tasted notes of peach, jasmine, citrus and pear.
  • 2015 Reddy Vineyards Field Blend – this wine is named after a circle block in the middle of the vineyard and is made of different grapes harvested together. Lots of red fruit in this wine including cranberry and cherries.  I also tasted Fig Newtons, caramel and oak.
  • 2017 Reddy Vineyards Field Blend – this was the same wine, but it was richer and more structured.  I tasted black fruit, herbs and menthol and still got the dried fig, caramel and oak.
  • 2017 Reddy Vineyards TNT Red Blend – the label is the color of soil in the vineyard and this is a blend of Spanish varietals – 75 percent Tempranillo and 25 percent Touriga Nacional.  I tasted cherry, blackberry, spice, violet and herbs. It’s a very powerful wine.
  • 2017 Reddy Vineyards The Dyer – this is a French inspired blend with 51 percent Alicante Bouschet and 49 percent of Merlot. Such an unexpected Texas wine, but it’s soft with floral notes, red and black fruits, eucalyptus, vanilla and cassis.

It is clear that Reddy’s vision for Texas wine came a reality for many winemakers long before the launch of his wines. Based on tasting his single estate wines, he is well on his way to expanding his pioneering role in Texas wines.

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