Specialized Grapes Being Grown In West TN
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West Tennessee may not be Napa Valley, but we do have our own fair share of vineyards and wineries. We may also have the right climate for growing a classic Mediterranean grape. Tucked away outside of Humboldt, the Crown Winery vineyards hold an ancient variety of an Italian grape, often seen in Tuscany, but rarely in the South. “The Sangiovese grape is actually a vinifera. And vinifera is not commonly grown here in the South,” said Crown Winery owner, Peter Howard. “We grow French-American hybrids, typically. And there’s not anything wrong with the hybrids, but the hybrids were developed for the diseases and humidity and a lot of the issues we have in the South.” But without any alteration, the Sangiovese has flourished in the West Tennessee weather. “For whatever reason, we seem to be getting back into more of the old Tennessee pattern of hot summers,” said Howard. “And that probably more represents the Tuscany and the Italian climate.” And like the ancient Romans, Howard is producing wine from the grapes. “The Romans used to stoke up on this stuff and go out and create their empire,” said Howard. “I mean, I’m sure it added a lot of fuel to their fighting.” Howard says he originally planted a small Sangiovese crop in 2009 as more of an experiment, but after his first harvest’s success, he decided to expand to 3.5 acres. “It’s always nice to kind of go out on a little bit of a limb and see what happens,” said Howard. “This is something you learn. Everything in this growing grapes in Tennessee is – there’s guidelines but there’s no rule book. You kind of have to make your own rules.” Rules that have so far worked out. “If you come back and interview me in five years, I may say it was a disaster because not everything works,” said Howard. “But right now, we think this climate is good.” Howard’s harvested Sangiovese is currently aging in the barrel, but may be ready to bottle later this year.
