Wine Online

Libations of choice for many could become Texas wines with a new online course. Shakespeare's words can be applied to the Texas wine industry, as he wrote, "Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well-used." Tim Dodd, Ph.D., director of the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute at Texas Tech University, is fermenting years of research into a new online course that hopefully will be well-used, making Texas wine increasingly valued in a competitive market.

The institute was established in 1988, as part of the Department of Education, Nutrition and Restaurant/Hotel Management in the College of Human Sciences. "The mission of the institute is to foster the economic development and growth of the Texas wine and wine grape industry," explained Dodd. "The Texas Wine Ambassador online course is the next step to make our research available to the public as well as to our students who are interested in the food and beverage industry."

In the past seven years, the institute surveyed numerous Texas wine consumers and found that they were buying wine from other parts of the country and world because of the lack of knowledge about Texas wine, explained Dodd. "We want to find a way to educate Texans about the jewels in their own backyard," he said.

As grapevines twist and turn, the institute's researchers make their way through Texas regularly collecting and disseminating information concerning Texas wine and wine grape production, wine sales and wine consumption in Texas. The researches are examining winery tourism, wine sales to restaurants and supermarket sales of Texas wines. "After the research was complete, we found that in 2001 there were approximately 3,300 acres of vineyards and 46 wineries producing more than 1 million gallons of wine in Texas. We are fifth in the United States for the amount of wine produced each year," he said.

Dodd said that Texas has one of the best conditions for growing grapes because of the diverse climates. "Some people wonder why Texas has excellent conditions for grape growing. With different weather conditions all in one state, Texas has the ability to produce a variety of grapes," he said. "Some grapes require humid climates for growth, while others require a dry climate."

As Dodd discovered not only the lack of knowledge of the Texas wine industry but also the abundance of economic advantages to Texas wine, he began looking at different ways to educate Texans. "After presenting the option of an online course, the Texas Department of Agriculture approved a grant for us in January 2002