Wine enthusiasts may know the treasure trove of wine-making history located in Denison TX, but if you don't know about it yet, you may very well be on the edge of a fascinating discovery.
First of all, you'll want to check out the all the activities posted for Denison TX during the last weekend of April 2013. There are plenty to choice from, especially if you're interested in local wines and the history behind them.
On Friday April 26th, a Wine Trail bus tour will be available until all seats are sold. Tickets are only $35 and include transportation, a meal, and wine tastings at three wineries. A local vineyard and the home of T.V. Munson will also be on the tour led by Dr. Justin Scheiner, Professor of Enology and Viticulture at Grayson. It is expected to last from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Contact Donna Dow, Main Street Director, at 903-465-1551 to inquire about tickets for the Wine Trail bus tour of wineries.
Vinita is the name of the former home, now a museum, of T.V. Munson. It is located at 530 W. Hanna in Denison and will be open for free tours on Saturday from 10-2 p.m. The book "Grape Man of Texas: The Life of T.V. Munson," by McLeRoy and Renfro, describes his colorful life in the 1800s. It will be on sale, as will grape vines from T.V.'s collection, all available during the Denison Arts Council's Art Walk & Heritage Celebration on Saturday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. as well as the home tours.
But, what's the big deal anyway? Why is this man Munson so revered in the winemaking industry?
Thomas Volney Munson first tried his hand at horticulture in Nebraska about 1873 when he sought to improve various species of grapes native to the United States. He was developing new grape varieties by cross pollination and hybridization until his experiments were destroyed by the harsh Midwest winters and an invasion of locusts. So, he packed up and moved to Denison TX in 1876, where his brothers were living.
Fortunately, Texas proved more favorable than Nebraska for cultivating and hybridizing grapes. Munson resumed his experiments and became famous for collecting and cataloging them. His experiments with native rootstock collected from wild Mustang grapevines in Ingleside TX have contributed enduring value to domestic wine production.
In fact, his work provided European grape growers with disease-resistant rootstocks, allowing them to recover from a devastating botanical epidemic in the late 1800s. Munson's contributions to the French wine industry earned him several awards from the government of France, and Cognac, France, was declared the "sister city" to Munson's home city of Denison TX.
And his classic book on viticulture (wine grape cultivation), Foundations of American Grape Culture, was published in 1909, and is still in use today.
Get a taste (literally) of T.V. Munson's life work in Denison during the last weekend of April 2013.