We are Growing the with Wine Industry in Southern Nevada
Syrah Vines at Sunrise in North Las Vegas” />
We recently had a great morning harvesting Nevada-grown Syrah grapes at sunrise in North Las Vegas. The Nevada vineyards are located at the cooperative Research Center and Demonstration Orchard. Most local Las Vegas residents have no idea that wine grapes can & do grow in our valley. The cooperative’s vines yielded approximately enough Syrah grapes for a full barrel. There were almost enough Colombard grapes harvested for another barrel. The vines each are 4 years old now & fruit production increased greatly from prior years. This is due to both the maturity of the vines & the favorable, wet, cool spring the valley enjoyed.
Increased Demand for Local Produce
In addition to the Syrah & Colombard vines at the research site, there are dozens of other varietals of grapevines planted to test how they grow & perform. The program is a water conservation and agriculture research program in partnership with UNLV & UNR, but the grapevines also receive support from UC Davis. Ultimately, what is learned will benefit farmers who decide to convert fields from higher water-consuming crops such as alfalfa to grapevines. There is a growing commercial demand for Nevada-grown fruits. Wine laws in Nevada dictate that at least 25% of wines produced in local winery use local fruits.
Grape Expectations & Vegas Valley Winery supports & benefits from this great program. This community resource is available for you to enjoy, too. You may tour, take classes and even buy fresh local-grown produce. Plums and peaches were abundant and ready to buy at the time of our visit, but check what’s available now. Located at 4600 Horse Drive in North Las Vegas, check out the program on their website.
You Can Make Wine with Us
We’re grateful for this program supporting local agriculture because it’s helping us produce wonderful 100% Nevada wines for our Vegas Valley Winery line of wines. As for Grape Expectations, we will still (for now) be importing California Grapes for our fall winemaking & Chilean & South African grapes for spring winemaking. Thousands of local residents join us to make wine because it is a fun, unique experience. Sign-ups for both seasons may be completed online now. Just click MAKE WINE from our homepage. You may also enjoy a tour of the winery and learn more when you visit us. We are open 7-days a week. See hours of operation at vegasvalleywinery.com.
