The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting | Wine writing competition

Frozen wine in Texas

Ice-covered porch in Texas

California has always supplied many American states with bulk wine. This year there is likely to be considerable demand from the Lone Star State.

It’s being called by some ‘the St Valentine’s day massacre’. Starting on 9 February, a cold front descended on the state of Texas, bringing with it temperatures as low as -12 °F (-24 °C) and up to nine inches of snow and ice in some places. Average February temperatures in Austin, Texas, normally hover between 34 °F and 40 °F (1–4 °C). Instead, I was watching videos of friends snowboarding in their backyards.

Of course, that was only...

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