A Pioneer of Texas Wine

McPherson Cellars was created to honor Winemaker Kim McPherson’s father Dr. Clinton “Doc” McPherson, a founder and pioneer of the modern Texas wine industry.

Although Kim McPherson has painted the modern portrait of high-quality winemaking in Texas, his father, Clint “Doc” McPherson, provided all the requisite tools. What started out as experimental vine planting in the 1960s­—at a time when there were virtually none in the entire state—evolved into an extraordinary framework that has since shaped the Texas High Plains landscape today. Doc is, and will always be, recognized as one of the founding fathers of modern Texas wine.

Feeding off the tenacity and vision of his father, Kim completed his enology and viticulture studies at world-renowned UC Davis in the 1970s before heading off to work in Napa Valley. The region was in the midst of a buzzing wine renaissance that would soon reach all corners of the world. Despite being in the epicenter of this bourgeoning wine region, Kim’s heart drifted back to Texas: he wanted the same success for his home state.

Planting to the Land

Few people have the capacity to imagine something that doesn’t exist yet. Dr. Clinton ‘Doc’ McPherson was one of those rare dreamers, a man who looked at the hot, dry flatlands of the Texas plains and pictured a garden. In the late ‘60s, he began planting experimental grapes in Lubbock, testing different varieties for their ability to yield quality fruit in a new environment. The Sangiovese he planted in his Sagmor Vineyard was the first in Texas, and still produces fruit for McPherson’s best known wines. Doc would play a pivotal role in the founding of the Texas High Plains AVA, paving the way for the next generation of Texas winemakers with his abundant humor and irrepressible curiosity. Today, our team is led by winemaker Kim McPherson, Doc’s second son and Assistant Winemaker Spenser Igo. We continue to celebrate the character of the High Plains with each bottling, and honor his pioneering spirit by dreaming big about the future of Texas wine.

The Texas High Plains AVA stretches from Amarillo in the north to the New Mexico border, extending just south of Lubbock. The eastern border of the AVA follows the 3,000ft elevation contour line along the Caprock Escarpment, the steep transitional zone separating the High Plains from the lower plains to the east. Located on a huge high plateau, elevation ranges from 2,800 to 4,000 feet above sea level—most vineyards are on flat terrain between 3,000 feet and 4,000 feet. This positioning provides continental climate of long, hot, dry summers and cool evenings—significant diurnal shifts that aid in retaining grape acidity and ripening. The region is windy and arid, relieving us of the fungal pressures felt elsewhere in Texas. There are 31 soil associations within the AVA, the most prevalent associations are sandy clay loams that are well-suited to grape production—almost all vineyards are own-rooted because of the sandy soils. We feel the higher elevation and semi-continental weather patterns here provide the best growing environment for grape growing in Texas, and source exclusively from the Texas High Plains AVA.

Our estate Sagmor vineyard is located in southeast Lubbock, planted to Sangiovese. We also partner with Terry County growers Lahey Vineyards, Timmons Estate, Farmhouse Vineyards, Castaño Prado Vineyard, Lepard Vineyards, Lost Draw Vineyards, La Pradera Vineyard, Tokio Vineyard, and Steven & Cindy Newsom.