As election day approaches, both the top-ranked candidates and the bottom-ranked candidates are putting in their last efforts to appeal to voters. CBS News Texas tracks polls and continues to cover political events year-round. texas state of mind.
But in the end it’s the people who matter and the people who decide what happens. To better understand what voters in the Lone Star State are thinking about when they cast their ballots, reporter Jason Allen and a CBS News Texas reporting team spent the weeks leading up to the election traveling the state. He said the following: For people from the Chihuahuan Desert to the Piney Woods.
last week, Jason traveled to the Rio Grande Valley. This week we take a leisurely trip to some wineries in the Hill Country of central Texas.
HILL COUNTRY – When Chris Brundrett co-founded William Chris Vineyards in 2008, he just wanted to grow good grapes. Currently, he employs 136 people.
His winery is one of more than 100 in the region that contribute to the state’s $20 billion industry.
“When I first started, all I cared about was having a great place for people to work and make some of the best wine in the world,” Brundrett said. ”
Brundrett is one of the area’s winery owners and is focused on sustainable growth of his business and industry. David Kuhlken of Pedernales Cellars is one of them. He co-founded the winery in 2005 and is currently trying to figure out what future business growth will look like.
“To take the next step, we need to convince a broader range of consumers, not just in Texas, but ideally in other regions as well. This is worth checking out,” Kuhlken said.
The challenge will be expanding the business enough to produce bottles at competitive prices, Kuhlken said.
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Ken Cook, publisher of the Fredericksburg Standard Radio Post, said nearby wineries contribute to Fredericksburg’s positive economy.
“Fredericksburg is a little bit of an anomaly for a small town in Texas,” Cook said. “A lot of them are really struggling, but Fredericksburg isn’t.”
But while Cook said the town is isolated from a lot of things that happen in larger cities, there’s at least one thing Fredericksburg isn’t isolated from. That’s an increase in costs.
“Home prices here are closer to Austin and San Antonio, which are larger markets,” he said.
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“This has become even more of a tourist town than before, and the economic situation of the town has changed,” Kuhlken said. “Land is more expensive, housing is more expensive, and the cost of doing business is more expensive.”
In recent years, Kuhlken and Brandlett have partnered with Colleen Miles, a cultural geographer at Texas State University, to help businesses grow in environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable ways.
Miles said the goal is to study how the wine industry has changed the region and develop a plan to ensure the changes are positive.
“How much of the change is due to fermentation, and the wine itself is a driving force in how people see this place, how people spend their money here, and who lives here.” said Miles. “If you try to put some intention into it, or at least try to embody your values and intentions into your growth and change, then hopefully you’ll create the most desirable outcomes for the most people.” .”
For Kuhlken and Brundrett, this project means working to ensure they can continue making wine in the Texas Hill Country for years to come.
“We want to leave the world a better place than when we found it,” Brundrett said.
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This article is one of several CBS News Texas releases in the weeks leading up to the election. The state of mind in Texas. We asked everyone we met on our travels what their must-have song is on a road trip. Below is a playlist of those recommendations.
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