Cotton Farmers to Grape Growers

After a rough year for cotton farmers some have found grapes to be the alternative money maker.

"This is a perfect area to grow grapes because of the water shortages," said Cathy Bodenstedt, "a lot of the cotton farmers are moving over to grapes because of that particular issue."

            Including 4th generation farmer Cliff Bingham, whose family has been farming cotton for 100 years.

"Grapes don't use any more water than cotton per acre, but you get a whole lot more profit potential per acre," said Bingham.

            Cotton farming for the Binghams has now turned into the Bingham Family Vineyards.         

"We work hard and we play hard and we love what we do."

             Bingham said he can make the same profit growing grapes while using 20 times less water.

            In addition to grapes being a more efficient way to use his resources, he said this area is an ideal place to grow.

"Cooler nights help the maturing of the grapes at a right pace."

            Cathy Bodenstedt owns Caprock Winery and she agrees.

"It's dry, grapes don't like a lot of moisture," she said, "if they get too much water it actually dilutes the sugars in the grape and the taste isn't going to come through as well."

            Bingham said harvesting is going to be challenging this year because they have nearly twice as many ton than they ever have before.

            Both said this year is great for South Plains grape growers, but last year was a different story.

"You can get between 3 to 8 tons per acres, and there was some that couldn't even get 200 pounds of an acre," said Bodenstedt.

"This year seems to be almost the perfect storm, we've had good weather, we're not too much, not too little."

            Bodenstedt said the grape growers of West Texas are becoming more advanced in the business.

"Compare it to California wines, we're getting there, Texas is getting there."