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Travel the state with the Texas Department of Agriculture's new Winery Passport300 tourists have already redeemed passports and received travel rewards Texas Texas is one of the most popular destinations for wine enthusiasts because of its signature natural beauty, growing culinary scene and more than 160 wineries. To help Texans and tourists document their wine journeys, the Texas Department of Agriculture has created a new Texas Winery Passport that allows people to earn collectible gifts. "The Texas wine country offers a unique travel opportunity," Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said. "Visitors can experience the state's diverse regions, see the vineyards and wineries firsthand, and meet the winemakers who take such pride in their craft. Every operation is a little different--from Tuscan-style tasting rooms to quaint outdoor patios overlooking scenic vineyards--but they all feature Texas hospitality." The Texas Winery Passports are available at all winery-tasting rooms. Each winery has its own "code" that consumers enter in the passport. After visiting four wineries and obtaining their codes, participants can go to www.gotexanwine.org and click on the "Passport Rewards" logo. There, they enter the codes to receive free, commemorative rewards such as wine journals. The passport serves as a record of the wineries visited and includes room for tasting notes. Since the passport was introduced at this year's State Fair of Texas, more than 300 tourists have redeemed their passports and received their rewards. Each year nearly 1 million tourists visit wineries across the state. Texas has six wine trails: the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail in Central Texas, Fredericksburg Wine Road 290 in Central Texas, Way Out Wineries in North Central Texas, Grapevine Wine Trail in Grapevine/North Texas, Munson Wine Trail in North Texas and the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail in Southeast Texas. In addition, many wineries host festivals, vintner dinners, weekend entertainment and seasonal promotions such as holiday events and wine-and-wildflower trips. For a list of upcoming wine events and for more information, visit www.gotexanwine.org. Texas is the fifth-largest wine producing state in the United States. The Texas wine industry contributes nearly $1.35 billion to the Texas economy. 11/24/08 Date: 11/19/08
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