COMMISSIONER MILLER ANNOUNCES THE TEXAS WINE INDUSTRY JOINS ‘COME OVER OCTOBER’ (8/19/2024)

Celebrate Texas Wine Month with community, conversation, and Texas wine

AUSTIN – Today, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) invite everyone to raise a glass in honor of Texas Wine Month this October and participate in the global Come Over October campaign. With around 500 wineries spread across the Lone Star State, there's no better time to enjoy and share Texas wine with family and friends. Whether visiting your favorite local winery or hosting a gathering at home, join us in celebrating the rich flavors, friendships, and sense of community that Texas wine brings to the table.

“The Texas wine industry is woven into our state’s culture, mixing our proud agricultural roots with the bold, lively spirit of our local winemakers,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “With the wine industry contributing more than $20 billion to our state’s economy, it’s clear that wine and grapes create a powerful connection between rural and urban communities. From the Hill Country to the High Plains, our wineries serve up big flavors and even bigger welcomes, making every visit a chance to build friendships and create memories that last a lifetime.”

Spearheaded by the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Uncork Texas Wines program, the Texas “Come On Over Y’all” initiative is supported by the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, Texas Hill Country Wineries, Texas Wine Growers, and Texas Fine Wine. The collective group and its wineries and vineyards will promote the Come Over October campaign as part of Texas Wine Month and celebrate the role of wine in community, culture, and lifestyle.

“We all know that good company, good conversation, laughter, and conviviality contribute to an enhanced lifestyle,” says Karen MacNeil, wine authority, author of The Wine Bible, and Come Over October organizer.

Texans are encouraged to pick up a bottle of their favorite Texas wine and invite friends to ‘come on over y’all’ to their homes. They can share photos of their gatherings on social media with the hashtags #ComeOverOctober and #ComeOnOverYall. They can also plan visits to Texas wineries and share photos of their gatherings with hashtags on social media. Winners will be selected randomly to win prizes throughout October.

More details about special winery tastings and promotions throughout October will be available soon.

About Come Over October

 Come Over October is an international campaign during the month of October encouraging wine drinkers to invite friends, colleagues, neighbors, and family to “come over” to a home, a restaurant, a winery, or wherever people gather to share some wine, friendship, and goodwill. The campaign’s message leans fully into moderation, and some may choose to participate in non-alcoholic wine. Come Over October honors wine’s 9,000-year history as a communal beverage that brings people together. As an agricultural product consumed within the company of others and most often with food, wine has played a positive role in society and culture.

The first international Come Over October campaign will take place in October 2024. The campaign will be annual. The idea for Come Over October was conceived in the Spring of 2024 by journalist Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible. MacNeil shared the idea with two friends—Kimberly Noelle Charles and Gino Colangelo—who are marketing and public relations specialists who own their own communications companies. Together, the three formed the mission-driven company COME TOGETHER—A Community for Wine. COME TOGETHER’S first campaign is Come Over October.