Grape Man of Texas

Next time you raise a glass of fine wine or cognac to your lips stop and thank . . . a Texan. Grape Man of Texas is the first biography of Thomas Volney Munson (1843-1913) the internationally recognized horticulturist who developed over 300 new varieties of grapes some of which are still grown today on almost every continent. He is perhaps best known for his work in fighting the phylloxera epidemic of the late nineteenth century which nearly destroyed the world s vineyards. His solution grafting vinifera onto certain resistant native rootstocks from Texas earned him the Chevalier du Merite Agricole in the French Legion of Honor and numerous accolades.