One of Texas’s best surprises is that it doesn’t just produce wine; it produces good wine. Award-winning wine. The kind of wine the rest of the nation is starting to notice.
Frequently featured in “Wine Enthusiast” as a viticulture region to watch, Texas has been ranked the third-best wine region in the nation by USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards, and CBS News ranked it the second-most-visited U.S. wine region after Napa Valley.
To say Texas is keeping good company is an understatement, and you can find some of the state’s best wineries in the Texas Hill Country.
While 70-80% of the state’s grapes come from the High Plains of West Texas, those grapes become bliss in a bottle when they arrive in Texas Hill Country. Winemakers at over 100 wineries in this area use a creative blend of art and science to finesse the best flavors from the grapes and produce wines that will make any Texan proud.
And plenty of varietals grow great right here in the Hill Country region, where the climate and soil mimic what you’ll find in various regions of Spain and Italy. A Texas Tempranillo, for instance, is an absolute thing of beauty, not just in the bottle, but on the tongue.
What makes Hill Country even more attractive is the proximity of wineries and vineyards all within a short drive of one another. In Fredericksburg alone, you’ll find about 50 wineries on a stretch of Highway 290 that rivals Napa’s California State Route 29—and wine in the Lone Star State is considerably more affordable and less fussy.
Ready to taste the magic yourself? Fall is the perfect time for a Texas Hill Country road trip, where festivals abound, so buckle up and follow us into a fabulous wine country adventure.
Duchman Family Winery
Location: 13308 FM 150 West, Driftwood
I’ll never forget the first time I pulled up to Duchman Family Winery. It was straight out of an Italian postcard, complete with a Mediterranean-style villa housing five tasting stations.
Duchman sources its Sangiovese grapes from West Texas, then blends them into Italian wines like Montepulciano and Aglianico. Poured as an accompaniment to house-made pizza and appetizers that change seasonally, the Italian vintages are just what Michelangelo ordered.
The winery grounds will draw you outside for a little picnic sippin’, and fall is what this estate was made for, so eat, drink, and be merry.
Torr Na Lochs
Location: 7055 W. State Hwy. 29, Burnet
If you missed this winery stop during Texas Wine Month in October, take heart. Torr Na Lochs has been a staple of the Texas Hill Country wine scene for a while now, and you won’t find a better view anywhere else in this region.
I would tell you to come here solely for the experience—a curving, outdoor tasting area perched on a hilltop and filled with cozy tables. All have unobstructed views of the stunning Hill Country landscape, but don’t let that distract you from Torr Na Lochs’ truly excellent wine.
From the Roussanne to the Malbec, the wines here will please the die-hard red wine drinkers and the “I love a chilled white” drinkers, all at one table. And did I mention the views? They’re made all the more beautiful as fall works its magic in Hill Country.
Perissos Vineyard and Winery
Location: 7214 Park Rd. 4 West, Burnet
You’ll know you’ve arrived at Perissos Vineyard and Winery when you spot the building constructed from the quintessential Hill Country yellow stone. It screams Texas, and it houses some of the best wine you’ll find in this state.
The Fall Harvest Release is where you should turn your focus, particularly the award-winning Pape Blanc, a blend of Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne. And definitely check out the 100 percent estate-grown Racker’s Blend, a red wine with so much personality, it deserves its own zip code.
Messina Hof Hill Country Winery
Location: 9996 US-290 E, Fredericksburg, with three other locations in Texas
Texans know this wine—it fills grocery store shelves, shows up at parties, and is a classic that never goes out of style.
Messina Hof Hill Country Winery, with its conical roof and stately presence, feels like a castle that just so happens to serve wine everyone loves. The Hill Country location is one of four wineries hosted by these Texas winemakers, which gives you some idea of how popular their wine is.
If you’re worried that the vintages here might be a bit too commercial, let me put your mind at ease. There may be over 60 wines to choose from, but I’ll save you some time and tell you what not to miss: the Gewürztraminer, if you enjoy a white, and the GSM (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre) if you prefer your wines rich and red.
And make a point of tasting the entire line of Paulo wines. Yes, they’re more expensive, and yes, they are most certainly worth it.
William Chris Vineyards
Two Locations: 10352 U.S. Highway 290, Hye, and 101 E. Main at Adams, Fredericksburg
It didn’t take long for William Chris Vineyards to become one of the most respected names in wine, hence its two locations just 20 miles from one another in Texas Hill Country.
The beauty of that is you can choose your own fall vibe. Stay in downtown Fredericksburg and sip some Cinsault or Cabernet Sauvignon in a historic building with an intimate setting, or head out Highway 290 for sweeping vineyard views.
If you plan to loosen the wallet a bit, this is the place to do it. Sure, the standing-at-the-bar tasting is totally adequate, but why not spring for the seated, 75-minute group tasting (a steal at only $40). Hungry too? Treat yourself to The Chef’s Tasting, where you can enjoy a wine pairing of five vintages and five bites for $95.
Lost Draw
Location: 1686 US-290, Johnson City
For years, my husband and I received regular shipments of wine from Lost Draw, and it all started innocently enough at a Saturday tasting with friends.
Everything was right about it, from the casual outdoor seating to the server who, buoyed by our questions and obvious interest in the wine, delivered way more than our tasting flight promised and gave us a chance to really appreciate what Lost Draw has to offer.
Warning: One taste of the Tempranillo will have you signing up for the Foundation Club, so when you go home, the party will continue with five special releases per year, discounts on wine purchases, and the best part, many excuses to return to the vineyard for wine pickup parties and special events like the annual crawfish boil.
Pedernales Cellars
Location: 2916 Upper Albert Rd., Stonewall
Named after the nearby Pedernales River, which creates sandy soil conditions ideal for growing Texas grapes, Pedernales Cellars is a gorgeous winery and vineyard where you’ll want to carve out some time to hang for a while.
This is the place to take a cellar tour and learn all about how Pedernales crafts its wine. Order a charcuterie board, have your knowledgeable sommelier pour you the award-winning Tempranillo, and then snap some Instagram photos to prove your Saturday is better than anyone else’s.
Save time to stroll the vineyards and enjoy the temperate fall weather. You’ll find plenty more photo ops under vine-covered trellises and ancient oak trees.
Spicewood Vineyards
Location: 1419 County Rd. 409, Spicewood
You gotta love a winery that lets you walk in with both your dog and your own food. Spicewood Vineyards is a chill place to chat with friends, your pup by your side, while sharing a lovely bottle of wine next to the very vineyards that produced it.
If you’re a bit of a wine aficionado, you’ll especially appreciate Spicewood, as they offer some varietals you won’t see elsewhere in these parts. Think Cabernet Claret and Petit Verdot. Estate wines with clever names like Battle of Toro, Good Guy, and Tandem—complete with a two-seater bicycle on the label—keep each tasting light and fun.
You really can’t go wrong spending your fall in Texas Hill Country and making your way to the wide selection of wineries, tasting rooms, and vineyards that remind you never to count Texas out of anything.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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