When you receive an invite to head out into the Texas Hill Country to try out a new winery’s tasting room party, we believe the best option is to go! Even during these wild and crazy times, masking up and sufficient social distancing for a day trip can be a great way to get out and explore a bit while continuing to try and support wineries and the wine industry. Topping & Legnon held a tasting party this past weekend at the Mendelbaum Cellars location.

This micro-boutique winery located on 18 acres in Lake Country, California, had Bordeaux style varietals planted with some vines 26 years old when Dana Topping and Rick Legnon, two friends who decided growing award-winning small batch varietals would be a wonderful thing to try. By 2009, they were produced their first vintage and began selling their fermented juice to other larger named labels in the surrounding area. Over the years, they received acclaim for their juice and the quality of their product continued to get better. They finally decided it might be time to break out and try their hand at launching their own premium labeled wine. That became reality in 2012 and they have never looked back since.

The vineyard is organic and incorporates biodynamic practices, and the wines are unfiltered with all the extra flavor bits intact. This winery has produced award-winning wines and I was pleased to have the opportunity to taste the lineup they had available on their tasting menu. The premium wines on the menu included a 2016 Sonoma County Rosé, a 2017 Chiles Valley, Napa Chardonnay, a 2017 Sonoma Mountain Pinot Noir, a 2018 Lake County Malbec Grand Reserve, a 2016 Lake County Syrah, and a 2016 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon. The tasting menu advertised these six wines for $18 for the tasting and in addition that day there were charcuterie and cheese trays that could be purchased to accompany the tasting. Upon seeing that, I ordered this lovely addition to my tasting adventure and once it arrived, I embarked on my exploration thru the lineup.

The 2016 Sonoma County Rosé was bright, crisp, acidic, and featured notes of strawberry and a bit of watermelon. This Rosé was produced from Cabernet Sauvignon and the color was a dusty pink due to the wine being organic and unfiltered. This wine did have a bit of petrol on the nose as well. The second wine sampled was the 2017 Chiles Valley, Napa Chardonnay featuring a light pale-yellow color and minimal oak. The predominant notes were citrusy with lemon and Asian pear. This is another very crisp and clean wine which should appeal to those who do not like a heavily oaked Chardonnay. The oak is ever so slight that is it not readily discernable and it is an easy sipping and enjoyable white.

The 2017 Sonoma Mountain Pinot Noir had a bright raspberry shade with a nose of smoke, herbs, and cranberry. This is a light Pinot featuring cranberry fruit flavors with bright acids and a crispness to this wine as well. Think tart cranberries for this lovely wine featuring fruit grown at 1,500 feet.

The fourth wine sampled was the 2018 Lake County Malbec Grand Reserve which is a big red wine that is unfiltered and is a newer wine for this winery. This red is earthy, smoky, acidic, and still evolving. The deep dark cranberry red colored wine featured earthiness with cranberry and raspberry notes. This wine deserves to be revisited in a year or two to see how it continues to evolve.

The 2016 Lake County Syrah had a very big mouthfeel, with a lusciousness from lots of residual sugar. Think port like Syrah wine that is unfortified and very lovely with blackberry and blueberry notes in this fruit-forward beauty. This wine can serve as a nice dessert pairing wine or serve as dessert on its own as an easy sipping after dinner Syrah—one of my favorites on the menu.

This was followed by the 2016 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon which was blended with 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cab Franc, and 9% Malbec. This stunning red was well balanced and heavy on blackberry and currant notes with a hint of mocha. This bottle featured good acids and tannins and a lovely long finish. This award-winning wine was another favorite in the lineup.

In addition to the standard six wines featured on the menu, the 2016 Cab Franc was sampled which was a blend of 82% Cab Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Malbec. This blood red colored wine was a harmonious blend of the three varietals and had an herbaceous nose with lovely fruit for this gold medal award winning wine.

The final wine sampled was truly unique. The 2015 Fire on the Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was a wine created from fruit that was initially impacted by Napa, California fires but a reverse osmosis process was used to help save the wine and, in the end, helped create a truly unique and lovely bottle. The wine does feature some smokiness but not in a bad way. This wine has a hint of vanilla with blackberry fruit and moderate acids and strong tannins for a super long smoky finish. The artwork on this bottle is lovely as well and was created by one of the owners.

Taylor Topping and Andrew James Johnson

The tasting experience with Taylor Topping, her husband Andrew James Johnson, and the rest of the tasting room team was outstanding. She is the Head Sommelier and Accounts Manager for the winery and her father was one of the founders. The energy in the tasting room was very upbeat, and featured music and a very friendly and helpful team of staff ready and willing to assist customers with any questions. There are far more wines that this winery has on their website and available for purchase in the tasting room. The wines all demonstrate how great wine can be crafted organically to allow fruit to shine without added chemicals in the vineyard. If you get a chance to try their wares, you should!

Recently a friend sent me a link to an article about Spanish wine grape varieties¹ that prompted me to think about these grapes, native to the hot, arid Mediterranean regions of Europe, and the success several are enjoying in the Lone Star State. Most of the varieties mentioned in this article are now planted in Texas, and it seemed like a fun challenge to use CLIMATE, in Spain where they are most common and in Texas where these grapes grow well, as a way to connect these varieties. So, a second set of reference sources² was needed to develop the climate part of the story. Of course, all of this information on grapes and climate is available to anyone with the time and inclination to look it up on various websites, but perhaps this collected summary will make things simpler for Carl’s Corner/Texas Wine Lover readers.

The article by Madeline Puckette¹ focused on seven Spanish-origin grape varieties, besides Tempranillo. Most of us are well-aware of Tempranillo, the key grape in Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions of Spain. Tempranillo is widely planted and produces delicious Texas wines, but this summary will follow the lead in the quoted article and focus on the following non-Tempranillo grape varieties:

• Macabeo (aka Viura) – key grape (often blended with Parellada and Xarello) used to produce Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine, primarily in the northeastern region of Penedes
• Albariño and Godello – primary white grapes/wines from northwestern Spain
• Viura (aka Macabeo) – key grape in white Rioja wines, sometimes blended with Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca
• Prieto Picudo – dark, richly flavored grape common in the Castilla y Leon region northwest of Madrid
• Garnacha (aka Grenache) – grown all over Spain, but especially in the hot, arid eastern Mediterranean regions of Calatayud and Priorat
• Monastrell (aka Mourvèdre, also called Mataro) – most commonly grown in the hot, southeastern Mediterranean-influenced regions of Valencia and Murcia

When Texans began to plant grapes and learn to make wine, consideration was given to grape varieties that developed and grow well in other regions of the wine world with similar climates. Texas has a wide range of climates in which different grape varieties can either flourish or flounder, so grape variety selection is important. Grapes that may grow and produce well in hot, arid regions may not do so well in more humid, wet regions. Average weather patterns during the growing and harvest season, diurnal temperature variations, and water/rain availability are key contributors to a particular climate, and the same is true in all wine regions, Spain and Texas. So, considering climate characteristics in Spain and Texas provides an interesting look at why and where various Spanish-origin grape varieties do well or not so well.

While reading through this article, it may be helpful to refer to a map of Spanish wine regions. This is a link to one that I found particularly helpful, and a good map of Texas highlighting the primary grape-growing regions and specified AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas) can be found via the following link. Also, a quite comprehensive listing of Texas wineries developed by Jeff Cope is found on his Texas Wine Lover website.

Sparkling wines provide a good starting point. Cava is produced in Spain primarily in the northeastern, Mediterranean-influenced region of Penedes from the grape varieties Macabeo (aka Viura), Parellada, and Xarello. A key factor in producing good quality sparkling wines is acidity, the component that makes your mouth water and the wine go so well with most foods. Grapes like these that can provide good acidity are great candidates for making sparkling wine. I am not aware of Texas plantings, certainly not any extensive ones, of the above Spanish varieties, but that might change given the popularity of sparkling wines in Texas tasting rooms (especially with bachelorette, or “bridal posse” groups).

The grape that most often comes to mind for Texas sparkling wine is Chenin Blanc, a native of France’s Loire Valley. Chenin Blanc grows well in the hot, dry Central Valley of California and has a solid history of success in Texas High Plains vineyards. Some of the earliest vineyard plantings in Texas, such as Martin Vineyards and Pheasant Ridge, included Chenin Blanc. A terrific Texas sparkling wine made from Chenin Blanc with which I am familiar comes from veteran winemaker Kim McPherson of McPherson Cellars in Lubbock. This wine has great acidity yet finishes with a subtle smoothness. Because of the heat in Texas, many grapes tend to lose a large portion of their natural acidity before harvest, but Chenin Blanc seems to hold acidity better than most. Thus, this is a great choice for making Texas sparkling wine.

Now, if one could argue for plantings of Macabeo (aka Viura), Parellada, and Xarello in Texas, that argument would certainly include options in the warm, arid Texas High Plains where climate characteristics match parts of Spain’s Penedes region where most Cava is produced. Penedes, a sub-zone of the far northeastern Cataluna (Catalonia) region, surrounding the major city of Barcelona, is classified as having a warm-summer continental climate, and many of the vineyards there are planted on foothills leading up the Pyranees Mountains reaching elevations as high as 3,000 feet. Warm, dry summers, cold winters, and wide diurnal temperature variations in Penedes sound a lot like conditions found on the Texas High Plains.

One more point on Texas sparkling wines involves the current popularity of Petillant Naturel wines, simply called Pét-Nats. These wines are made using an ancient method of bottling and capping a wine that is almost finished fermenting and allowing fermentation to finish in the bottle. This creates carbon dioxide pressure but leaves sediment from the yeast which can be off-putting to some. These Pét-Nats have a moderate level of carbon dioxide pressure, and are most often considered early drinking wines, sort of like a sparkling rosé. Most winemakers like to use less-than totally ripe grapes to produce Pét-Nats so more natural acidity can be preserved in the finished wine. Further, there have been Pét-Nats made from a wide variety of white and red grapes grown in Texas. One Pét-Nat that I really like is made by Sandy Road Vineyards from a Spanish-origin variety Prieto Picudo (see below). If any of the traditional Cava grapes were available, it would be fun to try Pét-Nats made from them.

Sandy Road Vineyards Prieto Picudo Petillant Naturel 2020 Estate Grown Texas Hill Country

Moving on, Albariño comes next in the lineup. This grape is commonly grown in the far northwestern Spanish regions of Galicia and Rias Baixas, and just south of these areas in northern Portugal where it is called Alvarinho. These regions are near the Atlantic Ocean which can lead to a bit cooler growing climate than other parts of the Iberian Peninsula. Albariño wines tend to be lighter in body, have citrusy (meyer lemon, mandarin orange) and lime pith characteristics, and are often enjoyed by those who like Sauvignon Blanc, dry Riesling, and Gruner Veltliner. My favorite comment on Albariño is that the citrus and lime character reminds me of the flavor boost you get by squeezing juice from a lime wedge into a Mexican beer.

It makes sense that much of the Albariño in Texas is grown on the High Plains where cooler nights and greater diurnal temperature variations provide at least some measure of similarity to the climate in Galicia and Rias Baixas, classified as a Galician variant of Oceanic climate. This is similar in some ways to the warmer, drier West Coast regions of the U.S. The closest climate comparison to this in Texas is clearly the high elevation High Plains, that with ample irrigation, can produce good quality Albariño grapes. Some of the vineyards growing Albariño in the Texas High Plains AVA include Oswald Vineyard, Bingham Family Vineyards, Farmhouse Vineyards, Reddy Vineyards, Lost Draw Vineyards, and Lahey Vineyards, all in Terry County. Some delicious Albariño varietal wines available in Texas include McPherson Cellars, Wedding Oak Winery, Pedernales Cellars, Southold Farm + Cellar, Spicewood Vineyards, Eden Hill Winery, Adega Vinho (labeled Alvarinho), and Dry Comal Creek Vineyards.

McPherson Cellars Albariño Texas High Plains

Godello is another grape variety, like those used to make Cava, that does not appear to be included in many, if any, Texas vineyards. This grape produces medium-bodied white wines that can be compared to lighter-styled Chardonnay and richly textured Chenin Blanc. Godello, like Albariño, is grown primarily in the Spanish region of Galicia, especially in the sub-regions of Valdeorras and Bierzo. These areas combine the Galician variant of Oceanic climate with a warm summer Mediterranean-type climate that includes less rain, dry winds, and warmer overall temperatures. It would seem there are several areas in Texas that could grow Godello based on this climate information. Certainly, the Texas High Plains would be a candidate, but even west-central Texas and the Red River Valley areas might be good options for planting Godello.

Godello wines typically offer aromas and flavors of ripe golden apple, soft citrus, yellow plum, and even tropical notes of pineapple. Many of the best wines are aged in oak barrels and take on textures similar to Chardonnay or Roussanne. I, for one, would like to see Godello get a start in Texas.

Viura is another name for Macabeo, the same grape used in producing Cava. Viura is the primary grape variety grown in the famous Spanish region of Rioja for the production of full-bodied white wines. Fermentation is traditionally done in oak barrels, usually American oak, and the wines are aged for some time, both in barrel and in bottle, before release. The characteristics are then similar to oak-treated Chardonnays and Rhône whites like Roussanne and Viognier.

Aromas and flavors found in Rioja Blanca are typically dried fruit, like pear, pineapple, and banana chips. Herbaceous notes of dill, coconut, and tea leaves can be found, along with oak-derived spice flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, and clove. Wines that are aged longer periods in oak barrels can exhibit slightly oxidized notes of toasted hazelnut and almond.

Wow, it sounds like Viura might be a good candidate for creating wines similar to Chardonnay which, at this point, is not all that commonly grown and produced in Texas. The climate in Rioja where Viura flourishes is classified as continental or warm summer Mediterranean. The warm temperatures along with limited rainfall and frequent drying winds would remind one of several parts of Texas. Add in the typically sandy, rocky soil and relatively high elevations in Rioja, and west-central Texas and the Texas High Plains certainly come to mind. Viura is often blended with a bit of Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca. Malvasia is a grape variety that is enjoying significant popularity right now and is being grown in a number of Texas vineyards. Thus, it might be a good option to take advantage of the climate characteristics where Malvasia is grown, and plant Viura as a complementary variety for rich, white wine blends.

Prieto Picudo is a fairly rare red grape variety that produces medium-bodied red wines in the large northwestern Spanish region of Castilla y Leon, located northwest of Madrid. Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Toro, and Rueda are sub-regions of Castilla y Leon where mostly red wines are produced, and Tempranillo is the primary grape variety. Prieto Picudo is an indigenous variety that is sometimes blended with Tempranillo. The grape has an unusual spear-tip shape with dark, black skin that can add lots of color to a fermentation or blend. Wines typically offer black cherry fruit along with cocoa, dusty earth, and spicy black pepper notes. The grapes, even in very warm conditions, tend to retain their natural acidity which would be a good thing for Texas.

The climate in Rioja, located in the northeast portion of Castilla y Leon, was discussed above. Prieto Picudo is most commonly grown in more southerly areas where temperatures are often warmer, and rainfall is even less. The climate is still classified as continental or warm summer Mediterranean. The warm temperatures along with limited rainfall, frequent drying winds, typically sandy, rocky soil, and relatively high elevations along Spain’s central plateau region bring to mind the geography and climate conditions in west-central Texas and the Texas High Plains.

It turns out that Prieto Picudo has been planted in the Texas Hill Country at Sandy Road Vineyards located north of US-290 and the Pedernales River near the town of Hye. The first vintage (2^nd leaf) was used to produce a delicious, richly colored Pét-Nat (noted above). The future goal appears to be big, Spanish-style red blends using Prieto Picudo to enhance Tempranillo and Mencia, another little-known but fascinating Spanish variety that is also planted in Sandy Road Vineyards. Time will tell whether this bold experiment with Prieto Picudo will pay dividends, but based on climate characteristics and talented winemaking, it certainly seems like a good bet.

Sandy Road Vineyards with plantings of Prieto Picudo, Mencia, and Tempranillo, as seen from the “Treehouse Tasting Room”

Garnacha is a very important grape all along the southern European areas of Spain and France that are influenced by the Mediterranean. In France, especially the Rhône Valley, this variety is known as Grenache. This is also the name most widely used in Texas and the rest of the U.S. Garnacha most likely originated in Spain and spread eastward into France. The grape produces medium-bodied red wines and is most often included in blends with other Mediterranean grape varieties, like Syrah, Mourvèdre or Monastrell (see below), Carignan, Cinsault, etc. Garnacha or Grenache represents the “G” in popular “GSM” blends.

Ron Yates GSM Red Wine Blend 2017 Texas (Grenache, Syrah, & Mourvèdre)

Garnacha is widely grown across Spain, but the primary regions of interest are Calatayud, Cataluna (Catalonia), Campo de Borja, and further south, Valencia, all located on or near the eastern Mediterranean coast. Some of the very best Garnacha wines originate in the small appellation of Priorat located in southern Catalonia where vineyards are planted on river valley slopes at elevations of 1,000-2,400 feet. Being somewhat inland from the Mediterranean, the climate is classified as a mix of continental and warm, semi-arid Mediterranean. Summers are long and hot, there is very little rainfall, and the soils are typically rocky. Winters can be harsh with high winds, and this can cause problems with winter vine damage and spring frost episodes. Sound like the Texas High Plains and west Central Texas? Plantings of Garnacha are also seen in Texas Hill Country vineyards.

When grown with limited yields, Garnacha makes wines with jammy black fruit aromas and flavors (blackberry, boysenberry, black cherry). If aged in oak barrels or tanks, notes of smoke, chocolate, and black pepper can be found. These characteristics are similar to rich Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and are found commonly in quality Côtes du Rhône wines that are blends usually containing lots of Grenache.

A surprise for me is that Garnacha grown in Texas tends to be lighter in body and color than expected when compared to many European versions, in spite of the fact that Texas seems to offer the heat and arid conditions needed grow good Garnacha. Several growers and winemakers have suggested that this may not be the result of Texas climate or soil type, but rather a non-optimized clonal selection of the vines planted. This issue will likely improve over the next decade as new vines are planted. But, for now, the best solution seems to be blending with darker, richer grape varieties.

Monastrell is the last of the grape varieties to be discussed here. This amazing variety, a.k.a. Mourvèdre and Mataro, typically produces dark, rich wines with red-black color and black and red fruit aromas and flavors, including chocolate covered cherries, black plums, blueberries, and mulberries. A lot of flavor comparisons can be found in Malbec, Shiraz (Syrah), and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The best of these wines can be classified as “big boys,” both in Spain and Texas. Oak aging is relatively common and leads to herbal and meaty aromas that only add to the wine’s “bigness.”

Farmhouse Vineyards Smok & Miroirs N.V. Texas – A blend of 70% 2016 Mourvèdre & 30% 2018 Mourvèdre

Most Monastrell in Spain is grown in the hot, arid central and southeast regions of Valencia and Murcia that border on the Mediterranean. Sub-regions of particular interest include Jumilla, Alicante, and Yecla. It is thought that the French adaptation of the name to Mourvèdre came from the area of Murviedro located in southern Valencia, where the grape is grown extensively. These areas have climates classified as Hot Summer Typical Mediterranean where summers are quite hot, winters are mild, and most of what little precipitation that does fall comes in autumn. Now we begin to think about the lower elevation, really hot areas of Texas, like the Texas Hill Country, central West Texas, and the western Permian Basin region. It seems that a lot of Monastrell, or Mourvèdre as we call it in Texas, is already planted in these regions.

Madeline Puckette writes in her article, “If you’re mostly a “New World” wine drinker, but want to start exploring European wines, Spain presents a clear bridge into the old world. The sun-kissed Mediterranean climate that influences most of the country gives many of the wines a juicy, fruit-forward flavor profile, while also containing the significant savory flavors that European wines are famous for.” However, if you are a Texan, you will want to focus on the delicious wines being produced from these Spanish-origin grape varieties right here in the Lone Star State. Buen estado de salud!!

¹7 Spanish Wines (Other Than Tempranillo) Worth Drinking Right Now, Wine Folly, 21-Apr-2016 (Updated 01-Feb-2021), by Madeline Puckette, James Beard Award-winning author & Wine Communicator of the Year, co-founder of Wine Folly

²a. Climate of Spain – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Spain
b. The Weather and Climate in Spain – https://www.tripsavvy.com/weather-in-spain-1644274
c. Spain Climate – https://www.britannica.com/place/Spain/Climate
d. The Climate in Spain – https://www.spain.info/en/weather

The most popular wine region in Texas is the Texas Hill Country, and the largest association of wineries in that region is Texas Hill Country Wineries. The association of over 50 wineries hosts multiple wine events where consumers can taste at up to four wineries per day over the course of each event as well as receive exclusive discounts on bottle purchases. The next event is the Wine & Wildflower Journey.

Texas is known for its wildflowers in the spring, so what better way to enjoy the beauty than to sip Texas wine at the same time! The Wine & Wildflower Journey is from March 22nd to April 16th. You can enjoy all twenty-six days on the wine trail or just go one day.

The cost of a Digital Wine & Wildflower Journey Passport ticket is $100 per couple or $65 per individual. The average winery tasting fee is $25 per person making the total value of your passport over $950. If you visit four wineries on the first day, you would have paid for the cost of your passport.

There is a limit to four winery tastings a day with your ticket which allows you to be responsible with your drinking and be safe during the event. There will be 43 wineries participating in the event, so you will have plenty of time in the beautiful Texas Hill Country tasting your favorite wines and getting exclusive discounts.

Go to the Texas Hill Country Wineries website to purchase your Wine & Wildflower Journey ticket today!

John Rivenburgh

John Rivenburgh, winemaker, grape grower, and owner of Kerrville Hills Winery has been elected President of the Texas Hill Country Wineries for the 2021 term. Rivenburgh will devote his presidency to elevating awareness with the Texas Hill Country as a premier wine region with a cohesive marketing program.

The Texas Hill Country has become a top destination for wine tourism in the United States drawing visitors from around the world. Texas wineries are particularly attractive to guests who are drawn by the excellent quality of the region’s wines, the scenic views of the rolling hills studded with wildflowers and majestic oak trees, and the proximity of more than 60 easily accessible wineries making both week-long trips and day trips feasible. The Texas Hill Country Wineries plays an essential role in promoting the development of the member wineries in the Texas Hill Country American Viticulture Area (AVA) by promoting wines produced in the Texas Hill Country and overall awareness of the industry to draw visitors to the region.

“Since our first commercial grapes were planted in Texas more than 50 years ago, we have endeavored to be a globally recognized wine region,” said John Rivenburgh. “We want the world to know what Texans already know, wines made in Texas are amazing. Never has the time been more pertinent than now. With the growth of the industry and advances in both viticulture and winemaking techniques, the Texas Hill Country has never had a better collection of wines produced by original pioneering wineries, classic estates, small family-owned wineries, new energetic craftsman, and the latest vanguard natural wine producers.”

Texas wines have garnered national attention in recent years with wineries winning numerous medals at prestigious international competitions, and prominent wine writers have discovered the region produces excellent quality wines. One recent competition is the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. However, the Texas wine industry has an opportunity to tell its story to a larger audience. Rivenburgh recognizes that other wine regions in the U.S. have formed associations to successfully create a regional wine identity and plans to focus the efforts of the Texas Hill Country Wineries in a similar way.

During Rivenburgh’s presidency, the Texas Hill Country Wineries will initiate a new marketing campaign to better tell the world about Texas wines. A core theme will be to invite visitors to Texas to experience the beautiful landscapes, enjoy the stunning regional cuisine, and meet the fiercely passionate and proud people who grow the grapes, make the wine, and operate wineries.

Having tasted in Texas wineries and tasting rooms since 1995, my wife Phyllis and I get a thrill out of discovering new wineries (and there are more every month), getting caught up in the passion of the winemaker, and learning backstories about the names of wineries and particular bottles.

Two trips to the Texas Hill Country in February 2021 enabled us to add Re:Rooted 210 Urban Winery and Siboney Cellars to our “discovery” list. And these wineries also moved to the top of our “wineries other Texas wine lovers MUST visit!”

Re;Rooted 210 Urban Winery

Re:Rooted 210 is the new downtown San Antonio venture of Jennifer Beckmann, Certified Wine Educator and Level 2 Certified Sommelier, who many know from her previous stints at Perissos Vineyard and Winery, Bending Branch Winery, Kuhlman Cellars, and Slate Mill Wine Collective. Siboney (See-Bo-NAY) is a winery begun by Barbara and Miguel Lecuona several years ago that is now establishing a permanent location four miles west of Johnson City on the south side of Highway 290 with the assistance of new partners Bill and Mary Ann Waldrip.

Re:Rooted 210 is defined by Jennifer as an “urban winery and tasting room,” given its location on the ground floor of an apartment building in the shadow of the Tower of the Americas in Hemisfair Plaza. That urbanity is also highlighted by the light fixtures crafted from airplane parts, and the striking artwork by Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick, a long-time friend of Jennifer’s.

Jennifer Beckmann

The wines being poured by glass and growler were produced by Jennifer at the Texas Hill Country’s Slate Mill Wine Collective and were “re-rooted” to San Antonio’s 210 area code. Hence the name of the winery.

Just as there is a backstory for the winery name, the names of the wines being poured from kegs have backstories related to Jennifer’s love of scary things and San Antonio history. The wines we tasted were:

• 2019 Ghost Tracks (Albariño/Sauvignon Blanc/Fiano blend)
• 2019 Cable Cars (Roussanne/Viognier blend)
• 2019 San Antonio Rosé (Sangiovese/Cinsaut blend)
• NV Riverwalk Red (Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blend)
• 2018 Carignan
• 2017 Malbec
• 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

While Jennifer experienced lengthy COVID-related delays in finally getting her urban location opened in mid-February, Barbara is looking to plant her first of two vineyards at the new permanent Siboney location in April after having shared facilities at Hawk’s Shadow Winery and Kerrville Hills Winery. The foundation for the tasting room/production facility built into the hillside was poured in early March, and other improvements to the 52-acre site are plans that are literally on architectural renderings that can be seen in the temporary tasting room on site.

Barbara noted that the winery’s name honors Miguel’s Cuban grandfather who was an award-winning musician who wrote the song “Siboney” to honor a particular part of the Cuba coast.

Barbara Lecuona and Jerry Smith

The Siboney wines have particular meaning to Barbara that reflect the development of her wine knowledge, understanding of grape varieties, and the effectiveness of different production methods that she has absorbed from working with winemakers Benjamin Calais, Tom Reed, Doug Reed, Chip Concklin, and John Rivenburgh.

The wines we tasted at Siboney were:

• 2019 Coral Estrellas Sparkling Rose (Pét-Nat)
• 2019 Albariño
• 2019 Sauvignon Blanc
• 2017 Quatre Rouges Texas Red Blend
• 2018 Solo (100% Sangiovese)
• 2017 Tempranillo

While construction of the modernistic tasting room is underway, the Siboney wines can be tasted on weekends in Johnson City at Bryan’s on 290, four miles east of Siboney’s developing site.

Both Re:Rooted 210 and Siboney Cellars offer wine club programs and both have a variety of wine experiences planned. More information about each winey is available on their respective websites – www.rerootedwine.com, and www.SiboneyCellars.com,

In addition to Phyllis and I enjoying well-crafted wines and intriguing locations, our visits with Jennifer and Barbara enhanced our appreciation for the vision and passion that female winemakers are bringing to the Texas wine industry. We think that other Texas wine lovers will enjoy the wines and the winemakers at both Re:Rooted 210 Urban Winery and Siboney Cellars!

The Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA) switched to a virtual format for their annual forum this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That was a significant change in itself, but then Texas wine growers were dealt another blow from Winter Storm Uri. TWGGA was quick on their feet and rescheduled several days’ worth of events to allow presenters and attendees some time to recover from Uri. This reschedule actually worked well for me, as my wife and I were pulling wet drywall from a burst pipe on a day I had originally planned to attend the TWGGA virtual forum.

The TWGGA virtual forum consisted of four days of educational sessions (Tasting Room Management, Business/Marketing/Financial, Vineyard Management, and Winery Management), a virtual tasting event of gold medal-winning Texas wines, virtual exhibitor booths, as well as various member meetings. TWGGA offered a lot of flexibility in the registration allowing attendees to attend the entire forum, single-day registrations for the educational sessions, and even a-la-carte educational session options. TWGGA is also making the sessions available by replay until the end of 2021. I attended a Tasting Room session, two Vineyard Management sessions, and a Winery Management Session.

Tasting Room Session: US Wine Consumption Trends: Pre, During, and Post COVID

In this session, Natalia Velikova, Ph.D., of the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute at Texas Tech shared the results of a global wine consumption trends study. The study polled consumers during the initial COVID lockdowns as well as afterward. Velikova led the U.S.-based aspects of the research. She pointed out the trends among different demographics that started during the initial lockdowns and persisted for some time afterward, showing what may be more permanent changes in consumer buying trends. Paul Bonarrigo of Messina Hof Winery and Dave Bryant of the Texas Wine Collective joined the conversation to share their experiences in changing consumer expectations. They also shared how their wineries have adapted to COVID-related impacts and what may become long-term changes in how they run their businesses.

Vineyard Management Session: Selecting Varieties for the Unique Climate of Texas

In Selecting Varieties for the Unique Climate of Texas, Dr. Pierre Helwi and Dr. Justin Scheiner of Texas A&M University presented their research on which climate characteristics of grape varieties are important to consider for those growing grapes in Texas. They covered ripeness characteristics, growing season length, cold hardiness, typical bud break timing, as well as some typical disease considerations. They also shared which grape varieties are increasing and decreasing in acreage across Texas and the importance of marketability when selecting which grape varieties to plant. As Texas vineyard owners continue to assess the impact of Winter Storm Uri, this was a very timely and relevant session.

Vineyard Management Session: Putting Down Roots: Lessons Learned from Planting a New Vineyard

In Putting Down Roots, Maura and Dan Sharp told their story of planting a new vineyard on the land that once was the home of the historic Vineyard at Blue Mountain, the first commercial vinifera vineyard in Texas. Texas Wine Lover recently reviewed Gretchen Glasscock’s story about founding this vineyard, so it was great to learn more about the Sharps’ efforts and plans in the Texas Davis Mountains AVA. Daniel Pate of Apical Texas helped moderate the session, as he shared his insights as the Sharps’ viticulturist. Maura and Dan shared how they fell in love with the Davis Mountains, the search for their property, and the trials and tribulations of planting a new vineyard in a very remote location. They also offered some great business tips for those that plan to start a new vineyard. The Sharps are focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon and currently have one acre planted with plans to plant three more acres this year. I’m excited to watch their progress and am patiently waiting to try a wine from their vineyard.

Winery Session: Upcoming Varietals in Texas: Clairette Blanche, Mencia & Prieto Picudo, Gruner Veltliner, Alicante Bouschet

In this session, attendees heard from four grape growers about their experiences growing grape varieties that are relatively new to Texas. Mike Nelson of Ab Astris Winey in the Hill Country led us off with his experience with Clairette Blanche. Clairette Blanche is a white wine grape that originated in the Southern Rhône and made it to Ab Astris by way of Tablas Creek’s nursery program. Mike noted that Clairette Blanche is easy to maintain and has late bud break and ripening. It makes a wine that showcases minerality with melon and citrus zest characteristics. Ab Astris’ first estate wine was their 2019 Clairette Blanche. Next, we moved from the Hill Country to the northern reaches of Texas High Plains to Steven and Pamela Yoder’s Vingo Vineyards. The Yoders shared the story of their 4 acres of Gruner Veltliner, the predominant white wine grape variety of Austria. The Yoders noted their vineyard typically runs about ten degrees cooler than many of Texas High Plains vineyards, making it a great location for this cooler climate grape.

Mike Nelson – Ab Astris Winery

The session then moved on to red grape varieties and back to the Hill Country. Reagan Sivadon and Bryan Chagoly of Sandy Road Vineyards gave us thoughtful insight into the Spanish red grape varieties of Mencia and Prieto Picudo. These grapes grow alongside and are typically blended in Tempranillo in Spain. They have two acres planted of each Mencia and Prieto Picudo. Sandy Road Vineyards was the first to plant Mencia in Texas and the first to plant Prieto Picudo in the U.S.! They have a 2019 Mencia in barrel and have found that it has a lot of color and red fruit characteristics. For their first Prieto Picudo harvest, they pulled the fruit early and made a Pét-Nat. They’ve found that Prieto Picudo also has a lot of color but exhibits more dark fruit characteristics. Next Jet Wilmeth of Diamante Doble Vineyards in the High Plains finished the session with Alicante Bouschet. This teinturier grape, meaning it has both red skin and red flesh, originated in Southern France. Jet has found that this grape’s thick skins help with disease resistance, and the grape maintains its acidity well. It makes wines with dark plum and dark cherry flavors, a nice level of tannins, and full body. Jet originally planted his three acres of Alicante Bouschet six years ago.

My wife and I have attended several traditional TWGGA forums in the past, and I have to say TWGGA did a great job of matching the virtual event as closely as possible to previous in-person events. Four sessions were but a taste of what the TWGGA virtual forum had to offer, so I have to commend the organizers and presenters on the scale and quality of the virtual event. I enjoyed all of the sessions I attended, and they made me eager to be back at a TWGGA in-person event having some great conversations about the future of Texas wine.

Texas has had a number of wineries opening every year, and even with the current COVID-19 pandemic, wineries are still opening. Of course, there were already plans to open during that time, and even though the pandemic put a damper on things in the wine industry, the wineries braved through and opened with considerable success. We recently took a trip to the Texas Hill Country to visit some new wineries, new tasting rooms, relocated wineries, and even had time to spend at some favorite wineries. With the interest of our group of four to experience new wineries, it often is tough to get back to all our favorites, especially on just a weekend.

We selected a weekend to visit the Hill Country and I started determining which wineries we might want to visit. Because of the pandemic, most wineries are open, but the hours are often different than during non-pandemic times. Research is needed and I always start by looking at the winery’s Facebook page and then their website. Most of the time the Facebook is more up to date, but sometimes the website has more recent information, and sometimes there is conflicting information. It is always a good idea to verify with the winery their correct hours for the day you want to visit along with making a reservation if required.

Lydia and Rob Nida

With the weekend planned and approved by our group, Saturday came, and the four of us (Gloria, Lucho, Patricia, and me) left early to make our first appointment at 11:00 a.m. in Johnson City at Pebble Rock Cellars. We met Rob and Lydia Nidia over the years while working at different wineries and they have now opened their own winery. When we visited, it was only their third week in the tasting room.

Winemaker Rob Nida led our tasting in the recently remodeled tasting room with Lydia sitting socially distant from the rest of us. The tasting involved these six wines:

• 2019 Albariño (Texas High Plains)
• 2018 Chenin Blanc (Texas High Plains)
• 2019 Rosé of Sangiovese (Texas High Plains)
• 2019 Table Red (Barbera – Texas High Plains)
• 2018 Sangiovese (Texas High Plains)
• 2016 o início (dessert wine)

Pebble Rock does something special by offering growlers which is handy for wine club members and locals. The refillable growler offers a very affordable price on refills, and since one often finishes a bottle in a couple of days after opening, the growler is a cost-effective solution. Rob told us about some wines that will be coming out this year and the future looks bright for Pebble Rock Cellars. Our day of wine tasting had started out well!

Melanie and Richard Bowen

Next up was the second tasting room for Silver Dollar Winery in Johnson City. The new location for Richard and Melanie Bowen offers a large selection of wines, and something you haven’t seen in many years—a free tasting! At the time of our visit, there were ten wines on the free tasting menu and another nine wines on a tasting menu for a fee. Richard and Melanie are always fun to talk to and this was no exception while we were sipping on different wines for our tastings. The winery has plans to build and remodel more and this will be a great location to visit again. They recently installed a pizza oven and that plus other food items are available when you visit.

Established Texas winery Westcave Cellars moved to a new location last year outside of Hye, so we needed to visit. The winery has also added a brewery onsite, so they are able to satisfy everyone. You are seated at a table either inside or outside the tasting room, and we were seated inside. Westcave now has three different tasting menus:

• Premium Tasting Menu – six wines
• Variety Tasting – six wines
• Beer Flight – three beers

We all did something different with some selecting from the premium tasting menu, another had a glass of wine, and another had a glass of beer. For the wine flight, one wine was poured and when that was finished, the tasting guide brought the next wine. The new location offers much more room for customers than the previous location, so wine and beer lovers will enjoy visiting Westcave Cellars.

Lucho and Patricia needed to pick up a wine club shipment at Pedernales Cellars, so we headed there next. At the turnoff on 290, I convinced the rest of the group to stop at Chocolates El Rey right on the corner. Maybe that was a mistake because we all loved the chocolate, and I am sure we added some pounds!

At Pedernales Cellars, we decided to enjoy a glass of wine. We purchased a bottle of wine and made our way to a table on the roomy lawn so we could be socially distant and enjoy the view while we drank our glass. This was a relaxing time and, of course, the wine was excellent along with the extra chocolate we had just purchased.

Mike Nelson

We next had an appointment at Ab Astris Winery and when we arrived, we were seated at a table under the porch. The tasting room had expanded since our last visit and there is more covered seating available. We were fortunate to have winemaker Mike Nelson lead our wine tasting. Some of us did the wine tasting while others selected a glass of wine to savor. The winery recently announced they are offering food and wine pairings on Saturday and Sunday, so make your reservations before you visit.

We had dinner reservations in Fredericksburg, so we headed that way. Since we were going to be early for our reservation, we had made previous reservations at Chase’s Place Cocktails + Kitchen. The cocktail bar serves wonderful appetizers and incredible cocktails. The appetizers are filling enough and could be someone’s dinner for the evening. Plan ahead and make reservations prior.

Dinner was at the fabulous Cabernet Grill. Gloria and I always love dinner there where they only have Texas wines on the menu. It was Lucho and Patricia’s first time, and we all enjoyed some wonderful appetizers followed by a sumptuous dinner. Definitely a must when you visit Fredericksburg!

On Sunday, our first visit was Spicewood Vineyards. We needed to pick up some wine, but we also needed to start the day with a glass of wine, and you cannot do better than Spicewood Vineyards. We arrived when they first opened, and it was nice having a quiet atmosphere to enjoy wine.

Rae Wilson and Randy Hester

Next was an appointment at the new tasting room for C.L. Butaud and Wine for the People. Randy Hester and Rae Wilson, owners of each winery respectively, recently opened a shared tasting room to make it easier for their fans to find and enjoy their wine. Tastings are held outside but under canopies underneath the trees. It was a beautiful day and being outside was very pleasurable. Both Randy and Rae were walking among the tables presenting the wines selected by the wine lovers. There are various tasting menus available:

• Only Wine for the People
• Only C.L. Butaud
• The Duo Flight (wines from both wineries)

You also have a selection of wine glasses that aren’t on the individual tasting menus. All of us enjoyed the wines while munching on a charcuterie tray that you can order in advance. You should definitely visit the tasting room and enjoy the wine from both wineries.

It was another busy weekend visiting wineries in the Texas Hill Country, but one definitely worth it!

Messina Hof Winery & Resort was founded in 1977 in Bryan, Texas, by Paul V. and Merrill Bonarrigo. At the time of planting their first vineyard, there were two producing wineries in Texas.

You can imagine after this many years of being in the Texas wine industry, there are many stories to tell, and you would be right. If you have had the pleasure of meeting Paul V. Bonarrigo, you know he loves to tell a tale, and what better tale to tell than the story of their lives.

We have been VIP Members at Messina Hof since 2011 after we first met Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo. Over the years, we have heard many enjoyable stories from the Bonarrigos and some of those are in the new book by Paul and Merrill titled Family, Tradition, & Romance – The Messina Hof Story. When Paul Bonarrigo tells a story though, it is always enjoyable no matter how many times you have heard it.

Paul Bonarrigo writes the book from his perspective with, of course, contributions from Merrill. It begins with the story of living their lives separately in the Bronx and Bryan-College Station respectively before they met each other in Texas. Together they founded Messina Hof Winery & Resort and helped pioneer the wine industry of Texas.

Merrill and Paul V. Bonarrigo

There are many stories of their journey starting with planting an experimental vineyard to building their winery to spreading the word of the Texas wine industry both nationally and internationally. The Bonarrigos were influential in various organizations in the wine industry including the Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association. Messina Hof was prominent with awards won at state, national, and international wine competitions. This also helped spread the word about Texas wine.

One of the stories from Paul Bonarrigo I have heard at VIP Receptions more than once, and which I never get tired of hearing, is about the vineyard they used to own in Halfway, Texas. It was located near Quarterway, Texas, and I was glad to see it in the book.

The book describes the history of Messina Hof including opening tasting rooms in the Texas Hill Country and Grapevine.

Bonarrigo Family

Important in the history of Messina Hof is transferring the ownership of Messina Hof to their son Paul M. and his wife Karen Bonarrigo. Paul and Karen then continued the growth of the business by opening Messina Hof Harvest Green Winery & Kitchen in Richmond, Texas. There have been many other accomplishments since they took the leadership position of Messina Hof.

I learned many things from the book, and I would highly recommend you read the book to learn more about Messina Hof, the Bonarrigos, and the Texas wine industry. There are some unfinished stories though. I want to know what happened to the ducks.

You can purchase Family, Tradition, & Romance – The Messina Hof Story from the Messina Hof Winery website store.

Covington Hill Country is one of the newest tasting rooms in the Texas Hill Country. Proprietors Cindy and David Lawson hosted an industry night open house on Thursday, May 27 at the new tasting room on Highway 290 between Hye and Johnson City. A full house of friends, neighbors, and peers gathered to toast Covington Hill Country, Covington Cellars’ expansion into Texas. Covington Cellars was founded in 2002 in Washington and operates two tasting rooms there (in Woodinville and Snohomish).

Cindy and David Lawson

Cindy and David started as home winemakers and now have 20 years of experience in the Washington wine industry. Cindy, a Houston native, is coming back home to Texas. She worked for many years in the petroleum field in Seattle, and that’s where she and David met. After a job transfer to Texas in 2014, Cindy and David decided a Texas tasting room was in the cards.

The Lawsons felt it was important that the Hill Country tasting room feature a wine using Texas grapes from the start. Two wines in the current Covington Hill Country portfolio include Texas-grown fruit. The first is the 2019 Tempranillo from the Texas High Plains. Recently awarded 89 points from Wine Enthusiast, the wine includes 25% whole cluster and stem inclusion. It spent 18 months in French oak barrels (35% new). A young wine with fresh aromatics, bright fruit, and a pleasant texture. It should continue to develop for years to come. Don’t be confused by the label. Covington Hill Country is the name of the producer, but 100% of the grapes are from the Texas High Plains. The American appellation on the label is required since the wine is made in Washington. $39 and 140 cases were produced.

The second wine that uses Texas grapes is the 2019 Rio Rondo, a unique blend of 50% Washington Syrah and 50% Texas High Plains Tempranillo. The name Rio Rondo refers to both Texas’ Rio Grande river and Washington’s Grande Rondo river. David told me that the wine represents the Covington story in a bottle – a blend of both Washington and Texas. This big wine with ripe fruit and approachable tannins is an upcoming Wine Enthusiast Editor’s Choice (92 points). $49 and 460 cases were produced.

The tasting included several Washington wines as well. Chardonnay, Rosé (Cinsault and Grenache), Cabernet Franc, a red field blend (primarily Zinfandel and meant to be served chilled), and a varietal Zinfandel rounded out the tasting.

How will the Lawsons manage production in two states? After harvest, the Texas fruit will be trucked to a new state-of-the-art production facility in Washington. Long-time Covington winemaker Morgan Lee will handle winemaking duties for both Texas and Washington wines, a total annual production of around 2,500 cases. Lee, who will be visiting Texas frequently to check on the vines, often utilizes native yeast fermentation and also ages certain wines in large clay amphora.

The tasting room itself is comfortable, modern, and warm. A large outdoor space with picnic tables provides amazing Hill Country views (~1,400’ elevation) and a nice breeze. Charcuterie is available now and more food offerings may be coming in the future. Three Covington staff members from Washington have relocated to Texas to manage the Covington Hill Country operations.

Next year, the Lawsons will be planting a four-acre estate vineyard. William Chris Vineyards co-founder and viticulture consultant extraordinaire Bill Blackmon is working with the Lawsons on planning the vineyard site and selecting varieties to plant.

Cindy and David also have a home on the site. A private guest suite was included, a perfect spot for welcoming visiting wine club members and friends.

William Chris Vineyards co-owner and winemaker Chris Brundrett is excited to announce the launch of the Wanderer Series Relief Project II, featuring a new wine benefitting Feeding Texas created in collaboration with Texas sommelier and Emmer & Rye wine director and manager Ali Schmidt. The wine is available now on WCV’s website, as well as from the following retailers in select locations across Texas: H-E-B, Spec’s, Central Market, Kroger, Whole Foods Market, and several independent bottle shops throughout Texas.

“We created the first Relief Project wine in 2020 because we saw an opportunity to support our fellow Texans,” said Brundrett. “Last year, we focused on the restaurant community who had been completely stalled by the pandemic, and this year we’re partnering with Feeding Texas because we know that many Texans are still coming back from the curveballs that have been thrown our way this past year. Ali and I are both proud to support this great cause with our Wanderer Series Relief Project II.”

The Wanderer Series Relief Project II red blend features 92% Cinsault and 8% Carignan from the Texas High Plains and is juicy and bright with generous strawberry and cherry notes and a silky texture.

Ali Schmidt and Chris Brundrett

“This wine is meant for summer 2021, for catching up with friends and family, and for hot afternoons that turn into late nights,” says Schmidt. “The wine is best served chilled in the fridge or on ice for 20 minutes, then enjoyed on its own or with picnic lunches, barbecue, and food off the grill.”

The wine was created with a mission of supporting and nourishing Texas families in need as they get back on their feet. “The pandemic already pushed more Texans than ever to access food assistance from food banks, public nutrition programs, and other sources. But the need soared even higher as our network of food banks helped Texas families recover from the impact of the recent winter storms,” said Celia Cole, chief executive officer at Feeding Texas. “We are grateful to have the support of the Wanderer Series Relief Project II.”

Another remarkable aspect of the project is the abundance of generosity once again put forward by the industry partners involved. This project would not be possible without the support of Victory Wine Group, which is handling the distribution of the wine; design shop Canales & Co. out of Austin, who created the label design; and Berlin Glass, who provided the bottles.

The Wanderer Series Relief Project was launched in April 2020 with the mission to support the hardworking group of chefs, servers, sommeliers, and bartenders that make up the Texas restaurant community, which was critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The red blend wine, created in collaboration with Master Sommelier Craig Collins, sold out online and across all retailers, enabling William Chris Vineyards to raise over $45,000 for the Southern Smoke Foundation.

Photos courtesy of Madison Boudreaux/David Bates

One of the most popular wineries in the Texas Hill Country is William Chris Vineyards. The winemaking team there has been fortunate to have skilled winemakers over the years and the current winemaker is Tony Offill. Tony came to William Chris with an excellent reputation and has proven to deliver fantastic wines. We are proud to feature Tony Offill as this month’s featured winemaker!

1. What did you do before becoming a winemaker (if anything)?

First career. I started in the cellar while I was in college.

2. What is the toughest challenge about being a winemaker in Texas?

Weather is the obvious answer. Late frosts, high winds during bloom, heavy rain, or heat waves at almost any time can all shape a vintage. You learn to pivot and take what nature gives you. But the unpredictability can also lead to really special wines.

3. Is winemaking an art or a science or both?

Both. You need numbers so you can create.

4. What is your favorite food and wine pairing?

Thai food and Riesling.

5. If you didn’t make wine, what would you do?

Something else in the wine industry. Not sure I would want to do anything else.

6. What first attracted you to winemaking and how long have you been doing it?

There wasn’t really an attraction, I just knew I couldn’t sit at a desk. The first day in the cellar was long and intense and I fell in love. I’m on my ninth vintage.

7. What is the most common question you are asked as a winemaker?

“Don’t you just love it?”

8. After a long day in the winery or vineyard, what do you do?

Cook and drink wine.

9. What’s the greatest part about being a winemaker?

That your labor is enjoyed.

10. What is your winemaking philosophy, that is, what are you trying to achieve with your wines?

Our style is a hands-off, low intervention approach to create the best expression of a place and time.

11. Anything else you would like to add?

The industry feels like it’s on the brink of something big; we need to keep pushing.

Chef Sommelier Mitchell Sharrock

By Amie Nemec

Looking for something special in the Hill Country? Ab Astris Winery is not only a beautiful setting with some fantastic 100% Texas wines, but now, they offer a stellar food pairing experience! This is not your usual wine-and-cheese sort of tasting. At $70 a person, this is definitely an elevated experience. Each of the five wines served is expertly paired with a dish handmade with care by the resident Sommelier, Mitchell. The foods are sourced locally and the menu changes seasonally to ensure freshness.

The menu when I attended was the start of their summer pairings and had a decidedly Italian flair.

Our first course was a light and complex antipasto board with cheese, salami, artichoke, petite peppers, and more. It paired nicely with their light and complex rosé called Aurora, which is a blend of Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Montepulciano. While this is not a traditional Provençal rosé blend, it is made in the spirit of the light French dry rosé. These grapes play well together and yield layers of fruit and floral flavors in a delicate balance. I would keep this wine on hand for the hot summer afternoons to come and is an easy go-to for a cheese and charcuterie plate at home.

Next came the ‘Primi’ course. This house-made bread with Mitchell’s own sourdough starter was thinly sliced, toasted, and topped with an onion and tomato jam and fresh baby tomatoes. The dish was rustic, and its acidity played well with the Apricus Rosé, which is a blend of Montepulciano, Petite Sirah, and Tannat. Again, this rosé is not a traditional blend of grapes, but all sourced from the younger vines on the estate. The finished wine is quite savory and herbaceous, not what you may expect from a rosé. I highly recommend the wine as a fun tool for playing with food pairings. The complexity does well with many tomato-based foods, which can sometimes be tough for pairing. The savory notes of this wine make it a hit with many folks who think they don’t like pink wines! In fact, if you were to taste this blindfolded, you’d probably think it’s a chilled lighter red wine.

Our ‘Insalata’ course was the most beautiful salad I’ve seen and tasted in quite some time. This bowl of toasted grains and seeds included local peas, colorful baby carrots, and a mix of a slightly spicy tomato aioli, topped with beautiful herbs and flowers. It was like a party in my mouth! The crunchy toasted grains balanced nicely with the delicate herbs while the spice balanced things out. The Stello white blend is a dry wine of Roussanne, Clairette Blanche, Picpoul Blanc, and Marsanne. A traditional French Rhône Blend that includes four grapes each proving to grow well in Texas. I’m excited to follow the progress of the estate Clairette Blanche, as it is the first to be planted here in our state and there is very little outside of the Rhône Valley of France. This is a light and lively white with nice acidity and flavors that lean towards tropical. I loved the Picpoul Blanc single varietal wine but now this is one of my favorite Texas whites!

As we moved to our main course, it was solidified that every course just got even better than the one before. A large meatball of bison and wild boar, set atop a ricotta parmesan polenta and topped with a simple tomato sauce was layered together with great care for subtle flavors. I love traditional Italian food and this meatball was juicy, flavorful, and just outstanding. The 2017 Montepulciano is a fantastic traditional Italian wine that traditionally goes well with a tomato-based dish. These grapes were sourced from Reddy Vineyards in the Texas High Plains and produces some of my favorite red wines in our state. The wine is drinking well today but also shows the ability to age for another five years or even more. I highly recommend picking up a few bottles. It’ll be a perfect pairing to elevate an easy frozen pepperoni pizza at home.

And we finished our lunch with a light dessert of Almond Olive Oil Cake and fresh Blackberries paired with the 2016 Maximus red blend. Oftentimes people think a wine served with dessert needs to be a sweet wine. I disagree, as I think it’s best to focus on enhancing a flavor of the dessert dish. In this case, the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, and Petit Verdot is a decidedly dry and bold wine. The delicate cake, which was not very sweet but instead a bit savory and nutty, added a light note to the wine and the blackberries brought out the fruity jammy notes of the wine.

I will also point out two of my personal favorite Ab Astris wines, which are the Picpoul Blanc that I touched on earlier, and the sparkling Estate Petillant Naturel made from Clairette Blanche…I took two bottles home.

After our tasting, I was able to take a moment to walk along the vines to look at the progress of this year’s crop. The Tannat is looking quite nice with a full canopy and plump new berries. Much conversation has been focused on this year’s freakish freeze and how the grapes may be affected. It’s encouraging to see much of our Hill Country fruit on track for a good harvest this year.

This tasting experience is by appointment only and there are only 10 people in the intimate setting. You can reserve on their website www.abastriswinery.com or you can pop in to enjoy a regular tasting or a glass on their lovely covered patio.

About the Author

Amie Nemec is a longtime wine lover, Sommelier, and founder of Perspective Cellars tasting room in Fredericksburg, Texas. She is now venturing down the path to learn winemaking, so, along with wine writing and food pairing posts, be on the lookout for Amie’s wines in coming years!

By Amie Nemec

We arrived at Covington Hill Country this morning a few minutes after 11:00, because you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning! But I goofed and they don’t open until noon, except on Sundays, which is 11:00. Well, but, the wine server, Cheylan, who was opening up the tasting room, was very gracious and asked us to come on in and have wine. Good start to the day!

The tasting room is newly constructed, and in fact, they have only been open a few weeks. The interior is nicely appointed and quite comfortable, with fantastic Hill Country views. Cheylan shared the winery’s story and we learned that Covington was started in Washington in 2002 by a native Texan and her husband, a Seattle native. After Cindy and David Lawson spent their first years of marriage visiting wine regions, they enrolled in Enology classes and began making wine in their garage as a hobby. As with many wine hobbyists, this led to opening their own winery.

The first Washington vintage was 2003 and their day jobs finally brought them back to Texas. Living in San Antonio, the couple realized the great potential in our Texas Hill Country and the newly opened tasting room is the result of six years of careful planning for the future of their label. The winemaker, Morgan Lee, joined the team in 2007 and makes wines for Covington Cellars, for their Texas Covington Hill Country, and also for the label Two Vintners, which they own together.

Our tasting started with the 2019 Chardonnay from Yakima Valley, Washington. This is a bright, fresh Chardonnay, different from what many expect from the West Coast. With only 80% of the fruit going through malolactic conversion, the remaining 20% brings a bit of freshness to the wine and keeps it from becoming too heavy on the palate. The wine was aged 10 months in French oak, with only 15% in new barrels. I found this wine to be full-bodied but not too heavy, with all the right apple and lemon notes we expect in a good Chardonnay. This is my style, and I took home a bottle.

Next, we tried the 2020 Josie Rose of Sangiovese from Red Mountain, Washington. There is a tiny bit of 0.5 grams of residual sugar, made off-dry with the intent of a slightly sweet wine to pair well with spicy foods, like barbecue with pepper or our typical TexMex fare. This sweetness comes across very fruity and not like a weighty sugar on the palate. I liked that the rosé is smooth with no tart finish.

From the rosé, we moved to a chilled red wine, the 2020 Field Blend. These grapes are grown in the Wahluke Slope AVA of Washington and the grapes were harvested together by machine, pressed, fermented, and aged together. The blend is 68% Zinfandel, 17% Primitivo, and 15% Petite Sirah. The juice was left in contact with the skins for only a few days, with the purpose of giving a lighter-bodied, less tannic red wine to be easy drinking for our hot summer days. The wine expresses a lot of cherry notes and is smooth.

The 2019 Tempranillo is their first Texas wine. These grapes were harvested from a small grower in the Texas High Plains, Tad Daniel. The fruit was transported in refrigerated trucks to the winemaking facility in Washington. The finished wine has notes of cedar and vanilla. In the 2019 Rio Ronde, the same Texas Tempranillo was blended with Washington-grown Syrah. The name is a nod to the Texas Rio Grande River and the Washington Grande Ronde River. The blend is a marriage of the two projects. I got notes of coffee on the wine, and there is good acidity to balance the bold tannins. I’d try this with barbecue brisket!

Cheylan not only served us before opening, but she went off-menu and poured us a couple of extra wines. We learned that she actually moved from Washington to Hye, Texas to help the Lawsons open this tasting room. In fact, two other employees also came south from Covington. This is great company loyalty and I’d love to learn more about how we can better develop this loyalty for our Texas wineries too! As we chatted about the weather differences in the two regions, she poured the 2018 Zinfandel. This is fruit from the Wahluke Slope and at first, there was no intent to make this wine, but when the winemaker was told there aren’t any good Zins, he accepted the challenge and the grapes. This is one of their most sought-after wines.

Finally, we finished with the 2018 Cabernet Franc. These grapes were grown in six different Washington vineyards with each fermented separately, then blended together for a perfect balance. The wine is drinking well, with notes of blackberry, plum, and vanilla. There is also a slight bell pepper note, which I think will mellow out a bit with a little more time in the bottle. We took some home since Cab Franc is one of our faves and this is a nice example.

Covington Hill Country offers a lovely setting with very nice wines. The staff is friendly and helpful, and excited to be a part of our Texas wine family. Expect to see some action in the spring, as they begin to plant their own Hill Country vineyard. Their winemaking will continue to be done in the facility in Washington, although, with time, there could be a facility here as well. The next time you have time for a tasting, make a stop to visit our new neighbors here on Highway 290 – you won’t be disappointed!

About the Author

Amie Nemec is a longtime wine lover, Sommelier, and founder of Perspective Cellars tasting room in Fredericksburg, Texas. She is now venturing down the path to learn winemaking, so, along with wine writing and food pairing posts, be on the lookout for Amie’s wines in coming years!

With its state-of-the-art winery incubator facilities, Kerrville Hills Winery welcomes Yoder Cellars as a new partner as part of its winemaking collaborative. Yoder Cellars, located in Dalhart in the Texas Panhandle, is known for producing exquisite wines from grapes grown in its estate Vingo Vineyards, the northernmost Texas vineyard. Kerrville Hills will assist with all aspects of wine production in partnership with the Yoder winemaking team.

“We chose to work with Kerrville Hills Winery incubator to help us expand our winemaking capacity to produce more wine,” said Pamela Yoder, co-owner of Yoder Cellars. “Building a new winery can cost millions of dollars. Working with Kerrville Hills Winery lets us process our grapes, make the wine, age it, bottle it, and warehouse without the need for the capital expenditure for our own facility. In addition, we get the consultation, and collaboration with an incredibly talented winemaker, John Rivenburgh, along with some of their other brilliant incubator clients. It was an easy decision to make.”

The Kerrville Hills Winery incubator is a home for winemakers to manage the capitalization of their business, learn winemaking techniques, and work in a collaborative environment. Kerrville Hills Winery is more than a custom crush facility in that member winemakers are intrinsically involved in all aspects of production, a true collaboration.

“We are excited to welcome Steven and Pamela Yoder as part of our incubator team, making wine in our facility,” says John Rivenburgh, winemaker and owner of Kerrville Hills Winery. “We see the winery incubator as an educational think tank for collaboration, sharing ideas, and fostering creativity so our member winemakers can make the best wine possible. Having the Yoders as members will bring new ideas, and an opportunity to make wines with grape varieties that aren’t extensively grown in Texas. We look forward to working with these varietals including Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, and expanding the Texas palate by getting Yoder Cellar wines into people’s homes.”

Steven and Pamela Yoder entered the wine industry by planting Vingo Vineyard in 2015, which now has 31 acres under vine with seven grape varieties. The Yoder’s introduced a line of wine made with the estate grapes, called Yoder Cellars, and opened the namesake tasting room in Dalhart, Texas in January 2019. Vingo Vineyards is the northernmost Texas winery, and the railroad town of Dalhart has embraced the winery that opened. The winery and tasting room are in the historic post office built in 1934 in Dalhart and is a destination for wine lovers from the Texas panhandle, and travelers on the road to Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

About Kerrville Hills Winery

Sitting at the highest point in Kerr County, overlooking the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Kerrville Hills Winery (KHW) was the first winery established in Kerrville. In 2019, John Rivenburgh purchased Kerrville Hills to establish a wine incubator; a communal space for educated winemaking accelerating boutique operations. John has deep roots in the Texas Hill Country, is an award-winning winemaker, and has a passion for growing high-quality, sustainable Texas grapes.

Kerrville Hills Winery Incubator Members include:

• Ab Astris Winery
• Fly Gap Winery
• Lavaca Bluffs
• Noblemen Wines
• Rustic Spur Vineyards
• Siboney Cellars

About Yoder Cellars

Yoder Cellars is a family-owned and operated winery making wines made with 100% Texas-grown grapes from the 31-acre estate Vingo Vineyard in Dallam County, the most northern vineyard in Texas. The Yoder family lives on the land where its vineyard is located and are dedicated to growing outstanding grapes on the northern plains of Texas as well as to sustaining the land for future generations. The Yoders work together to create amazing Texas wines that can stand up against wines around the world. The Yoder Cellars tasting room is housed in the historic old post office located at 302 Denver Ave, Dalhart, Texas.

By Amie Nemec

These hot summer afternoons found me needing a bit of girlfriend time, so I connected with a few industry gals, and we planned a bit of wine tasting. I gathered my best wine tasting buddies: Laurie Ware, contributing writer for Texas Wine Lover, along with Elizabeth Rodriguez, manager of Cabernet Grill, and Kyn Villarreal, wife of winemaker Jesse Villarreal of Whisper Path Cellars. We all met up in Johnson City, off Highway 281, at Pebble Rock Cellars. We were greeted by Rob Nida, co-owner and winemaker, in this small but well-appointed tasting room. Along with us four ladies, an unwitting wine enthusiast from Dallas joined in on our tasting.

Just after Rob started pouring our wines, his wife and co-owner, Lydia, joined in our fun. Let me start with a cute bit of their story. Pebble Rock Cellars is a name derived because of Lydia’s love of Penguins. These birds mate for life and present the mate with a pebble to indicate their undying commitment. It’s like the animal kingdom version of an engagement ring. When Rob proposed to Lydia, he put her ‘pebble’ (or the engagement ring) in a rock-shaped hide-a-key. Thus, a pebble in a rock! With such a cute story, you just have to read on!

Rob Nida studied horticulture at Texas A&M and didn’t know exactly what he wanted as his career, so he thought the best plan was to complete his Masters. He studied abroad in Chile and did an internship here in the Hill Country at Woodrose Winery where Chris Brundrett of William Chris Vineyards was also working. From there, he pursued a master’s Winemakers Program in southern France which led to further studies in Madrid, Spain. As Rob completed his academic studies, he did a harvest in South Africa, then back to Texas, Oregon, and Texas again. While this is a short summation of the experience he has gained during and since college, the key point is, he has far-reaching experience for his young age. He and Lydia started their vineyard and winery consulting business in the Hill Country in 2017 and their first vintage of Pebble Rock Cellars in 2019. You will see his name in association with two other Texas wineries as he consults for their winemaking and viticulture practices.

Then we come to Lydia, who did both entomology and horticulture studies at A&M where she and Rob met. She narrowed down her focus, finally, to viticulture and did her master’s at Fresno State with both a full ride and a salary. She served as the Vineyard Manager for Grape Creek Vineyards from 2012 to 2014. But from there, she stepped away to backpack in Europe for four months to learn more about organic farming in vineyards. Lydia worked as the Viticulturist for Lost Draw Vineyards in the High Plains and began consulting in 2017. She currently consults for eight clients which are pretty much all new to the industry, frankly, making her job easier!

Lydia and Rob Nida

As their overall vision, Rob and Lydia want to grow their winery and consulting business, both so they can guide an employee to learn all the levels of the industry and have an avenue to start their own brand if they want to. They envision a place to make wine, as well as a place to sell their wine through a shared tasting room. The goal is to give back and grow the industry which I love!

When visiting the tasting room, you should know that each quarter they feature an educational theme and every month they make some changes to their offered wines, but all within the theme. This time around, we discussed fermentation and pressing. So, as an example, there were the Rosé of Sangiovese, all from the same Narra Vineyards in the High Plains. Two wines had both primary fermentation and malolactic fermentation, with one having no malo, and two were bladder-pressed grapes while one was basket press. There was a very nerdy conversation about what these different processes mean to the finished wines, and it is fun to compare the wines while discussing them. So, in short, if you are just trying to get your drink on, this is not your spot. This is an ideal place for folks truly wanting to embrace the passion of making wine, and to learn about the seemingly small decisions that can have large impact on the finished wine.

Here’s an overview of our tasting:

2020 Piquette – The skins left from the 2020 Sangiovese Rosé from Narra Vineyards was set aside with water added and left overnight and then pressed again. With 2% Brix on this pressed juice, sugar was added to get the alcohol up. The finished product is a low 9.8% alcohol (which is higher than the typical 7% the French do). This style of winemaking is still practiced in France to create a wine to serve to the vineyard workers over lunchtime, so they don’t get drunk while they still need to work in the afternoon. With this bottling, a little CO2 added to give some fizziness and more mouthfeel. They produced only 53 cases of half-bottles, priced at $15.

The nose and palate remind me of cranberry with black potting soil. This is fresher than some Piquette because it was the Rosé skins and not the skins of a finished red wine. They plan to make another Piquette in 2021, maybe a white Albariño in a Vinho Verde style.

2020 Rosé of Sangiovese – Narra Vineyards with Primary fermentation and Malolactic Fermentation to give a better mouthfeel. The grapes were direct press when the grapes got here from the Texas High Plains using a membrane press. The fermentation stuck in 2020 with zero glucose and 9 grams/Liter fructose, so they used a different yeast to eat the glucose. But this still didn’t work, so they had higher sugar and upped the acidity to balance the wine. The palate is strawberry and peach with fresh green thyme and a slight sweetness that makes it easy to drink at $30 a bottle.

2019 Albariño – Narra Vineyards crisp white wine with tropical fruit on the nose. The palate is high acid with liveliness on the tongue, almost a tingling feeling with flavors of lemon peel and pineapple. I’d prefer this wine with food such as an Asian stir fry. $30 a bottle.

Table White – 80% Albariño from Narra Vineyards and 20% Roussanne from Crooked Post Vineyard in the High Plains. This wine is part of the Growler Program, which is a unique way to have your weekday wines. Pay just $20 for a resealable growler full of wine then refill it for only $12, and Wine Club members receive free delivery locally. This is a fun way to add to your everyday drinking wines at a super reasonable price point – and for something handcrafted.

2018 Rosé of Sangiovese – Narra Vineyards with primary fermentation only. The wine yields notes of red cherry on the nose and the palate is cherry and strawberry with a little savory, meaty note. The grapes were direct press with a membrane press when they arrived here from High Plains. The wine is bright, fresh, and tart.

2019 Rosé of Sangiovese – Narra Vineyards with both primary and malolactic fermentation to add more depth and richness and bring down the acidity. Direct press when the grapes got here from High Plains using a basket press. Because of this, the volume is lower with less color. The nose has red plum and a little brioche. The palate is smooth and not bitter, so this is very much my style of rosé!

2018 Sangiovese – Narra Vineyard, producing only one ton per acre. The wine was aged 18 months in 50% French and 50% Hungarian barrels. The nose is a strong baking spice and a slight smokiness with very little fruit. Flavors of nutmeg, plum, dark cherry, and cocoa make the wine much more savory than the nose indicates. $44 a bottle.

As a general rule, the Pebble Rock red wines are typically aged 18 months in barrels and then another six months in bottle.

For the Growler Program, a red wine barrel is broken into four kegs and only one keg is bottled at a time so the wine will evolve with each bottling.

2016 o inicio dessert wine – Blanc du Bois from Navasota at Threshold Vineyards. There is no fruit this year because the freeze did a lot of damage to the Blanc du Bois vines. The sweet dessert wine is Madeira style. The name is Portuguese for “the beginning” because this was the first Pebble Rock wine made while Rob was working at Kuhlman Cellars and couldn’t compete with wines they were making. To make this style of wine, 45 to 50 gallons are stored in a 60-gallon barrel, so oxidation happens in that spare space. The wine is aged four years outside, in the heat and to cook. $50 a bottle and well worth it! We also tried the 2015 and they just bottled the 2017 this month. The 2015 has butterscotch and caramel, and priced at $65 a bottle because of the few bottles remaining in inventory.

Overall, Pebble Rock is producing 500 cases annually right now and hopes to grow to 1,000 cases. They will then see how it is going and decide the appropriate growth rate. They would not go over 5,000 cases with 500 wine club members. This year they are anticipating 14-15 tons of grapes for production with nine red grape varieties, two whites, which will only total about one ton, and then red grapes set aside for rosé wine.

The long and short of it is, this tasting is not only good wines but great education on the wine business in Texas. It’s a must if you are learning more about wine!!

About the Author

Amie Nemec is a longtime wine lover, Sommelier, and founder of Perspective Cellars tasting room in Fredericksburg, Texas. She is now venturing down the path to learn winemaking, so, along with wine writing and food pairing posts, be on the lookout for Amie’s wines in coming years!

Kerrville Hills Winery is ushering in a major step forward in wine production innovation with flash détente thermovinification which will significantly improve the wine quality. The winery and winery incubator has purchased a Mobile Flash Détente OEnoSm’Art system from Pellenc America, Inc. for use beginning in the 2021 harvest.

Flash détente, which roughly translates into “immediate relaxation,” is a thermovinification process that works by quickly heating grapes to near boiling, then immediately cools them in a vacuum. The process obliterates the cell wall, releasing numerous phenolic compounds which increase the sugar content, enhances the color, and gives it a richer aroma. The vaporized water and volatilized compounds are captured and chilled in a condenser column, allowing them to be discarded or to be blended back into the grape must, depending on winemaking goals.

“Flash détente is the ultimate extraction tool,” says John Rivenburgh, winemaker and owner of Kerrville Hills Winery. “Extraction pulls important components like color, tannins, acids, and aromatics from the grapes, and is the key to successful fermentation in wine. The punch down tool was the first method to get more extraction. As science and technology has improved winemaking, so has the process of extraction. We’re really excited to start using flash détente right away by running test batches in July and using it as part of our fermentation process in the upcoming harvest.”

John Rivenburgh is one of the few people in Texas who has experience with using flash détente technology in winemaking. He helped bring the first flash machine to Texas in 2013 at Bending Branch Winery and made award-winning wines with the technology. Since then, Rivenburgh has continued to work with Pellenc America to research uses for flash including developing protocols for condensing and enriching finished wines. Kerrville Hills Winery will employ flash détente to enhance finished wines as well.

Kerrville Hills Winery will initially use this advanced technology with Grenache grapes in the upcoming harvest to increase the density of flavors and color for a more balanced finished wine. It improves the efficiency of fermentation with reduced time required for cap management to process red grapes faster. Rivenburgh will use flash détente only for about 10 to 15 percent of the fermentation, a process called co-fermentation, to ensure it delivers the proper amount of tannins prior to blending.

John Rivenburgh says, “We will use flash détente as a tool to enhance the natural qualities of the grapes found in the vineyard. We will incrementally blend the flash water into grape must to enhance the terroir qualities of the wine and finish fermentation.”

The Kerrville Hills Winery flash détente machine is available for winery incubator members to use as an added benefit of membership. It is another tool in the arsenal of state-of-the-art equipment at the winery incubator. In addition, winery incubator members will be able to take full advantage of Rivenburgh’s extensive experience with successfully operating flash détente. Because the 40 feet long by 12 feet tall machine is built on a trailer, it is a mobile machine that can be taken to other wineries to process grapes. Kerrville Hills Winery will be the first custom crush provider offering flash détente to process grapes in the United States.

By Amie Nemec

While I have previously volunteered to help my winemaker and grape grower friends with things such as bottling wine, pruning vines and harvesting grapes, today is the first day I am volunteering with the focus on learning to actually become a winemaker.

Mike Batek and his wife Denise are owners of Hye Meadow Winery which I have visited on many occasions since they opened in the Texas Hill Country in 2013. I was recently visiting the winery with a couple who I was taking on a VIP Wine Tour, and I told Mike that I just sold my wine shop so I could focus on learning to make wine. Mike laughed out loud. I mean, not in a rude way, but truly, he laughed at me. He asked why in the world I would want to go down this rabbit hole and work so hard. As a friend, he wasn’t making fun of me or trying to change my mind. He was being honest. The business of winemaking is often viewed as something glamorous and romantic. It must be so great to gaze over rows of grapevines every day and drink good wine without a care in the world. The reality is, winemaking is mostly cleaning, getting dirty, and cleaning more. The end result is gratifying, a delicious wine in the bottle. And that’s something to be proud of. The reality is, winemaking is a lot of sweat and monotony to get the finished wine into the bottle and onto your dining table.

Ultimately, Mike offered me the opportunity to come help at Hye Meadow periodically throughout the 2021 harvest season which begins in July each year. Today I showed up at the winery at 8 a.m. to help with bottling. Wines that are in barrels and tanks need to be bottled. These finished pallets of wine cases are moved into cold storage so the tanks and barrels can be cleaned and prepared for the incoming grapes which are due to arrive in about two weeks.

Mike grew up in South Texas in Corpus Christi. He’s just a few years older than me and went to my rival high school. He fell in love with wine at an early age which probably had little to do with any chateau in France and more to do with what he could get his hands on to get his drink on! Fast forward, and he and his wife found themselves at a crossroads needing to decide what their next career paths would be. They found a wonderful piece of raw acreage in Hye, Texas and decided on starting a winery. Mike enrolled in the viticulture program through Texas Tech University to learn about grape growing. At the same time, he was able to make industry contacts and gain experience alongside winemakers in the area. Through family and friends eager to support their new adventure, the couple was able to make all of the pieces fall into place so that Hye Meadow Winery could become a reality. The first vintage of wine was processed in 2010 and the tasting room was open and selling wine three years later.

Mike and Denise Batek

Today, Hye Meadow has expanded from their initial intimate tasting room to include a well-equipped winery with case storage, an enclosed event center, and added covered outdoor seating. The space is welcoming and overlooks a gorgeous oak grove in the back of the property.

As I arrived to my volunteer job this morning at 8 a.m., I was greeted by Mike, as well as three employees who were working to move pallets of empty bottles and laying out hoses to prepare for the day’s bottling. We were slated to handle about 300 cases of Tempranillo and 200 of Montepulciano. Luckily, Mike purchased an automated bottling line from a large local winery earlier this year. This was his third bottling session since the purchase and it’s easy to see that the more an automated line like this is used, the smoother it runs. We timed the process of bottling a pallet which is 56 cases. Sometimes it takes 45 minutes or more. We did several runs around 35 minutes and one super-fast run at 26 minutes.

Two volunteers drove an hour and a half from north of Austin to help and arrived close to 9:00 a.m. and Denise was shortly after. Then a friend of hers from college arrived, and a friend hers about an hour after that. All told, by 10 a.m. we had 10 able bodies working our assembly line. I’ll say, the process could be done with four to five people, but its tiring work and without extra hands, there’s added time to the processes.

You should know, bottling is a lot of repetitive motion. It’s easy to want to stay in one’s ‘job’ or position in the assembly line because you get comfortable with what you are doing. But it’s uncomfortable for your body to do those same movements thousands of times. It can be beneficial to move into different jobs during the day to change up the muscles that are being worked.

The pallet of cases of empty wine bottles are maneuvered to be close to the start of the bottling line. Someone needs to grab a case, flip it upside down, and dump the bottles onto the platform. One person should be a sort of ‘floater’ to keep surfaces clean, move things out of the way, stop the line if there’s an issue, and refill the corks in the reservoir. The empty bottles are pushed onto the conveyor belt and moved into the unit where nitrogen gas is puffed into the bottles to make sure each bottle is free of dust and to displace oxygen. Then the bottles keep moving onto a round track that fills each to a pre-set amount for the 750 ml bottles. The next spout is important. It will remove a bit of wine to get the volume to an equal fill-level in each bottle and give another dose of nitrogen to help ensure there is no oxygen present. Next, the cork is compressed into the bottle, and it moves to the end of the line. Here is where I was first stationed, moving the bottles off the line and onto a long folding table where two labeling machines are set up.

I have been charged with moving bottles off the line, onto the table, and distributing between the two labelers. Because of the shortages of many products around the world due to COVID-19, things like glass bottles and even paper are harder to get this harvest season. The labels for these bottles had to be printed on a thin clear plastic backing. It’s very flimsy and hard to handle in the labeling machines. So, in addition to moving filled bottles off the line, I also tried to keep the plastic sheet from getting coiled back onto itself in the label machine. It took some hand dexterity and twisting at the waist. I have quickly learned I’m a bit out of shape and my muscles are sore in my arms and back. But I’ll consider this working out and press on! Once a bottle is filled and labeled, it is placed upside down in a case box. Once the box is filled with 12 bottles, it is put on a pallet. When the pallet is full, four rows tall with a total of 56 cases, the whole thing is plastic-wrapped together to keep it stable for transporting with the hand lift.

If you’ve seen a call for volunteers to bottle wine, it probably sounds fun. And truly, I think you should do it. It helps a person to appreciate the price of a bottle of wine if you see all that goes into getting the wine into the bottle. But what you don’t think of when you sign up for helping is just how many things can go wrong. The automated bottling machine is all moving pistons and parts. And then you have 10 people doing different jobs, trying to keep the process moving along perfectly. Keep in mind, even the winemaker and staff don’t use this bottling line often, so it takes a little time to remember how to best handle issues.

During our first run, things went pretty smoothly, minus a couple of stops because the labelers were a little glitchy and labels would stick onto themselves to slow the process. At one point, there was a bit of spillage, some wine on the floor, which is not unusual. And here’s where the ‘floater’ comes in as important. The floater can see this happening and stop it before it gets too out of control. Each person who is focused on their specialized task finds it hard to see what’s happening outside of their little station of activity. We didn’t cry over spilled wine but cleaned up quickly to keep on moving.

As the morning wore on, a few people switched work positions. Then we had a nice lunch break, sitting on the back patio of the tasting room with fresh panninis from the kitchen. And then, it was back to work. To be honest, I have probably been more of the pushing force to shorten the breaks and get back to work. The reality is that my fur babies aren’t used to being home alone all day and I wanted to get back to them sooner instead of later!

The afternoon flowed pretty smoothly, and we finished at 4:20 p.m. By then, the other volunteers had all gone and it was the staff plus me. I was happy to have the closure of staying to the finish but didn’t stick around to help with cleaning. I understand the staff didn’t finish cleaning until well into the night and the 8 a.m. start the next day was tough! Did I mention winemaking is a lot of cleaning?

Next Day

This morning my husband was out of town, and I took care of our fur babies and left home a bit early to detour to pick up a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast taco from El Agave in Johnson City. I know, it’s silly to drive past the winery to go an extra 15 miles to order my taco and iced tea, and then head to my volunteer work for the day. But I figure a day starting with my favorite breakfast taco has got to be a good day!

As I arrived at 8 a.m., Mike and two employees were getting things laid out and ready for the first run. A few minutes later, my friend and former employee, Taryn, arrived to help out. Here’s where a bit of a long story comes into play. In late 2018, I opened Perspective Cellars wine shop in downtown Fredericksburg. Taryn worked for me for a bit over a year, and about a year before that, she poured wine at Hye Meadow. She is a huge fan of Mike’s wines. And she volunteers with them any time she can.

As for Perspective Cellars, this was a dream of mine to have a wine tasting room. Actually, I wanted to make wine and thought I was too old to start all over again and learn to be a winemaker. Since I had been studying wine since 2005 and have built up a pretty accurate palate, I thought that it would be easiest to open a wine tasting room. My focus was comparing a wine from Texas to the same wine from other regions of the world. I am so privileged that my little wine shop allowed me to form relationships with wonderful wine industry people all around the state. After nearly three years of getting the small business off the ground, I had decided I was ready to learn winemaking and enrolled in the Texas Tech winemaking certificate program which is to start in September. I wasn’t sure if that meant I would need to promote an employee to a manager position, or exactly what should happen with the wine shop. But then, my friend Taylor, a fellow Sommelier and daughter of a California winemaker, expressed she may be ready to open a tasting room or wine bar. This got me to thinking. Maybe I should move forward with something new and different. I sold Perspective Cellars to Taylor, and she has taken the reigns and has freshened up the decor and put her own twist on the Texas versus the World concept that I had started. My original staff stayed on board with her. And they are rocking it!

Today, we had Mike and Denise, along with two staff, me, and another volunteer. The six of us started just shortly after 8 a.m. and got things rolling. A short while later, we had a couple more volunteers arrive. Today was a bit tougher because one of the labeling machines got tangled upon itself and we were down nearly an hour getting it back up to speed. Super frustrating, but something that eventually worked out. While the machine was down, we kept on keeping on. We continued to bottle and put the unlabeled bottles into cases and stacked them aside for future labeling.

Once the labeling was back online, we unboxed the filled bottles and labeled them all. It’s better to label now while there is help as opposed to planning to label in the future, when there may not be sufficient help to make it happen efficiently. The labeling issues definitely slowed the day and made us feel a little less excited about the progress of the day. But in the big picture, we still bottled a lot of wine today! The Estate Montepulciano was about 215 cases, 145 cases of Petite Verdot, and 190 cases of Aglianico. What a busy day!

After two days of bottling from 8-4:30 p.m., my right foot and my sides are sore. But it’s not anything that won’t even itself out after some Ibuprofen and a glass of wine!

About the Author

Amie Nemec is a longtime wine lover, Sommelier, and founder of Perspective Cellars tasting room in Fredericksburg, Texas. She is now venturing down the path to learn winemaking, so, along with wine writing and food pairing posts, be on the lookout for Amie’s wines in coming years!

2021 has certainly had some crazy weather, which of course has impacted vineyards in Texas. Harvest has started a little later than typical years and is well underway in the Texas Hill Country and beginning in the Texas High Plains. Here is an early look at what five different wineries see for the 2021 harvest and possible implications for the 2021 vintage:

Fall Creek Vineyards

Sergio Cuadra, director of winemaking at Fall Creek Vineyards says, “This year has been anything but typical. The deep freeze that we experienced across the state in February certainly affected many vineyards, reducing the crop size in 2021. We also had more frequent rainfall, which has introduced opportunities for mildew in some vineyards. It has been a cooler than usual growing season, allowing the grapes to ripen more slowly so we are harvesting grapes about two weeks later than typical years. As a result, we will see greatly reduced wine grape quantities in the 2021 harvest, but likely very good quality fruit.

Sergio Cuadra. Photo courtesy of Big Thirst Marketing.

“The one thing that I’m certain about is that the challenging year will shine a spotlight on the very best vineyards. Just as the highly celebrated vineyards of Europe continue to produce outstanding wines even in difficult seasons, so will the very best vineyards in Texas. The microclimates, soils, and vineyard management matter. We are optimistic that Fall Creek Vineyards will have an outstanding 2021 vintage.”

Kerrville Hills Winery

John Rivenburgh, owner and winemaker for Kerrville Hills Winery says, “Now that harvest is underway, it’s nice to see the early season predictions bear fruit in the vineyards we work with. The cool and wet season has given the vine the ability to bounce back. The surprising crop loads and great ripping is starting to prove to be an excellent crop quality. The freeze in February and late-season rains have been no match for the tenacity of Texas growers, who refuse to lose a crop. We have fought hard to work around everything Mother Nature could through our way. We have picked several whites and two reds at this point and are very happy with what’s hit our tanks.”

John Rivenburgh at the 2021 Sémillon harvest. Photo courtesy of Kirk Tuck.

Ron Yates Wines

Ron Yates, owner of Ron Yates Wines says, “Farming is never easy, and it can sometimes be particularly tough to grow grapes in Texas. This year had its challenges, but we’re also looking at a lot of bright spots for the 2021 harvest. The deep freeze that hit Texas in February impacted vines throughout the area. The older vines at Spicewood Estate Vineyard did not fare well in the freeze, and as a result, we’ll get very little fruit this season. The frequent rains that have come late in the growing season are causing problems in some vineyards as well. It was a tough season for a lot of other vineyards too, and there will not be a lot of fruit to go around. We will be sourcing fruit from some of our regular growers, as well as new vineyards to make up for the loss.

Ron Yates

“On the bright side, the beautiful Ron Yates Estate Vineyard has healthy vines bearing about three tons of gorgeous Tempranillo. We’re excited to make our first vintage of wine with these grapes.

“We’re fortunate to have long-standing relationships with excellent grape growers who will have excellent crops this year. Sandy Road Vineyards, managed by our assistant winemaker, Reagan Sivadon, and his team, is looking great. Our blocks of Mencía and Tempranillo grapes growing there are doing really well. Our Grenache growing in Farmhouse Vineyards is looking really good. We expect a great harvest of Mourvèdre from Salt Lick Vineyards.

“We’re really happy that Friesen Vineyard will have another standout year with an excellent crop. We have been receiving grapes from this exceptional vineyard since 2016, and our wines made from its fruit have scored top honors at international wine competitions. The young, vigorous vines eighth leaf vines are doing really well this year. All indications are that the yield will be right what we expect, and the quality will be excellent.

“All in all, we expect that the bright spots in this year’s harvest will outweigh the challenges we are seeing in some vineyards. We’re looking forward to making award-winning wines in the 2021 vintage.”

Texas Heritage Vineyard

Susan Johnson, co-founder of Texas Heritage Vineyard says, “There is no other way to put it. It has been a really weird year. There is a surprise around every corner in the vineyard. This year Texas Heritage Vineyard will harvest grapes from four vineyards in the Texas Hill Country, including our own estate vineyard, the vineyards at Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, two vineyards in Mason County, as well as Timmons Family Vineyard in Terry County in the Texas High Plains. In each of these vineyards, the grapes are ripening later in the season than they ever have before. Typically, we have all of our Hill Country grapes picked by early August. Not this year.

2021 Texas Heritage Vineyard Mourvèdre Harvest. Photo courtesy of Robbyn Dodd Photography.

“We are well underway with harvesting our white grapes and red for rosé wine, and earlier ripening reds. We pulled our first fruit on July 26th, with a hand harvest of Viognier from our estate vineyard. On August 1st, we hand-harvested a young crop of Malbec fruit for use in an estate rosé wine. The quality of the grapes is outstanding. I’ve never seen Vermentino grapes as beautiful as these. Our estate Malbec is just incredible. Not only that, but we have more grapes than last year. So far, our estate vineyard has had an increase of 20% in yield, coming from the fourth leaf vines that are hitting their stride as they begin to mature.

“While we are off to a great start, we are far from finished with this year’s harvest. We have picked just over 49 tons of grapes that are now being processed in our winery, just under half of the 100 tons we expect to get in 2021. The February freeze, coupled with lower temperatures, has extended time for fruit to mature.

“The good news is that the extended growing season lets the fruit develop stronger flavors and deeper color. However, there is a catch-22. The challenge is that the longer the fruit hangs, the more chances for the weather to damage the grapes. Rain falling right before harvest makes the grapes swell with water diluting the flavor. Late summer storms could also damage the grapes. The waiting is the hardest part. Choosing when to pick the grapes is not an exact science. We want to wait long enough for them to develop optimal sugar levels, but before the acidity starts to diminish. When the weather conditions don’t allow for grapes to achieve that precise balance, we use art to make the best wine that we can.”

Wedding Oak Winery

Seth Urbanek, winemaker at Wedding Oak Winery says, “2021 is far from being an ordinary year. If you guessed that the extreme weather in Texas will have an impact on this year’s grape crop, you guessed right. Here are my views on vineyard conditions as we start the 2021 harvest.”

He wrote a full blog post with interesting insights, “What is in Store for the 2021 Grape Harvest? Predictions from Winemaker, Seth Urbanek”

Seth Urbanek with a 2021 harvest. Photo courtesy of Wedding Oak Winery.

What do you do when you want to celebrate a birthday? Head to the Texas Hill Country to celebrate at wineries!

Our friend Rene Pilarte was having a milestone birthday, and he and his wife Carmen, invited us to go to some Hill Country wineries on a weekend with them to celebrate. Wineries? Okay! Also on the trip were Rene and Carmen’s daughter Carmen Carolina with her boyfriend Andrew, and our usual wine group, Lucho and Patricia Rivas, Gloria, and me.

The Pilartes had some suggestions on where they wanted to go and made reservations at one winery but wanted some recommendations, so I helped out with plans for other wineries. We were to leave early on a Saturday and return on a Sunday.

We took two sets of cars on that weekend and arrived for our first tasting at William Chris Vineyards. Since the tasting was by appointment, the winery had everything ready for us when we all arrived at 10 a.m. including a wonderful glass of Mary Ruth at the check-in location. The weather was already getting a little warm even that early, so the chilled white wine was very refreshing. The new Hye Society tasting room does not really have tables for eight people, but they were able to provide two tables of four set up near each other which worked fine.

We all had the Hye Society Educational Experience tasting along with two charcuterie boards that helped during the tastings. Remember our appointment was at 10 a.m. which meant we left Houston before 7 a.m. Not many people were able to have breakfast in order to make the appointment time.

Everyone remarked how nice the tasting room building was and at the end of the tasting, we received many thanks for a great start to the weekend. There were no appointments until 5 p.m., but we certainly had plans. Lucho and Patricia had to pick up wine club wine at Pedernales Cellars, so we told the Pilartes we would meet them at the next tasting location, Covington Hill Country.

After picking up the wine at Pedernales, we met the rest of the group at Covington Hill Country. I was excited to visit the tasting room for the first time since we (Texas Wine Lover) had previously published a couple of posts about the new tasting room and the wines sounded fantastic. Even more exciting was Covington Hill Country had recently become an advertiser with Texas Wine Lover.

We all had a tasting that was very similar to Amie Nemec’s tasting that we published. We enjoyed five-plus wines including a 100% Texas Tempranillo. Carmen was able to bring into the tasting room an assortment of appetizers with meat and cheese she brought from home, and we all were enjoying our visit tremendously.

During our tasting, I noticed a bus for Hill Country Wine Tours arrive with some customers ready to do their own tasting. Talk about coincidence—Hill Country Wine Tours is also an advertiser with Texas Wine Lover! I had to say hello to the two women who were on the tour after they started their tasting. They said the tour had been fantastic so far, and it was nice the appointments were already made, the transportation was there, and they just arrived and started tasting.

Our group finished our tasting, including a couple of extra wines not on the tasting menu, and the entire group all agreed this stop was an excellent choice. The next winery planned was down the road at 12 Fires Winery.

The last time our regular wine group was at 12 Fires Winery, we sat at picnic tables underneath the trees and it was an enjoyable visit. The owners at that time showed us plans for how the winery was going to evolve including a future tasting room. When we arrived this time, we were surprised the path we took for the tasting was a little different than last. At the end of the path, we found a small tasting room trailer and behind that, there was the new tasting room under construction. I then remembered reading the new tasting room was planned to be ready by the end of the year.

We entered the small temporary tasting room, and I was surprised immediately to see one of my wine friends and loyal Texas wine lover, Norma Fox, and her husband Martin. The owners had to attend an event that weekend, so Norma and Martin offered to help out by pouring wine that weekend. They started the day before, so our little group was on their second day, and they did a fantastic job guiding us during our tastings.

The wines were all very good at 12 Fires, and I was surprised to hear the 2020 Doce Uvas was a blend of 12 different grapes! That would make sense though because Doce Uvas is Spanish for twelve grapes (I personally had to look that up, but my companions would have been able to translate it for me). That is definitely the most grapes I have ever had in a blend. And it was good! I wonder if it was just a coincidence there were 12 grapes for 12 Fires Winery.

All in all, it was another excellent stop on our little wine tour. Next was another wine club pick up needed, this time for Gloria and me at Ron Yates. The Pilartes would take their time heading to our next location while we went to pick up the wine.

Bryan Chagoly

The next winery was the planned appointment at 5 p.m. at Sandy Road Vineyards and in the treehouse. This was another winery four of us all loved during our previous visit and, in fact, Lucho and Patricia had become case wine club members. When we arrived at the vineyard and treehouse, the Pilartes were already at the lower tasting shelter and came to the treehouse along with co-owner Bryan Chagoly.

Before the tasting started, I peeked at the vineyard and the grapes were netted and looking like they were doing very well on their way to their eventual harvest.

Our little group had the run of the treehouse overlooking the vineyard, and it definitely is one of the most scenic tastings in the Hill Country. The tasting included such favorites as Roussanne, GSM Rosé, Sangiovese, Mourvèdre, and Tempranillo. We all enjoyed the tasting while snacking on a charcuterie tray. One thing for sure is that we ate a lot of meat and cheese that weekend!

After a day of wineries, it was now time to have some dinner. Because of all the charcuterie we had during the day, nobody was starving, but we were really looking forward to dinner at Hill & Vine which we had heard so many good things about. Hill & Vine is owned by Jesse Barter, the former general manager of 4.0 Cellars (now Texas Wine Collective). Jesse was always cooking at 4.0 Cellars events so eventually owning a restaurant made perfect sense.

Jesse Barter

Hill & Vine is on South Adams Street in Fredericksburg, but you have to watch closely as it is nestled among a row of houses, but there is ample parking in the back of the restaurant. Hill & Vine is a little different where they do not take advanced reservations. Instead, you join their waitlist, and you will receive a text message when your table is ready.

The restaurant had a good selection of foods including salads, sandwiches, burgers, fish, and steaks. An ample wine menu was available with, of course, Texas wine on the list. Everybody enjoyed their meals and we agreed it was an excellent ending to the day.

We woke up on Sunday, and after breakfast at the hotel, we headed back to Houston. Of course, we had some stops along the way.

The first winery visited was Graveyard Vineyards in Dripping Springs. The winery is actually a tasting room for the winery located in Paso Robles, California. Because of that, we knew there would be wines from Paso Robles, but after I visited Paso Robles four years ago, I was excited to try more of the wines.

Adam Campbell-Taylor and staff at Graveyard Vineyards

We met manager Adam Campbell-Taylor and the staff at the tasting room and proceeded with a tasting. The tasting at Graveyard Vineyards included six wines but there are some others that can be tried. There was a white and rosé blend, and the rest were red wines. All of the wines were excellent, and it was tough to pick our favorites to purchase. The Paso Tombstone Red was enjoyed which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. Scream in a glow in the dark bottle was also excellent and that is a blend of the same grapes, but bolder. All in all, we were all pleasantly impressed, and we will be returning to Graveyard Vineyards in the future.

Literally, right next door to Graveyard Vineyards is Parmeson Wines, so that was our next stop. Tastings were a little different where you ordered your tasting flight at the counter, and they gave the flight to you there. You then had a choice of enjoying the tasting in the back room of the tasting room or outside on a picnic table. Our group chose a picnic table underneath the trees.

The wine flight was a selection of four wines out of eight which included three whites, a rosé, and four reds. All of the wines are from California. Owner/winemaker Tom Parmeson moved his family from Houston to California in 2013 to become a winemaker and start their own brand. In 2018, they moved back to Texas with the operation, and Dripping Springs is where they are today.

Most of the group was a little worn from the weekend already, so the men represented the group by selecting our tastings and retiring to a picnic table. The large appetizer box that Carmen had brought from Houston was opened and we were snacking and tasting again. I really enjoyed the Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast, and a bottle came home with us.

We knew we had one last stop before we made it home, and that was at Busted Oak Cellars outside of Carmine. If that city doesn’t sound familiar, it’s a very tiny town. If you have driven from the Houston area to Austin on 290, Carmine is the town that you have to slow down to what seems like a crawl for about half a mile.

The last time our regular wine group was at Busted Oak Cellars, we sat outside on the back patio and most of the group enjoyed the white and red sangria. We were looking forward to it again. I told co-owner Sherrie Cookie ahead of time that we were arriving in case we needed reservations for eight people. During the weekend though, we learned Carmen Carolina and Andrew would not be joining us since they live in Austin.

When we arrived at Busted Oak Cellars, Sherrie had a reserved table for us, and we were ready to enjoy some wine. Some of the group immediately went to the sangria and a couple of us did a tasting of the wines. The tasting flights were brought out in a paddle with little beakers of the wine. It was a pretty cool presentation.

After multiple rounds of sangria and wine were enjoyed, it was now time to call our weekend trip to an end and part ways. We had some fabulous wines during the trip, enjoyed family and friends, and learned celebrating a birthday in the Hill Country is a wonderful choice!

Happy birthday Rene! L-R: Andrew, Carmen Carolina, Carmen, Rene, Jeff, Gloria, Lucho, Patricia

There are many rock stars in the Texas wine industry, and we are proud to feature another rock star, Richard Bowen. Richard is the winemaker behind Silver Dollar Winery’s wines, and they have two locations, one in Bedford near Grapevine and the newest location on US 290 in Johnson City. Read about Richard Bowen and visit one of their locations!

1. What did you do before becoming a winemaker (if anything)?

I drove an 18-wheeler from Dallas to Tulsa every day.

2. What is the toughest challenge about being a winemaker in Texas?

Definitely the weather, from late frost to hail and wind, and good old Texas heat.

3. Is winemaking an art or a science or both?

It’s both. Although you can make wine without the science; constancy and quality come with the science.

4. What is your favorite food and wine pairing?

That’s a hard one. I love food and wine and so many great pairings. Mostly a great steak and a Cab Franc.

5. If you didn’t make wine, what would you do?

I think retirement, full-time RVing, and just seeing the country.

6. What first attracted you to winemaking and how long have you been doing it?

In 2008-2009, my wife Melanie and I were doing the 290 wine trail and she said we can do this. So, she started ordering wine kits and it took off from there.

7. What is the most common question you are asked as a winemaker?

I get asked how we got started in wine, and why wine and not beer.

8. After a long day in the winery or vineyard, what do you do?

We usually set down and try to relax because tomorrow is another long day.

9. What’s the greatest part about being a winemaker?

Watching people smile after tasting our wine, and then taking bottles home to share with their friends and family.

10. What is your winemaking philosophy, that is, what are you trying to achieve with your wines?

To never put anything in a bottle I personally won’t drink. If it fails, I have a lot to drink and I’m a picky wine drinker.

11. Anything else you would like to add?

The wine industry is growing rapidly, not only in Texas but throughout the country. As a Texas winemaker, you must constantly learn new techniques so we can stay on top and continue to produce some of the greatest wine.