Often you may come across a Texas wine being sold in a retail store. After buying and enjoying it, you decide you have to visit the winery. That is exactly what happened to me when I bought a bottle of Ranch Brand Cosmic Armadillo Red Blend at Dos Olivos Market in Buda.
Ranch Brand Wine & Spirits is located in Wimberley and is owned by Christopher Ware and West Stone. As I was told when I visited the tasting room, Ware is the spirits guy and Stone is the wine guy. The tasting room opened the summer of 2022.
If you have been to downtown Wimberley, there is a quaint shopping district where you can walk to multiple stores, and right in the middle of it is Ranch Brand Wine & Spirits. I arrived soon after they opened and had my choice of tables, a middle bar area, or a bar near the kitchen area. Since I was alone and was going to be asking some questions, I opted for the kitchen area bar.
Perusing the menu, one side had spirits, cocktails, and food while the other side had the wine selection. Ranch Brands is also a craft distillery producing its own premium spirits made from locally sourced ingredients. Spirits made are vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey. There is a large wine selection with a mix of Texas and non-Texas wines.
The winery is transparent on all their wines whether it’s 100% Texas, California, or Spain. That may be true if you look at the bottle, but the menu was not 100% clear as to the source when I was trying to determine what to order. Vineyard names are listed and if you know the Texas vineyard, you’ll know that’s a Texas wine, or if you see Sonoma Coast, you’ll know that’s a California wine. But now that I look again at the photo I took of the menu, there is a faint outline of Texas, California, Spain, and I think Washington state. Perhaps words might make it clearer?
Here is a list of some of the Texas wines that were available at the time of my visit:
- 2021 Axis Jack Sangiovese, Klenk Vineyard
- 2021 Axis Jack Mourvèdre, Farmhouse Vineyard
- 2019 Axis Jack Tempranillo, Lahey Vineyard
- 2019 Axis Jack Montepulciano, Lamesa Vineyard
- 2021 Cosmic Armadillo Tempranillo Blend (Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache)
- 2021 Ranch Red Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Petit Verdot, Mourvèdre, Tannat, Tinto Cao, Touriga Nacional)
- 2023 Catch & Release (Blanc du Bois), Cummins Creek Vineyard
As mentioned, there are California and Spanish wines. Sweet wines and sparkling wines are also available. Besides a glass of wine, you can do a tasting that includes three wines of three ounce pours each; that’s about two glasses of wine. But don’t worry about rushing through a tasting. Take your time and relax while snacking on some of the small bites or sandwiches.
Next time you are looking for something to do, make a trip to Wimberley to walk among the shops and visit Ranch Brand Wine & Spirits for some tasty wine, spirits, and food.