Hill Country Wines Delight
The Texas Hill Country is one of the top wine destinations in the world for 2014. Experience our vineyards:
Pleasant Hill Winery -- Brenham, Texas
While Brenham may be known for Blue Bell ice cream, wine lovers should know that there are a few good wineries nearby that are worth the stop and valuable sipping time. Located just on the south side of town, Please Hill Winery has been crafting wine in the area for fifteen years. Owners Bob and Jeanne Cottle started out with some experimental vines on his ponderosa with Lake Emerald grapes. They currently source grapes from vineyards in Huntsville, the Davis Mountains, and Lubbock areas. Everything from A to Z is done on site. Some of the whites you'll enjoy are the Sauvignon Blanc, Fume Blanc and Collina Bianca. The Collina Rossa is a nice light Cabernet/Zinfandel blend. If you can get your hands on the 2006 Cabernet, hold on to it. Those vines were unfortunately a casualty of Texas fires. The port style wines are quite nice. Of the three available, the Portejas Blanco and Tawny Rosso Forte really stand out. They are just slightly fortified, so you will get more of the natural wine kick in these ports than a well fortified one. The award winning ports will be great for holiday events. Feel free to enjoy a glass of wine here as you take in the lovely rolling hills of Brenham. You'll realize why Texas does have special places to enjoy.
pleasanthillwinery.com
Burton, Texas
Burton, Texas August 2009
Town of Burton and the Burton Cotton Gin.
Burton, Texas
Morning time in Burton,Texas.
Lost Draw Cellars – Fredericksburg, Texas
Located in the Texas High Plains, Lost Draw Vineyards has done their best at contributing to the Texas wine industry by producing some great grapes. Many Texas winemakers can thank Lost Draw Vineyards for producing some top quality grapes for any number of wines produced by state wineries. Wine lovers know full well that good wine starts with good grapes….no ifs, ands or buts. In Fredericksburg, you can now find their tasting room, Lost Draw Cellars - a collaboration of partners Troy Ottmers, Andrew Sides, and Andy Timmons. Kim McPherson is also helping out with their initial wine making. At the Fredericksburg tasting room (opened last Nov 21st) you’ll be able to taste many of their quality wines. The late freeze of 2013 was a detriment to many Texas high plains vineyards. As a result, not all 2013 Texas vintages will be sourced from Texas grapes as wineries supplemented much of their grapes from New Mexico, California, and Washington. Lost Draw Vineyards has since installed a wind machine to help combat late freezes and proved its worth during an April 2014 freeze. Currently, there are eight wines for tasting. For whites, start with the 2013 Arroyo Blanco. It’s a blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne that has good character and quite smooth. Next, try the Gemutlichkeit. It's blended with Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne that comes across as crisp and dry. The other white is a Gewürztraminer. It’s a really good one to sip and swirl on a lazy afternoon. End off the white list with their very nice and refreshing French Colombard. Now on to the reds! The Arroyo Rojo is a Mourvedre, Grenache, Carignan blend with a touch of Viognier. It's a good enjoyable mellow red wine. Their Tempranillo is a great one that lives up to the Texas reputation as Tempranillo country. It has good aroma, color, and quite fruit forward. Lastly, you’ll savor the Sangiovese red wine. This one is the star of the show! Made from 40 year old vines (yes 40 year old Texas vines), it just has that quality taste and finish you’d expect from old world wines. Sadly, we heard that Lost Draw will be pulling up these old vines, so this is likely one of the last vintages for their old Sangiovese grape vines. The Arroyo Blush is a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Cinsault that is a bit sweet and refreshing when chilled with some tangerine like notes. It’s always great to visit a winery when they first open. The staff here are warm and welcoming and will treat you wonderfully. Troy can be found at the tasting room and is a good friendly guy to chat with, too. So come check them out when you’re in town and enjoy Fredericksburg's newest winery and tasting room as we don't think you'll be disappointed!
lostdrawcellars.com
Hawk Shadow Estate Winery – Dripping Springs, Texas
Just north of Dripping Springs, but south of the Pedernales River are some spectacular Texas Hill Country views. What a perfect place to establish a vineyard and winery! This all family run business has done just that. Owners Doug Reed, Tom Reed, and Chip Concklin opened up their tasting room in February 2014 and are serving some great tasting Texas wines along with generous Texas hospitality. Tim Drake from Flat Creek has assisted with some consulting, as well. They currently have seven acres planted on the estate with one area on its fourth leaf and the other on its ninth. Varietals include: Grenache, Syrah, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Mourvedre, Nebbiolo,and Aglianico. The vines look quite healthy and cared for. As we all know, great wine starts with great grapes. Most of what is currently available for tasting has been sourced from the Texas High Plains while the estate vineyard has been maturing. There are three whites for tasting, but by no means are these your traditional white wines. As the owners will tell you, they make and serve “red style white wine for red wine drinkers”. The 2011 Orange Muscat is dry with some tawny toasted notes, making it quite unique compared to other Orange Muscats in the state as this one is dry without the sweet side that traditionally is used for this varietal. The 2012 version (same vineyard, different year) labeled, Big O, has a bit more alcohol, but also tastes just as good yet completely different from the 2011. Who thought that dry Orange Muscats could taste this good without being sweet, but the owners have done a fine job on those two. The barrel fermented and unfiltered Chenin Blanc will initially present the buttery notes with a lovely smoothness then finishes off as citrusy. The Texas Gal, a blend of Chenin Blanc and Muscat Canelli, has a hint of sweetness but not too much. For the reds, the 2012 Tres Robles is a blend of 78% Mourvedre and the rest comprised of Malbec and Syrah. It's light oak notes compliment the very strong strawberry, pomegranate and rhubarb aromas on the nose. Their local estate produced 2011 HSV is sold out but not to worry! A new vintage is already bottled and should be released by Fall 2014. You’ll also be in for a treat with their Wild Child 2. It has a nice smokiness yet remains quite smooth. They also have a Tempranillo barrel aged in Hungarian oak for twenty months….expect this one to be superb. Twenty months is a good bench mark for the winemaker. After all, quality cannot be rushed. Also in the works is a Syrah that is quite herbaceous. It, too, will be great on its own or as a complimentary blend in the future. When we visited, they were just about ready to harvest in the next day or two as the sugar was looking good on the fruit. We sampled some of their yet to be harvested Tempranillio grapes and they had wonderful flavors and characters for this yet to be aged juice. You could tell that the 2014 Tempranillo is going to be great tasting wine and a keeper for the cellar! We really enjoyed our initial visit to this up and coming rising star for Texas Hill Country Wineries. The owners and staff (family members) are extremely friendly, make you feel comfortable and at home, and are very happy to visit with you about what is going on at the winery. Hopefully, their future crops will be fruitful and their cases will multiply! We are definitely going back to check in and see how things progress and pick up some of the new releases. Cheers and Welcome to the Texas Hill Country Winery industry Hawk Shadow!!
hawksshadow.com
The Crown Jewel of Texas Wineries
In the beautiful Texas Hill Country sits a pristine 80± acre wine estate on the north side of Lake Travis near Austin, Texas. As the crown jewel of Texas wineries, Flat Creek Estate has earned more than 250 awards and accolades, including a coveted Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. It's no wonder, considering the tranquil estate is nestled in the gently rolling hills of Central Texas where the deep sandy-loam soil is perfect for growing grapes. From the first vines planted nearly 16 years ago, Flat Creek's fertile vineyards have grown to approximately 20 acres of Sangiovese, Syrah, Montepulciano. Tempranillo, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc and others from which the winery produces more than 10,000 cases of exceptional wine annually. The estate features a well-appointed two-bedroom apartment that would make for easy living quarters while building the luxurious home of your dreams. In addition, the estate features a wine-tasting room, bistro, clubhouse, event pavilion, office and work out facility as well as wine production and storage facilities. A heli-pad makes for easy access to and from the estate. To view the video and for more information please visit centraltexaswinery.com.
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Kiepersol Estates Winery -- Tyler, Texas
The founder of the estate is demonstrating what it's like to achieve the American dream. Coming to this country with little money, he chose East Texas as the site for a vineyard and winery. Initial planting started in 1998 and has now grown to 60 acres and 14 varietals. The fruits of his labor have literally grown to become a successful business and a recognized winery and vineyard from East Texas. Both red and white varietals can be found here. As most Texas grape growers know, red grapes other than Black Spanish can be quite a challenge if not near impossible to maintain in East Texas. However, hard work and determination has shown that it can be done. The first vintages came out in 2000. All of the wines available for tasting are well balanced with tannins taking a back seat. There is about an equal selection of dry and sweet to red and white to blush wines. With almost two dozen wines to select from, there is something here for everyone. For the sweet whites, you'll definitely want to try the White Zinfandel along with your favorite cake dessert. The Kiepersol Vit has a mango aroma that gives it a tropical feel. For dry whites, you can't go wrong with their Viognier or Semillion. Both are crisp and complex yet easy enough for anyone to enjoy. Syrah lovers will be very pleased with their 2008 and 2007 selections! The most memorable tasting notes for the reds are the 2008 Cabernet and Barrel No 33. For deep bold and dry wine lovers, those two are for you! Don't forget to save room for the port. It is a tawny style port and....well....wow! We look forward to featuring in more detail these and other wines we picked up from the winery in future blogs. Don't let the fact that you have to drive through a housing area dissuade you...there really is a lovely winery waiting at the end of the road for you to enjoy. The estate also has a very fine high end restaurant and Bed and Breakfast. This place has a lot to offer its wine lovers. And did we mention the view from the tasting room? You'll just have to go and check it out for yourself and see! Go early enough in the day to be able to sit and enjoy the spectacular view with your glass of wine.
kiepersol.com
Pedernales Cellars -- Stonewall, Texas
Just off of U.S. Hwy 290 and past the LBJ Ranch is a distinctly Texas style family run vineyard and winery. Their 17 acre estate vineyard contains many of the hot varietals such as Tempranillo, Touriga, Mourvedre, and Genache. These grape varietals have done well in Texas's own unique and sometimes unpredictable climate. Since the days when they first o...pened with just a handful of wines, you can now find a wide selection of whites and reds available with Texas grown grapes in the bottles. The Vino Blanco and Grenache Rose are distinctly good as well as the Muscat Canelli. The Texas Family Reserve really stands out as their quality red and if you're lucky you may still find a few 2006 vintages around. After you've indulged in the Tempranillo and Merlot, save yourself for the Ruby Port. It packs a punch. Wow says it all! We hear that their geothermal cooled cellar is worth checking out, too. The views from the high perch of this winery likewise provide a breathtaking opportunity to relax, soak in the beautiful surrounding Texas hill country and beckon you to stay a while.
pedernalescellars.com
Brazos Valley Bucket List - The Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail - KBTX News 3 - Shane McAuliffe