The Lone Star State is home to excellent wineries in various landscapes, from the Texas Hill Country to the Texas High Plains. The best flights for this trip are Qatar airways business class flights with lavish services. Texas wineries are drawing travelers with value, laid-back style, and small-town charm. The American Viticultural Areas in Texas support a robust wine tourism industry thanks to a climate ideal for growing grapes from Italy and southern France and to vistas reminiscent of those scenic wine areas. Also, wine prices here are a steal compared to well-known wine regions like California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma. Book Ethiopian Airlines for affordable tickets, bring your cowboy boots, borrow a pickup truck, eat some home-cooked rural food, and experience the true spirit of the Old West at one of these excellent vineyards in Texas. If you want to
Fall Creek Vineyards: Tow
Since Ed and Susan Auler planted the first Vitis vinifera plants on their central Texas ranch in 1975, the Texas Hill Country wine industry has mainly been ascribed to them. The original Fall Creek Vineyards, located on Lake Buchanan and 2 miles northeast of Tow, is renowned today for its tranquil, rural environment and European country furnishings.
Duchman Family Winery: Driftwood
The Duchman family’s vineyard in Texas’s Hill Country is so stunning, thanks to its Tuscan-style red roof tiles and stone walls, that HGTV named it one of the most scenic wineries in the United States. Wines like Vermentino and Sangiovese have their foundation in the grapes grown on Texas’ High Plains. For $17 per person, you may partake in a traditional wine tasting and sample six different varieties while snacking on pizza or charcuterie boards created in the restaurant’s kitchen.
Stonewall, Kuhlman Cellars
Kuhlman Cellars, situated in the Texas Hill Country about 60 miles west of Austin and 75 miles north of San Antonio, attributes the quality of their wine to the stream that runs through the property. Alluvé, the house red, gets its name from the estate’s alluvial soil, which brings a boost from debris in the stream. Pair it with seasonal snacks like roasted red pepper hummus and Camembert bacon tartine, or sample the winery’s handcrafted herbed almonds.
Driftwood, Fall Creek Vineyards
Visit Fall Creek Vineyards’ newest location in Driftwood for a taste of some of the state’s finest vintages. Located fewer than 30 miles southwest of downtown Austin, the stunning estate produces award-winning sauvignon blanc and tempranillo from grapes grown around Texas. The terroir collection features the top wines from the winery’s local vineyard partners. The $20 Winemaker’s Choice Tasting includes five carefully chosen wines.
Bending Branch Winery: Comfort
The 56-acre Bending Branch Winery is located about 50 miles northwest of San Antonio. It employs 14 acres of land to cultivate wide Mediterranean varieties, including the tasty Tannat grape. The Young family founded their winery in 2009, using cutting-edge methods like cryomaceration and ThermoFlash fermentation to produce robust and well-balanced reds that have earned the title of “Best Winery” from the San Antonio Express-News Readers’ Choice Awards from 2015 through 2021.
Fredericksburg’s Messina Hof Hill Country Winery
Founded in 2011 by the Bonarrigo family, this Fredericksburg vineyard features a tasting area with over 50 wines, a restaurant, and a gift store. The roughly 10-acre property also features a bed and breakfast called Manor Haus B&B, which offers accommodations in one of four individually decorated cottages with a rustic-chic vibe. Rest your head amid the picturesque Lenoir vineyards after a day of exploring the local landscape on foot, on two wheels, or in the water.
Spicewood Vineyards
Just 35 miles north of Austin, Spicewood Vineyards is a popular destination for day-trippers, pet-loving vacationers, and those searching for a memorable venue for special occasions. On the winery’s patio, guests may have a glass of Good Guy and some cheeses while taking in tranquil views of the vineyards.
Becker Vineyards: Stonewall
The Becker Vineyard’s estate is surrounded by lavender fields reminiscent of France’s. The estate’s Bordeaux-, Burgundy-, and Rhone-style wines have been served at the White House and the James Beard House. Cheese and charcuterie, a commemorative Riedel wine glass, and a private tour of Becker’s winery are all included in the $55 Private Tour & Tasting experience.
Fredericksburg, Texas Wine Collective
The Texas Wine Collective, formerly known as 4.0 Cellars, near Fredericksburg, is a great place to drink wines from three different producers without taking three separate trips. Several tour companies provide trips from San Antonio and Austin to the region’s fifty wineries. It is a joint effort of Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery, and McPherson Cellars to create this unique winery.
Lubbock, Llano Estacado
The Texas High Plains, roughly 130 miles south of Amarillo, are home to this famous vineyard, which is why it is often overlooked by tourists looking for the Texas Hill Country. Beginning in the 1980s, when its 1984 chardonnay won the double gold medal at the International Wine Competition in San Francisco, Llano Estacado placed its American Viticultural Area on the map with its high-quality wines.
Bryan Messina Hof Winery & Resort
Located in the eastern Texas Brazos Valley, some 100 miles northwest of Houston, Messina Hof Winery & Resort was established by the offspring of an Italian vintner more than four decades ago. The winery and its two offshoots generate a combined yearly total of 130,000 gallons of wine. Try the private reserve petite syrah, which has hints of cherry, plum, and black pepper, or the award-winning Paulo Sagrantino.
Grapevine Urban Wine Trail
The town of Grapevine got its name from the wild mustang grapes that 19th-century homesteaders discovered in the area. Qatar airways economy class can make your trip cheaper. Today, Grapevine is one of Texas’ most famous wine tourism hotspots. The city is home to the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association and many wineries that are part of the city’s Urban Wine Trail.
Stonewall, Pedernales Cellars
About 65 miles west of Austin lies the Pedernales River Valley, where you’ll find this family-run vineyard and tasting facility spread across 145 acres. The winery uses eco-friendly methods, including geothermal cooling in its storage cellar, natural pest management in its vines, solar lighting in its tasting area, and composting of wine by-products to make its mostly Spanish and Rhone-style varietals. On the lovely outdoor terrace, you may enjoy your tasting for as little as $20 per person.
Southold Farm + Cellar: Fredericksburg
This small family business is located approximately 65 miles west of Austin. They take great pleasure in their minimal intervention winemaking approach, which results in a wine that more accurately reflects the nuances of the local seasonal terroir. You may reserve a tasting for $25, which will get you four tastes of wine from a trained guide, plus an additional $35 if you want to try some food with it.
Hye, William Chris Vineyards
This winery, the brainchild of two seasoned Texans in the industry, is a hit because of its picturesque surroundings, delicious wines, and helpful employees. The vineyard produces a wide range of varietals, from blanc du Bois to cabernet sauvignon, all of which are designed to highlight the distinctive Texas terroir in each bottle. You may improve your tasting experience with a picnic lunch, a guided vineyard tour, or a two-hour storytelling session under a 400-year-old oak tree while sampling the latest vintage for an additional $25 per person.
