Hill Country is just west of Austin and a easy day trip, with the nearest wineries being 45 minutes from downtown and the furthest being 1.5 hours away. It is very relaxed and way less touristy than Napa, but there are definitely some wineries that are getting quite crowded. Most places charge a tasting fee, in the $10-20 range. I definitely recommend taking a day to go visit 2-3 wineries. As for when to visit, anytime is good as long as you don't mind the heat. Fall and spring are high season, and winter is busy too. Summer is pretty dead (in some wineries we were the only ones there...awkward).
There are many wineries to visit along Highway 290, and of the couple I've been to I recommend William Chris Vineyards and Driftwood Estate Winery, both of which are <1 hour from Austin. There are also some [arguably more famous] wineries in Fredericksburg, but I was always too lazy to drive the 1.5 hours.
I really enjoyed William Chris Vineyards because of two things: the attention during the tasting and the beautiful property. You have to make reservations in advance, which is kind of annoying, but that meant that we got really good service. The girl who guided us through the tasting was so knowledgable and we learned so much. Afterwards, we bought a bottle and just chilled on the grounds overlooking the vineyards with one of their cute dogs (see below photo).
The other winery I'd recommend is Driftwood Estate Winery, which is only 40 minutes from Austin. I really love their outdoor space overlooking the valley - super relaxing (see picture below)! I also quite enjoyed their wines and recall buying a red wine (sorry don't remember the varietal). It was very bold and spicy, and I must've really liked it if I remember it 3 years later. I also recommend stopping by Salt Lick, which is close-ish to Driftwood. The barbecue is really good - not Franklin good, but you won't have to wait 4 hours.
You really can't go wrong with any winery in Hill Country. I did most of my research on Yelp, if you are looking for more options. The only winery I don't recommend is Duchman Winery. I thought the place was overrun with people, the service sucked, and the wine was average. Just wanted to share my opinion because I know Duchman shows up on a lot of guides.
Katie, as a proud native Texan, I appreciate this post! I went to a bachelorette party in Fredericksburg last spring where we spent a day winery-hopping (William Chris was one of the stops). Prior to that trip, I had last been wine-tasting in the area in 2013. I think the quality is improving rapidly. I still find the wine pretty mediocre, but it was noticeably better in 2017 than 5 years earlier.
ReplyDeleteIf there's one thing I know about Texans, it's that they love buying things marketed as Texas brands or "Made in Texas." The extends from zip slider plastic bags to hot sauce to seafood (see: https://www.heb.com/totally-texas ... no other state can compete with this!). Even though Texas-made wine is still a small percentage of total wine consumed in Texas (8 percent was the stat I found), what's more fun than being a Texan in Texas drinking Texas-made wine?
I found a great article (link below) in the Austin Chronicle about federal labelling standards that require 75% of grapes to be grown in Texas in order for a bottle to be labeled as "Texas wine." My favorite quote from the article?
"Texans are proud of our state, and most people I know would be disappointed to know something labeled Texan is only partly Texan – particularly if it's also from California, forgive my language. You cannot go Texan with Texafornia wine." - State Representative Jason Issac, who is pushing to increase the percentage grown in-state to 100%. What Texan can't resist a little dig at California?
One resourceful Fredericksburg winery, Hilmy Cellars, had a tough harvest in 2014. Their solution? A 50% Texas/50% California red blend marketed under the named "Politics & Religion."
https://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2017-04-28/how-texas-is-texas-wine/