There’s no better way to spend a weekend day than driving through the Texas Hill Country and sampling wines. The Texas Hill Country Wine Trail (http://www.texaswinetrail.com) features 24 vineyards (currently; more are added each year). The trail’s northernmost point is in Bend (Alamosa Wine Cellars); the closest to San Antonio is Dry Comal Creek in New Braunfels.
We generally target four or five vineyards, plan our route, and pack a picnic lunch. We often go with friends, which of course makes the entire outing more fun. You’ll sample a variety of wines at each location. Most tasting rooms have a small tasting fee that is often waived if you purchase a bottle.
Many vineyards have invested a great deal in their tasting rooms, and some schedule non-wine events. Torre di Pietra (just east of Fredericksburg) features a lovely gift shop and live music on the weekends on their outdoor patio. Becker Vineyards just completed their annual lavender festival and has recently expanded its tasting room.
Our personal favorite is
Flat Creek Estate, about 20 miles east of Marble Falls. Their wines are fabulous (we’re members of their “grand cru” tasting club), and they have one of the prettiest tasting rooms on the trail. They’ve recently begun serving a light lunch in their events building. You’ll also meet many friendly “vineyard dogs.”
IMPORTANT NOTE about traveling the wine trail in the summer: So how quickly do you turn on your a/c when returning to the car? Think about your wine sitting in that as you taste. Texas summers are an enemy of your wine purchases. When taking the wine trail during warm months, bring a cooler filled with ice to hold your purchases while you visit other vineyards. Otherwise, the Texas heat will ruin your wine before you can get it home.
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