Texas wine is entering its best era yet. Here’s what to drink this summer from Texas wineries and winemakers:
8 single vineyard wines to try:
Becker Malbec Reserve, Tallent Vineyards, Texas Hill Country, 2019: full bodied with rich red fruit and savory herbal notes.
Bending Branch Tannat, Newsom Vineyards, Texas High Plains, 2018: well structured, with rich black cherry, red plum and coffee notes.
Duchman Family Winery, Aglianico, Oswald Vineyards, Texas High Plains, 2016: a rustic wine, with black cherry and plum flavors, notes of cedar and baking spice, and muscular tannins.
Fall Creek Winery Tempranillo, Salt Lick Vineyard, Texas Hill Country, 2019: medium bodied, with full, dark red fruit and hints of smoke and leather.
Pedernales Petite Sirah, Farmhouse Vineyards, Texas High Plains, 2018: blackberry and blueberry flavors with hints of violet.
Spicewood Vineyards Tempranillo, Dutton Vineyards, Texas High Plains, 2019: aromas of black plum and nutmeg, with sour cherry and black plum flavors.
Wedding Oak Granitique, Cherokee Vineyards, Texas Hill Country, 2018: medium tannins with bright red cherry fruit.
William Chris Roussanne, La Pradera Vineyards, Texas High Plains, 2020: a medium bodied, crisp white with rich texture, showing floral and apple notes.
7 wines using new grape varieties:
Spicewood Vineyards found success with its Battle of Toro, a blend of Touriga Nacional and Tempranillo. The 2017 vintage was awarded top honors —Judges’ Selection — at the 2021 TexSom International Wine Awards. Touriga Nacional is an excellent blending grape, with qualities similar to cabernet sauvignon.
Bending Branch Winery, the first to plant Souzao (a dark skinned grape with good natural acidity), released a single vineyard varietal wine, Bending Branch Estate Souzao, Lost Pirogue Vineyard, 2017.
Sagrantino is a hardy, dark red Italian grape variety that’s high in tannins. At the 2021 San Francisco International Wine Competition, the Messina Hof Paulo Limited Edition Sagrantino, 2018, won a double gold award. This year, Bending Branch Winery released its first Sagrantino.
Teroldego is a northern Italian dark-skinned grape with bright, tart red fruit and blackberry notes. Pedernales Cellars Teroldego 2019 and Kalasi Cellars Teroldego 2017 are both produced with fruit from Narra Vineyards in the Texas High Plains.
Sandy Road Vineyards has the only Prieto Picudo (a red grape from northern Spain) planted in the U.S. and is among the few that have planted Mencia (a red grape from Spain and Portugal) and Marselan (a cross of cabernet sauvignon and grenache, from Southern France).
3 miracle wines that defy climate challenges:
Fall Creek Meritus, Texas Hill Country: This cabernet sauvignon-forward blend varies each year. The 2019 vintage, made of 100% cabernet sauvignon, shows smooth tannins and rich dark fruit with mocha and tobacco notes. The 2012 vintage — a cab-merlot blend — has aged well, with dried herb and earthy notes lending complexity.
Becker Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Canada Family Vineyard, Texas High Plains 2018: Made with fruit grown 6 miles from the New Mexico border, the wine shows rich plum and cherry fruit, with herbal, allspice, coffee, cocoa, and leather notes.
English Newsom Dry Riesling, Texas High Plains 2020: Showing pineapple and grapefruit flavors, with notes of pear and lemon, this wine was awarded best of class at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
7 bubblies!
Bending Branch Winery Tannat Frizzante Wine, Texas Hill Country, 2021
Siboney Cellars Coral Estrellas Petillant Naturel, Texas High Plains, 2019
Pedernales Kyla Petillant Naturel Rosé, 2020
Ron Yates Grenache Petillant Naturel, Farmhouse Vineyard, 2021
Spicewood Vineyards Pet Nat of Grenache, 2021