Texas Wineries Get Smart: Tourism and TEX-MED Wines
Meet William Chris Vineyards and Eden Hill Vineyards
With the Texas state population at 29.5 million people and a growing list of fine wineries in the state, several winery trends are happening to attract Texas wine drinkers to the new wave of state-made wines. Texas ranks as the 5th largest in wine production in the US.
Texas makes wine, you say? Of course! Actually, wine has been in Texas since the mission days of the early Spanish explorers in the mid-1600’s when priests made sacramental wine.
Two award-winning Texas wineries are making the most of establishing their tasting rooms near major urban centers like Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. Visit William Chris near Fredericksburg in Hye, Texas, and Eden Hill Vineyard and Winery just north of Dallas in Celina, Texas. Smart locations.
Where the Texas Grapes Are
The main population centers of Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas are hundreds of miles from where most of the Texas grapes are grown – the High Plains AVA – American Viticultural Area – a more than 8 million-acre region near Lubbock, Texas. The magic of that location is the soil and the high elevation ranging from 3000 to 4000 ft. that lets the grapes cool off and rest at night from the daytime long, hot, dry summer days. This helps the grapes’ acid levels and growing time.
Notably, the successful, award-winning wineries in Texas have discovered that the grapes from the Mediterranean growing regions of Southern France, Italy, and Spain have been the most suitable grapes for producing the best Texas wines. Thus the “TEX-MED” designation has been coined. You have to select the best match of grapes to terroir* in any wine-growing region. It’s smart.
Texas Wine Road 290 Leads to William Chris Vineyards
The HWY 290 Wine Trail and Hill County area of the Austin-Fredericksburg- San Antonio triangle is home to more than 50 unique wineries. William Chris supports the proposition of using 100% Texas-grown grapes. Additionally, Travel + Leisure Magazine named Texas Hill Country One of the “The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021.”
What began as a collaboration of Hill Country winemakers Chris Brundrett and William Blackmon, William Chris Vineyards has grown to become a much larger, activist company (including Lost Draw Cellars tasting room) concerned with initiatives like truth in labeling and upholding the integrity of each winegrowing region. And they make delicious wines. They offer a variety of tasting room experiences from a portfolio tasting to their high-end private “Uplift Experience.” See More About William Chris Vineyards.
“[For our Uplift Wines] we have held back about 5% of the production from the top lots and produced a very small amount of very high-quality wines. We’ve created a very small private tasting room at the vineyard site where we host private small groups. There is no experience like it in Texas. Claire Richardson is the winemaker there and she’s doing a fantastic job. Working with Jeán Hoelfliger has been a very uplifting experience for our team and our wines.” – Chris Brundrett, CEO, Co-Founder/Winemaker
During our portfolio tasting and tour we ranked our favorite wines featuring grapes originating from the mother countries of France, Italy, and Spain. See Recommendations below.
The William Chris rooms are located along Highway 290 in Hye, Texas, located between Austin and Fredericksburg. The Lost Draw Cellars tasting room is in downtown Fredericksburg. Smart locations, smart grape choices.
The World’s Best Vineyards organization has revealed this year’s top wine destinations for 2022 at an event held in Argentina’s wine capital, Mendoza. The annual list which highlights the world’s finest and most diverse vineyards across the globe included William Chris Vineyards as the 56th best vineyard in the world.
The 2022 list includes more countries than ever before with 20 from all six continents being featured. There are only seven US vineyards on the list, including William Chris Vineyards as the first, and only, Texas winery featured.
Dallas-Area Offers a Great Choice in Eden Hill Vineyards
Eden Hill Vineyard & Winery ,Celina, Texas, is located just north of Dallas’ growing suburban cities and is situated in Collin County, one of the fastest growing counties in the US. Eden Hill produces wines with TEX-MED grapes grown in Lubbock’s High Plains. Eden Hill has also planted its own estate grapes suited for the North Texas climate. With more than 7 million people living in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex area, Eden Hill’s tasting room stays full on many days. Owners Linda & Clark Hornbaker saw a “little Garden of Eden” at this site, thus the name. Winemaker and son, Clark Hornbaker, who studied viticulture and enology, adds his expertise to the venture.
Eden Hill’s current portfolio include grapes originally from Spain, France, and Italy now grown in Texas. Award-winning wines include the 95 Point Tannat (San Francisco Chronicle Double Gold Award) and the 2019 Wine=C2 Bordeaux-style Cabernet and Cabernet Franc with a splash of Petit Verdot blend (94 Points at the Lone Star International Wine Competition). Smart choices of grapes and styles.
Texas wineries have the benefit of a large state population to lure tourists for easy day trips. As these wineries garnish more and more international wine awards, their reach has been expanded outside of the Texas borders. Smart TEX-MED grape choices and good tourist locations have accounted for the growing success of the Texas wine industry.
*Terroir is a French term for “Specificity of Place,” including climate, soil, sunlight, elevation, winds, humidity, rainfall, topography, and farming practices. There is no other single word translation for terroir other than in French.
If You Go/Where to Stay:
(Comfort and Fredericksburg, Texas area)
Cotton Gin Village, 2805 S State Hwy 16, Fredericksburg, TX 830-990-8381.
A delightful B&B with varied room choice configurations. The morning “hanging hot breakfast” outside a cabin is famous here. The Cabernet Grill Texas Wine Country Restaurant is nearby for fine dining.
(Celina and McKinney, Texas Area)
The Grand Hotel, 114 W. Louisiana St., McKinney, Texas, 214-726-9250.
The Grand Hotel is a luxury boutique hotel located on the downtown square in McKinney. This hotel houses the 4-star Rick’s Chop House and can accommodate events and weddings.
Wine Recommendations
2020 Enchanté William Chris Vineyards, Bordeaux-style Red Blend, $56
92 Points, VinePair.
2020 Artist Blend, William Chris Vineyards, $58.
Since 2011 the Artist Blend label features artwork of a different talented artist. 2020 is “Vigne Monarque” by Bella Zaleski. The blend is one similar to those in the southern Rhône region of France: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Tannat.
2022 Mary Ruth White Wine, William Chris Vineyards, $ 36.
Since 2011, this dry white wine blend has been their most popular and is comprised of grapes such as Muscat blanc, East Texas’ Blanc du Bois, and Malvasia Bianca.
2019 Wine=C2 Eden Hill Vineyard, Red Blend, $ 62.
94 Points, Lone Star International Wine Competition.
96 Points (Double Gold), San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
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Linda, It's a great wine and well-suited to the Texas High Plains AVA. Thanks for your comment.
Great story! One of my Texas favorites is McPherson's Viognier, which I discovered on a tasting visit to Lubbock.