Texas boasts a winemaking history that dates all the way back to the 1600s, when Spanish missionaries brought up vines from what’s now Mexico to make sacramental wine. The industry further developed in the 19th century; the state’s oldest pre-Prohibition winery, Val Verde Winery, was founded in 1883 and is still in operation. Fast forward about 100 years to 1992, when the Lone Star got its first American Viticultural Area (AVA)—the Texas High Plains, where more than 85% of the state’s wine grapes are now grown.
The industry has grown extensively in the ensuing decades. Many winemakers first began with plantings of popular international grapes—Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and others. But viticulturalists later discovered that lesser-known varieties, like Viognier, Roussanne, Picpoul, Tempranillo and others were more successful in Texas’s largely sunny and dry climate.
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These days, wine is Texas’s fastest-growing agricultural commodity with more than 800 wineries spread across eight AVAs. It’s certainly more difficult than ever to narrow down which wineries to add to a travel itinerary. To remedy this potential option paralysis, we quizzed in-the-know wine writers, restaurateurs, sommeliers and local industry professionals about the best Texas wineries to visit along with suggestions for where to sleep and eat nearby.
Austin C.L. Butaud / Image Courtesy of C.L. Butaud The Austin Winery
Roughly a 15-minute drive from the Austin airport, visit this St. Elmo Arts District spot upon
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
