Best Wineries in Texas Hill Country
Ask your typical French or California wine lover where to find the world’s best wineries, and you’ll hear answers like Sonoma and Beaujolais. Mention Texas and you might just get a couple of sniggers. Nonetheless, the Lone Star State produces an incredible volume of excellent wines well worth your while. Dozens of great wineries produce a variety of grapes that are then used to produce excellent wines unique to Texas.
Texas is home to eight federally approved viticultural areas that are required to make 85% of their product from grapes grown within those approved regions. The eight regions are:
- Bell Mountain
- Fredericksburg
- Texas Hill Country
- Escondido Valley
- Texas High Plains
- Davis Mountain
- Mesilla Valley
If you’re interested in trying some great Texas wine – and you really should – we recommend the following eight Texas Hill Country wineries. You will not be disappointed.
1. Barons Creek Vineyards
Winemaker Russell Smith is a Houston native who moved to the Napa Valley in the early 1980s to learn his craft. He is now the man in charge of the wine at Barons Creek Vineyards in Fredericksburg. This family-owned winery is the dream of three brothers who set out to create a vineyard and winery experience like no other in Texas.
2. Becker Vineyards
Becker Vineyards was established in 1992 by Richard and Bunny Becker on 46 acres they purchased to create their own Hill Country getaway. Between the Beckers, their two sons, and a dedicated winery team, the vineyard produces some 100,000 cases per year.
3. Fall Creek Vineyard
Fall Creek Vineyards is where you’ll find an eclectic combination of old-school winemaking and new technology. The vineyards 20,000 ft.² winery includes a tasting room, fermentation room, and guest quarters upstairs. It also produces some very good wines.
4. Inwood Estates
Inwood Estates actually operates three wineries in Texas. Their Hill Country location is in Fredericksburg off U.S. 290. Inwood Estates takes great pride in producing wines that are uniquely Texan in every way. As one of the first vineyards in Texas, they have more than earned their reputation for quality and craftsmanship.
5. Messina Hof
Messina Hof also has multiple operations in the state. Their Fredericksburg winery complements additional wineries in Bryan and Grapevine, producing more than 130,000 gallons of exquisite wine every year. The family-owned business planted their first vineyard in 1977.
6. Perissos
Perissos may be comparatively small with only 16 acres to work with, but the winery has won several awards for its handcrafted wines made from fruit grown exclusively in Texas. Their exceptional wine is presented in a relaxed and unpretentious environment where guests feel right at home.
7. Pedernales Cellars
Located in Stonewall, Pedernales Cellars is more than just a winery. It is an estate winery committed to producing award-winning wines using ecologically sound practices. Their wines are made with various grape varieties all grown in the Texas Hill Country.
8. Stone House
Stone House Vineyard takes its name from an impressive winery built using massive limestone blocks. Owners Angela and Howard Moench base their winemaking on the heritage and time-tested principles Angela learned while growing up in Australia. The couple combines Australian techniques with unique Texas fruits to create exceptional wines.
Winemaking is a craft that is alive and well in the Hill Country of Texas. We invite you to take your own wine-tasting tour of the eight wineries listed here. They are all located within easy distance from one another and easily accessible from every region of the state.