The Texas Hill Country is a year-round destination, not only for the allure of its charming historic towns and natural scenic beauty but for the abundance of spectacular wineries throughout the region.
Undeniably, California is America’s top wine producer claiming a 60% share of the U.S. market by volume. But when it comes to taste, Texas wines are on a winning streak. At the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC), the largest competition of North American Wines, 5,700 wines competed from over 1,000 wineries. A total of 50 Texas wineries collected 259 medals. As noted in The Dallas Morning News, “Of those winners, 237 were wines made with grapes grown in Texas, including 57 that won gold medals — 14 of them were “Double Gold” (unanimously voted “gold” by their judges). Eleven gold medal wines were designated “Best of Class” in competitions between gold medal-winners from other flights of the same wine category.”
In August 2021, USA Today ranked the Texas Hill Country #3 in its Readers’ Choice Award for Best Wine Regions in the U.S., placing ahead of California.
As the popularity of the Texas Hill Country wineries continues to flourish, the list of new wineries is getting longer. A recent article published in The Fredericksburg Standard reports massive growth in the Hill Country wine industry, recording 65 new permits in 2021. New wineries under development include Fiesta Winery at Arch Ray, The Pinot Elite LLC, and Meierstone Vineyards. Arrowhead Creek Vineyard, and Kalsai Cellars. Also permitted in 2021 was Wildseed Farm Vineyard, which is now open for tastings.
The Texas Wine Country has come a long way from the first vineyard in 1662. Today, Texas wineries attract over 1.7 million tourists each year, the second most visited wine region after Napa Valley, becoming the destination of choice for wine lovers across the country.
Cheers to exciting new tasting experiences.
Photo credit: Becker Vineyards
