Renie Steves Special to the Business Press
October is Texas Wine Month. In 1997 there were 25 wineries in Texas. Today there are 275. Celebrate by ordering a Texas wine by the glass or bottle at Waters, Winewood, Bonnells, Grace or Cattleman’s restaurants. For an ‘at home’ tasting, buy several bottles at King’s on Berry Street, Put A Cork in It on Park Hill Drive, or Central Market at Interstate 30 and Hulen Street.
Explore any of the 11 official wine trails that are within a three-hour drive of the Metroplex. To discover wineries, festivals or wine events in your vicinity, download the free GO TEXAN app from the iTunes. The Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association has a mobile app for iPhone and Android for members of the Texas Wine Passport program. The Passport program was established two years ago to promote marketing and tourism for member wineries. Prizes are offered for the number of Texas wineries that patrons visit.
Texas winemakers, growers, sellers and distributors need to extend the practice of Texas’ famous hospitality by working together to make Texas wines readily available at restaurants and on wine store shelves. A perfect example is a large wine tasting facility in Fredericksburg, 4.0 Cellars, where three wineries from different parts of the state have opened a showcase. Brennan Vineyards in Comanche, Lost Oak Winery in Burleson and McPherson Cellars in Lubbock have the attitude that everyone who wants to taste our wines can’t come to us, so we’ll take it to them. These three wineries will also create new wines under the 4.0 Cellars label. Ray Raney of King’s Liquor said, “My wine classes at Pan Handle kitchen store in Granbury sell out every time. At the last one we tasted five of the most extraordinary Tempranillos Texas has to offer. The students were amazed. “Even if there are no Texas wines on the restaurant list, I encourage the customer to ask for one. Enjoying a Texas wine by the glass creates conversation that puts Texas wine in motion at the restaurant, and then at the wine shop.”
Even Napa Valley had to start somewhere. Cheers to these winemakers. Continue the exploration with not only Brennan, Lost Oak and McPherson, but Duchman, Pedernales, Fall Creek, Flat Creek, Becker, Keipersol, Inwood, La Buena Vida, Messina Hof, LightCatcher, and the list goes on. After all, you can choose wines from 275 wineries in Texas!