Texas Fine Wine’s Fantastic Foursome

by Maddie Rhodes on October 27, 2022 in Food+Drink,
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In light of October being Texas Wine Month, we are featuring Texas Fine Wine (TFW), a group of four wineries known for their impeccable taste (pun intended). TFW offers special events and, best of all, wine tastings in person and virtual. They are all about education of the finest wines in our state. 

 

Let’s compare Texas Hill Country versus Texas High Plains; there are eight AVAs (American Viticultural Area) in Texas. 

AVAs are specific grape-growing regions.

The Hill County is the biggest AVA in Texas and is the third largest AVA in the United States. It covers 9 million acres and has over 60 wineries. The High Plains is the second largest in Texas, but not by much. It spans over 8 million acres across north and west Texas. 

We joined in virtually for the TFW tasting and enjoyed learning more about Spicewood Vineyards and Bending Branch Winery. 

Spicewood was one of our favorites with its earthy flavors. Courtesy of Texas Fine Wine.

 

Spicewood Vineyards is one of the first Hill Country wineries minted in 1992. They focus on Spanish varieties, one being the Tempranillo. We tried the $44 bottle of Spicewood Vineyards’ 2019 Estate Tempranillo.

The red and yellow label is an homage to the Spanish flag, which is a reflection of winemaker and owner Ron Yates’ time in Spain. There’s a noticeable taste of black cherry, toasted almonds and spice on the finish. It’s rustic and earthy with flavors of leather, sage and eucalyptus. 

We also loved Bending Branch for its fruity flavor. Courtesy of Texas Fine Wine.

If you’re looking for a treat, indulge at Bending Branch, located in Comfort. They use winemaking processes like Cryo-Maceration and Flash Détente to improve the flavors of their wines.

At the tasting, we tried the $45 bottle of Bending Branch Winery’s 2019 Malbec from Texas High Plains. It had a taste of strawberry, plum, fennel and green tea. High Plains wine tends to be more elegant and fruity, while the Hill Country leans toward more earthy tones.

The Texas tasting rooms are for education and enjoyment. In addition to Bending Branch Winery and Spicewood Vineyards, Duchman Family Winery and Pedernales Cellars make up the esteemed fantastic four of Texas Fine Wine.

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Cover photo courtesy of Texas Fine Wine.